Evening star., 1941-04-20
Southeast Air Corps
Training Center
To 0utrank Texas
1e Airdromes Now
In Operation, With
Others to Follow
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

ny JoSLTH -. EDOLh lON.
A long-held Texas monopoly on
the production of new Army Air
Corps combat pilots will be COM
pletely shattered in the near future
when the new Southeast Air Corps
Training Center, with headquarters
at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Ala
takes rank as the greatest air. train
ing establishment in the world.
AS result of an emergency de-
cision early this year to increase
the production of new Army fight
ing pilots to 10000 a year, the
new Southeast center has become
one of the fastest-growing national
defense establishments, with 10 air
dromes already in operation and
more fields in process o: develop
ment.
The number of flying cadets now
In training in the Southeast is to
be tripled by June 80 as the new
fields become available, according
to report from Maxwell Field
BY that time the center will be pro-
ducing new Army flyers at rate
of 1858 pilots every 80 weeks.
Eight Air Corps Bases.
The Southeast center now has
eight Air Corps bases and II civil
ian primary air schools under con-
tract with the Army engaged in the
training of flying cadets. These
stations, scattered from the Great
Smoky Mountains of North Caro-
lima to the tip of Florida and from
Georgia to Louisiana, are under
command of Brig, Gen. Walter r.
Weaver, Air Corps, formerly on
duty here in the War Department.
These posts now are manned by
1866 flying cadets and 1902 en-
listed men. By June 80 it is esti-
mated that 1850 officers will be on
duty in the area, in command of
5,653 flying cadets and 1885 en-
listed men. There will be a steady
growth throughout the remainder
OF the year as the production nears
the rate of 10000 new pilots an
nually.
The Southeast Center now has
advanced flying schools in op-
Grafton at Maxwell Field and
Barksdale Field, La. Two new ad-
vanced flying schools will be opened
by June 80 at Albany, Ga, and
Selma, Ala. The Maxwell Field
advanced school now has 416 fly
ing cadets in training. On June 80
1t is scheduled to have 1900
traineeS.
PAL Cadets at Barksdale.
Barksdale Field, a two-engine
bombardment airplane and navlga-
ton school, now has 241 cadets
and by June 30 will have 572. The
Albany school also will be an ad-
vanced base for two-engined train
ing and will open soon with 1862
cadets. A single-engined advance
school at Selma will add 220 cadets
to the list.
The Air Corps basic flying school
at Gunter Field, Ala. now has AL
cadets. A new basic school will
be established at Macon, Ga, on
June 6, adding 1862 cadets.
The first Air Corps training
school for colored pilots will be
opened at Tuskegee, Ala, in the
fall, with at least 80 flying cadets.
There are civilian air bases now
engaged in the training of 768
flying cadets at Coral Gables, Fla;
Albany, Ca; Americus, Ga; Cam
den, S. c.; Arcadia. Fla; Tusca-
loosa, Ala; Jackson, Miss, and
Lakeland, Fla. There are to be
new contract schools at Augusta,
Ga, Tuskegee and at six other
points in the near future.
The average cost of each of the
new Air Corps schools in the
Southeast area is estimated at
S2,50O,0OO.
Expansion of the Army'S pilot
training program began July l,
1889, when the Air Corps was train
ing 300 to 500 pilots a year. The
first expansion called for a total of
$500 pilots by July l, 1941. Long
before that quota could be reached
new program called for 1000 men
a year. This was increased to 10000
year, and the present program
calls for 10000 a year.