U.S. flight training

[Barrett]

I'm looking for info on the U.S. Army pilot training curriculum of 1917-18. Classroom hours, typical time to solo, total time upon joining a squadron, etc.
Similar info on observer training would help. Any leads gratefully received.

[Pips]

Hi Barrett, are you looking for info on training in the US? Or training that USAS would-be pilots underwent in France?

The reason I ask is that James Hudson's superb book "Hostile Skies" provides quite a lot of detail on the USAS training programme in France. But almost no info on trainng in the USA.

[paolomiana]

Hi Barrett,

For US crews trained in Foggia may I suggest this book?
Jack B. Hilliard
CAPRONIs, FARMANs and SIAs, U.S.Army aviation training and combat in Italy with Fiorello LaGuardia, 1917-1918
(In english) LoGisma, 2006. 616 p., ill., 17x24 - ISBN 88-87621-60-8 - Euro 27,00

further info are available in W. Fitch, Wings in the Night

Hope this help you.

On April I had to go to Italian Air Force Historical Archive, ask me if you need some info about Foggia airbase

regards

Paolo Miana

[retread]

The 1919 book "The American Air Service" by Arthur Sweetster has a good deal of information dealing with training of aviators and ground support types. Although it probably is not as specific as you would like. Also, "Learning to Fly in the U.S. Army- A Manual of Aviation Practice" by E.N. Fales, 1917. The latter was certainly intended as a textbook for pilot cadets, although to the extent it was used I cannot say. I downloaded both these from "Googlebooks' at no cost.
Last fall I went to Cornell University Archives looking for just this sort of information and they have a fair amount available, including at least partial cirriculum for student pilots (groundschool). If you contact them they may be able to help, if not I plan to go again late next month or early May.
Lastly I have a small booklet "Mapreading for Aviators" which was used by a cadet at Cornell. If it would be helpful I could probably send photocopies. The booklet is fairly small, perhaps 40-50 pages.

[AZ Aviator]

The most readily available source of U.S. flight training is Over The Front, Vol. 22, No. 2, Summer 2007, "Progressive Pilot Training Parts I and II" by James H. "Skip" Federici. Older authoritative sources are found in Cross & Cockade Journal USA, "Organizing the U.S. Air Service," Parts 1 thru 7, Volumes 6 and 7, 1965-1966, by Dr. Sam Frank. Both are currently available via the League of WWI Aviation Historians, although C & C Journal USA is sold by volume on CD. Check out their website. These sources deal strictly with training, as opposed to others, like "America's First Eagles, The Official History of the U.S. Air Service, A.E.F. (1917-1918)" by Lt. Lucien H. Thayer, Champlin Fighter Museum Press, Mesa, AZ, 1983, of which flight training is but one segment covered in the book.

[paolomiana]

Hi retread,
I feel a little stupid, but I'm not able to download these books, google allow only fragments view. where I wrong?

Thanks for any suggestion

Paolo

[retread]

Hopefully this link works;

Google Book Search


Quite a few good resources here if the link works.

[retread]

O.K. the link seems fine. Just type the title in the title box at the top of the page and hopefully you'll be on the way. I typed in "The American Air Service " and Sweetster's book is at the top of the page and still in complete form.
At the bottom of page one of the links is the magazine "The American Air Service" which is a huge download with tons of good information. Happy hunting.

[FOKKERJ]

Hi Barrett,

I would highly recommend a newly released book:

The work of Alan Roesler. "An Arizona Aviator in France: The Life of Ernest A. Love, 147th Aero Squadron, USAS".

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/bo...a-aviator.html

It covers the training and more in very a precise first hand knowledge from the letters home by the Aviator, Ernest Love.

I hope this helps you.

Best Regards, FOKKERJ

It covers his training starting at Stanford to San Diego, then to France with a side trip to Italy, then off to the Western Front.

[Barrett]

Thank you, Fokker. I may try to order the book, time permitting, as I'm under a deadline. Any figures on hours to solo and/or total time before combat?