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The Far East Air Force in the last years of Peacetime 1937-1939
The Far East Air Force 1937 – 1939
US Army Air Corps
The Army has only 28 P26 fighters, 17 B10 bombers, 10 0-46 observation aircraft, 5 0-19 observation aircraft, and 3 Steerman trainers organized into the 4th Composite Group. To fly these aircraft, of which only half are operational due to parts shortages, are 26 pilots (of 58 authorized). Only Clark Field is actually a functional air base, although there are 12 additional fields in the islands which serve mainly as emergency landing strips.
The Philippines are dumping ground for aircraft determined to be in excess of needs for Hawaii and Panama, and for that matter an assignment there is not considered a route to promotion in the Air Corps.
Clark Air Field 1938
The Birth of the Philippine Air Force
To avoid interfering with flight operations at Clark (such as they are), Eisenhower has the Philippine Army 6th Construction engineer brigade construct a hard packed dirt airstrip and apron as well as hangers and other buildings for this new home for air training for the soon to be created Philippine Air Force at Lipa, Batangas (modern day Fernando air base). Eisenhower decides that that the initial location is too unpleasant and too close to Batangas City, and he also has a road built from the small port at Batangas city to the new base. This revised selection also gets the future air force away from mosquitoes. The base gets a new name when an aviation cadet Porfiro Zablan is killed in a training accident.
The first recruits who will be mechanics eventually begin training at Santo Thomas University before moving to Clark Field for advanced training while officer candidates for technical and pilot training are trained at the newly started military academy at Baguio. The first aircraft do not arrive until January 1939 and newly trained Filipino air corps personnel, with assistance from the 4th Composite Group, begin assembling them at Zablan Field. The initial aircraft consist of 48 PT 17 Steerman biplane trainers (equipped with bomb racks for 200 pounds of bombs and one fixed forward machine gun and one flexible mount for the observer in its light attack mission). Only half of the aircraft are initially assembled, with the rest remaining in crates as a source of spares and parts. The next arrivals are 24 AT6 Texan advanced trainers, also equipped for combat with a forward and rear machine gun, as well able to carry 500 pounds of bombs. The final arrivals are 24 Beech 18 twin engine trainers which will also serve as liason and light transport aircraft. Although a significant number of these are lost in training accidents, it still provides the Philippine Army Air Force with 2 primary training squadrons, 1 advanced training squadron and 1 multi-engine training (and navigation training) squadron which can also serve as 3 light attack and 1 patrol squadron in wartime.
Beechcraft Model 18
By 1939 over 100 aviation cadets are in training at various levels of skill, and 10 American pilots from the 4th Composite Group (led by now Captain Jerry Lee). Also completing his training is Colonel Dwight Eisenhower.
US Army Air Corps
The Army has only 28 P26 fighters, 17 B10 bombers, 10 0-46 observation aircraft, 5 0-19 observation aircraft, and 3 Steerman trainers organized into the 4th Composite Group. To fly these aircraft, of which only half are operational due to parts shortages, are 26 pilots (of 58 authorized). Only Clark Field is actually a functional air base, although there are 12 additional fields in the islands which serve mainly as emergency landing strips.
The Philippines are dumping ground for aircraft determined to be in excess of needs for Hawaii and Panama, and for that matter an assignment there is not considered a route to promotion in the Air Corps.
Clark Air Field 1938
The Birth of the Philippine Air Force
To avoid interfering with flight operations at Clark (such as they are), Eisenhower has the Philippine Army 6th Construction engineer brigade construct a hard packed dirt airstrip and apron as well as hangers and other buildings for this new home for air training for the soon to be created Philippine Air Force at Lipa, Batangas (modern day Fernando air base). Eisenhower decides that that the initial location is too unpleasant and too close to Batangas City, and he also has a road built from the small port at Batangas city to the new base. This revised selection also gets the future air force away from mosquitoes. The base gets a new name when an aviation cadet Porfiro Zablan is killed in a training accident.
The first recruits who will be mechanics eventually begin training at Santo Thomas University before moving to Clark Field for advanced training while officer candidates for technical and pilot training are trained at the newly started military academy at Baguio. The first aircraft do not arrive until January 1939 and newly trained Filipino air corps personnel, with assistance from the 4th Composite Group, begin assembling them at Zablan Field. The initial aircraft consist of 48 PT 17 Steerman biplane trainers (equipped with bomb racks for 200 pounds of bombs and one fixed forward machine gun and one flexible mount for the observer in its light attack mission). Only half of the aircraft are initially assembled, with the rest remaining in crates as a source of spares and parts. The next arrivals are 24 AT6 Texan advanced trainers, also equipped for combat with a forward and rear machine gun, as well able to carry 500 pounds of bombs. The final arrivals are 24 Beech 18 twin engine trainers which will also serve as liason and light transport aircraft. Although a significant number of these are lost in training accidents, it still provides the Philippine Army Air Force with 2 primary training squadrons, 1 advanced training squadron and 1 multi-engine training (and navigation training) squadron which can also serve as 3 light attack and 1 patrol squadron in wartime.
Beechcraft Model 18
By 1939 over 100 aviation cadets are in training at various levels of skill, and 10 American pilots from the 4th Composite Group (led by now Captain Jerry Lee). Also completing his training is Colonel Dwight Eisenhower.
- galveston bay
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