Aircraft of World War II - Warbird Forums
 



Go Back   Aircraft of World War II - Warbird Forums > World War II - Aviation > Aviation

Aviation Discussion on the aircraft of WWII.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-29-2006, 02:35 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
syscom3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 10,796
'Flying Sergeants' helped forge Air Force legacy

'Flying Sergeants' helped forge Air Force legacy

by 2nd Lt. Amber Millerchip
Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

3/11/2003 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- They were not paid much, their opportunities for promotion were limited, and they were treated harshly in training, but that did not stop three generations of enlisted aviators from becoming pilots in the Army Air Corps.

Beginning in 1912, enlisted pilots played an important role in writing the aviation history being celebrated this year during the Centennial of Flight.

These enlisted pilots were known as "flying sergeants" for the staff sergeant rank they received upon graduation from flight training irrespective of their previous rank. Enlisted men seized this once-in-a-lifetime chance to fly, said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Edward Wenglar, a former enlisted pilot.

"I was born the tenth child of a sharecropper and, at that time, there was no one lower than a sharecropper, " Wenglar said. "I went from driving a mule to flying the newest (aircraft). It was quite a step. We never thought about whether we wanted to be an enlisted pilot or an officer pilot. We just wanted to be pilots, and we would gladly have stayed privates forever just to have the chance to fly."

Wenglar, who served overseas during World War II from November 1942 through July 1944, holds the distinction of achieving the highest rank of any former enlisted pilot. In February 2003, at the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall at Gunter Annex, Ala., he accepted a memorial stone on behalf of all enlisted pilots.

In Lee Arbon's book about enlisted pilots, "They Also Flew," Chief Master Sgt. Wayne Fisk compared pilots to precious stones, with the shiniest of all U.S. aviation achievements being those of the sergeant pilot.

Allowing enlisted airmen to earn their wings as pilots was a temporary response to drastic shortages of qualified pilot candidates during wartime. Two Congressional laws authorized the training: the Air Corps Act of 1926 and Public Law 99, which went into effect in 1941. Public Law 99 reduced the education requirement, making the average age of the sergeant pilot between 18 and 22, younger than most pilot training cadets with a college education.

Enlisted pilot training in the late 1920s initially was informal, practical in nature and not a product of the flying schools, which developed in the early 1940s with World War II enlisted pilots.

Instead, Arbon said, "If fortunate enough, these early, World War I enlisted pilots grew up in the local organization learning under a generous officer in their unit. For the initial enlisted pilots, the World War I generation, many came out of the ranks of mechanics to become successful pilots."

An enlisted man's opportunity to train to fly was many times luck of the draw, Arbon said. Such was the case in 1912 for Cpl. Vernon Burge, the first enlisted pilot, who was a mechanic accepted into pilot training.

Arbon who attended pilot training in 1942, recalled, "Training conditions were fiercely competitive, attrition was very high, half of us were cut after the medical physical, and only one forth made it out of training."

Enlisted pilot candidates trained six days a week in class or in the air and spent Sundays doing drill, Wenglar said. One of his strongest memories was training in the hot July sunshine in Arizona with temperatures in the hundreds, which made the flight line surface even hotter.

"While waiting your turn to fly, the instructors would order us to complete one push-up after another, our hands burning," he said. "When we couldn't do any more push-ups, the instructors would make us (get on our backs and) hold our feet up six inches from the ground. Looking back, it's amazing we got through. They worked hard to wash us out, especially considering they needed us so badly."

According to Wenglar, enlisted pilots flew in 22 campaigns from the Mexican-American War to World War II.

"Name a combat plane or theater and you'll find a number of sergeant pilots in each of those units," Arbon said. "We did everything. It took us a long time to acquaint the world to the fact that we did indeed exist. When we did get acknowledged, people realized we had done a grand job."

The enlisted pilots were high achievers in the Air Force and beyond.

"Our careers as enlisted pilots made us better men and gave us opportunities later in the civilian world that we never would have been offered," Wenglar said. "Many of us went on to become airline pilots, doctors and educators. We destroyed a total of 249.5 enemy planes, and five out of seven men in charge of air transport systems went on to become commanders of troop carriers in Europe, the Pacific and the Middle East."

Seventeen enlisted pilots became fighter aces, and 11 became general officers. Many sergeant pilots' heroic deeds and accomplishments reached historic significance.

Walter Beech, co-founder of Beech Aircraft Corporation, was one of the early enlisted pilots who achieved notoriety. He was a World War I pilot and became a member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Bob Hoover, a World War II pilot, is also listed in the Aviation Hall of Fame and is considered one of the great test pilots of all time.

Ralph Bottriell earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his work with parachutes. Two enlisted pilots, Ira Biffle and Bill Winston, taught Charles Lindbergh.

During World War II, 30 staff sergeant pilots flew transport missions in the China-Burma- India Theater, delivering supplies and people over the treacherous Himalaya Mountains better known as the "Hump."

The opportunity for enlisted men to become pilots ended in late 1942 with the Flight Officer Act. This law replaced the program's sergeant pilot rank with the warrant officer rank, which was also eventually done away with. Retired Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, famous for breaking the sound barrier, was in the last class of the enlisted pilot program when it was replaced. The following year, all sergeant pilots received orders to be promoted to the new "Flight Officer" rank.

Following World War II, George Holmes chose to revert to his former rank of master sergeant and served as the Air Force's last enlisted pilot until his retirement in 1957, according to the U.S. Air Force Museum.

To learn more about the history of the enlisted pilot, visit the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Research Institute Web site at Maxwell AFB and Gunter Annex au/cepme/ heritage/ homepage. htm. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)
__________________
"Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?"
syscom3 is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2006, 02:52 PM   #2
IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
 
FLYBOYJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 16,824
Great info - I still see nothing wrong with a NCO pilot....
__________________
> I Support Doug Gillis <
FLYBOYJ is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2006, 04:19 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: London
Posts: 3,908
The RAF had thousands of them. Thanks for the post I admit that I didn't realise that the US had any NCO Pilots. It was a good read.
Glider is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2006, 05:32 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Nonskimmer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,871
Send a message via MSN to Nonskimmer
I knew about them, but it was still a good read.

Most air forces of the war had non-commissioned pilots, but I believe the Japanese made the most use of NCO pilots out of all the combatants.
Nonskimmer is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2006, 11:09 PM   #5
"Shooter"
 
evangilder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 15,409
Send a message via Yahoo to evangilder
Great read. I agree with Joe, I think NCO pilots would be fine as well. Besides, most NCOs are way better than an O-1 through O-3.
__________________




For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci
evangilder is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2009, 06:27 PM   #6
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1
MSgt George Holmes

Does anyone know why George Holmes reverted back to the rank of MSgt?
Wetterfrosch is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2009, 09:24 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
syscom3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 10,796
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wetterfrosch View Post
Does anyone know why George Holmes reverted back to the rank of MSgt?
It probably had to do with the end of hostilities and the resultant reduction in the number of ranks.
__________________
"Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?"
syscom3 is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2009, 10:01 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
mkloby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Jacksonville, NC
Posts: 3,562
Quote:
Originally Posted by evangilder View Post
Great read. I agree with Joe, I think NCO pilots would be fine as well. Besides, most NCOs are way better than an O-1 through O-3.



Good post - thanks syscom
__________________
If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven's scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines


mkloby is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2009, 11:38 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Airframes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 11,503
Agree with all, a very interesting read, thanks.
__________________


Airframes is online now  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2009, 11:53 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
comiso90's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FL
Posts: 3,513
OTS or OCS is certainly a way to weed people out and instill an extra measure of esprit d corp but it's not necessary for a good pilot.

I cant see a sergeant flying an F-22 or B-2 though. I imagine they'd be relegated to flying Sherpas and Carvans delivering fine scotch and hammocks to the Officer's clubs in remote locations.

.
__________________


http://www.BOOKSonWAR.com/
.
comiso90 is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2009, 03:06 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
mkloby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Jacksonville, NC
Posts: 3,562
Quote:
Originally Posted by comiso90 View Post
OTS or OCS is certainly a way to weed people out and instill an extra measure of esprit d corp but it's not necessary for a good pilot.

I cant see a sergeant flying an F-22 or B-2 though. I imagine they'd be relegated to flying Sherpas and Carvans delivering fine scotch and hammocks to the Officer's clubs in remote locations.

.
No - OCS is not required for a good pilot at all. It does, however, test character under stress... it's main function.

That, combined with requisite scores on aptitude tests may help to produce a better qualified average aviation student - and even still about 20-25% I believe are attrited along the way in naval aviation. That doesn't mean that there aren't NCO's or SNCO's out there that would do very well in the aviation program.

The Navy opened up a pilot program to enlisted sailors to become warrant officers and go through flight school. I'm not sure what has happened since then though. I saw the first warrant officers coming through primary flight training as I was leaving back in 07.
__________________
If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven's scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines


mkloby is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2009, 03:17 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
comiso90's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FL
Posts: 3,513
Quote:
Originally Posted by mkloby View Post
No - OCS is not required for a good pilot at all. It does, however, test character under stress... it's main function.

That, combined with requisite scores on aptitude tests may help to produce a better qualified average aviation student - and even still about 20-25% I believe are attrited along the way in naval aviation.
Yeah.. thats what i meant about "weeding out"... It's a great filter to separate top performers from under performers.

You can say the same thing about college... a degree doesn't necessarily mean you're qualified.. it just means you had the opportunity to go to college and the persistence to get a degree.

lots of dummies with degrees and lots of brilliant people w/o them.

.
__________________


http://www.BOOKSonWAR.com/
.
comiso90 is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2009, 05:29 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: London
Posts: 3,908
Quote:
Originally Posted by comiso90 View Post
I cant see a sergeant flying an F-22 or B-2 though. I imagine they'd be relegated to flying Sherpas and Carvans delivering fine scotch and hammocks to the Officer's clubs in remote locations.

.
I can see a sargeant being good enough, but not allowed to and not being given the opportunity.

On the old Ark Royal one of the senior F4 Pilots was a Lt Commander and started out as a stoker in the Ark on his first tour at sea. An F4 isn't an F22 but for the early 70's it was of similar complexity.

In 1972 the Tiger visited the USA and the Captain heard a number of the Junior Officers getting above themselves. During the next excercises he declared that there had been a catastrophic hit in the officers Mess and most of the officers were deemed to be casualties. The excercise went ahead for two days with the senior rates in charge and she passed all her tests.

Do not underestimate the Non Coms.
Glider is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2009, 07:46 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Soundbreaker Welch?'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 1,896
Quote:
lots of dummies with degrees and lots of brilliant people w/o them.
lol, good statement.
__________________

"His motor's conked out!"
"What's the differance, they're all Nazis!"
"Luke, shut up!"
"Fear the hook!"
"Oh.....I wanna fly."
"You mean the kind that go under water and fly up the stairs?"
"What you doing? Oh Nooooo!"
Soundbreaker Welch? is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2009, 11:31 PM   #15
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2
Navcads

In addition to actual Enlisted Pilots the Navy had the Naval Aviation Cadet Program, NAVCAD up until around 1966. This offered Enlisted personnel to apply for flight training without having a Four Year Degree. All the original Navy Astronauts and ex-Navy Astronauts were Navcads. If I'm not mistaken if one SecNav was a Navcad.

The last enlisted pilot I met was a grizzly old Chief that flew a twin Beech into NAS New Orleans from Corpus in 69.

Thanks for the information.
Cherbonnier is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
French fighter aircrft carpenoctem1689 Aviation 56 02-25-2009 09:41 AM
Your top 10 modern fighters Chris_G Modern 252 06-20-2008 03:23 PM
Air War's Greatest Aces... lesofprimus Stories 14 10-09-2006 12:45 PM
Air Force test team launches 'overhauled' Iraqi aircraft Royzee617 SitRep 0 04-28-2006 09:53 AM
The Greatest Fighter Pilot in WW II??? lesofprimus Polls 784 03-08-2005 10:27 PM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:16 PM.
Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.3.2
Ad Management plugin by RedTyger
Design by HTWoRKS


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125