Bombardier-Navigator Flying Training

USAAF TRAINING AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE CODES of WW II

"A" coded AT-11 based at Big Spring AAF, TX

Official USAAF photo courtesy of the W.T. Larkins Collection

USAAF Western Flying Training Command

Army Air Field

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Code Letter Source

Carlsbad, NM

C

AT-11

Carlsbad

Deming, NM

D

AT-11

Deming

Hobbs, NM

H

AT-11

Hobbs

Kirtland Field, NM

Q

AT-11, RB-18

AlbuQuerque

Lowry Field, CO

(NLA)

AT-11, RB-18

Mather Field, CA

T

AT-7, A-28, AT-18, B-25

MaTher

Roswell, NM

W

AT-11, AT-17

RosWell

Victorville, CA

V

AT-11

Victorville

Historical Points of Interest

Kirtland AAF utilized 28 RB-18 and 155 AT-11 aircraft. 5700 bombadiers were graduated.
Kirtland AAF (post war): 2250 aircraft stored and scrapped.
Mather AAF was Navigation training only.
Victorville AAF: Post war it became a storage site for 734 B-29's.

USAAF Central Flying Training Command

Army Air Field

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Code Letter Source

Big Spring, TX

(NLA), then... A

AT-11, AT-18, RB-18

unknown

Childress, TX

(NLA), then ...B

AT-11

unknown

Ellington Field, TX

T

AT-7, AT-18

EllingTon

Hondo, TX

N

AT-7, AT-11, RB-18, RB-34

Navigator School

Midland, TX

M

AT-11, RB-34

Midland

San Angelo, TX

(NLA)

AT-11, RB-18

San Marcos, TX

N

AT-7, AT-18

Navigator School

Historical Points of Interest

Childress AAF graduated 4791 Bombardiers
Ellington AAF graduated 4000 Bombadiers and Navigators
Hondo AAF graduated 14,158 Navigators
Midland graduated 6627 Bombardiers
San Marcos AAF was Navigation training only

West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle

The bombing ranges for Childress AAF, San Marcos AAF, Midland AAF and Big Spring AAF were combined into one training area comprising 73 bombing sites

and covering 19 counties. These ranges included a variety of simulated targets (e.g. ships, buidings, refineries, etc) and of course use of the then-secret Norden bombsight.

A most detailed and extensive research paper has been generated by Mr. Larry Riemenscheider of the Texas Historical Commision.. See attached link .

https://www.academia.edu/61797490/_West_Texas_Bombing_Quadrangle

USAAF Eastern Flying training Command

Army Air Field

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Code Letter Source

Selman Field, LA

(NLA)

AT-7, AT-18, RB-34, C-45

Turner AAF, GA

T

AT-7

Turner

Historical Note

In Sept 1942 the Navigator training unit at Turner was transferred to Selman AAF where it became the largest Navigation school with 15,000 graduates..

Some General Notes of Interest...

Deliveries to the USAAF 1946 Surplus Sales Prices *

Beech AT-7 Navigator 1142 None available

Beech AT-11 Kansan 1582 $ 7500 - $15,000

Douglas RB-18 unknown $ 3000

Lockheed AT-18 Hudson 300 $ 6000

Lockheed RA-28 Hudson unknown $ 6000

Lockheed RB-34 Ventura unknown $ 1850

* Larkins, W.T., "Surplus WWII U.S. Aircraft" , 2005, pgs 178-181

Photo Gallery

Western Flying Training Command (WFTC)

"C" coded AT-11 based at Carlsbad, NM
(Note repeat of letter code on bottom of fuselage)

USAAF Photo from Collection of Ken Crist

"D" coded AT-11 based at Deming AAF, NM

USAAF Photo from the Collection of Ken Crist

"H" coded AT-11 replicating a Hobbs AAF, NM aircraft

Photo by J.D. Voss @ Travis AFB Museum

"Q" coded AT-11's based at Kirtland Field, NM

USAAF Photo via Dan Hagedorn

"Q" coded RB-18A based at Kirtland Field, NM

USAAF Photo from the Collection of Dan Hagedorn

"T" coded A-28 based at Mather Field, CA,
(Aircraft utilized in Navigation training)
.
USAAF photo from the Collection of Ken Crist

"W" coded AT-11 based at Roswell AAF, NM

Official USAAF Photo from Ken Crist Collection

"V" coded AT-11 based at Victorville AAF, CA

Official USAAF Photo

"T" coded AT-18 based at Mather AAF, CA

Photo Source: USAAAF

Central Flying Training Command (CFTC)

"M" coded RB-34's based at Midland AAF, TX

USAAF Photo from the Collection of John Menzies

"M"coded AT-11 based at Midland AAF, TX

USAAF Photo

"D" coded AT-11 based at Midland AAF, TX

USAAF Photo

"N" coded AT-7 based at Hondo AAF, TX
Aircraft used specifically for Navigation training
.
USAAF photo from the Collection of Ken Crist

Eastern Flying Training Command

Navigation and Bombadier training in this command has yet to be identified.

Addendum

Allied Bombardier / Navigation training @ Jackson AAF, Mississippi

Above photos taken from the Internet: Original Source unknown.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force was issued 24 Beech AT-11 aircraft from USAAF stocks and were painted in a unique scheme. These aircraft were preparing bombadier /navigator crews for the NAA B-25 Mitchell. Note the row of Mitchell bombers on the Jackson ramp with freshly painted RNAF insignia. In addition the RNAF was issued a nandful of Lockheed C-40 Electra's & C-60 Lodestar's for local liason usage. As a point of interest a complete Flying Training program was also established at Jackson AAF for Dutch personnel seeking pilot ratings. These personnel were subjected to the identical US flying training program utilizing USAAF marked aircraft for Primary, Basic and Advanced. These training aircraft displayed the Jackson AAF fuselage field letter code of a suffixed "J" (e.g. 234 J).

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