A / B school
A / B schools , more precisely aircraft pilot schools A / B, or FFS (A / B) for short , served in the Air Force from 1935 to 1944 for the basic flying training of trainees for flight personnel. The designation A / B resulted from the aircraft driving licenses A1, A2, B1 and B2 for land aircraft that can be acquired at the schools. For seaplanes, these were the A1, A2 and B certificates. The C schools were used for training on multi-engine aircraft .
Airplane classes of the A / B schools
The pilot classes corresponded to the corresponding classes of aircraft, whereby increased weight values applied for seaplanes in classes A1 and A2. Classes B1 and B2 were merged into one class B for seaplanes. The following classification was valid from 1935 to 1944.
| class | crew | Total weight for land aircraft (total weight for seaplanes) |
Engines | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 1-2 | up to 500 kg (600 kg) | 1 | D-YAAA to D-YZZZ |
| A2 | 1-3 | up to 1000 kg (2200 kg) | 1 | D-EAAA to D-EZZZ |
| B1 | 1-3 | up to 2500 kg | 1 | D-IAAA to D-IZZZ |
| B2 | 4-6 | up to 2500 kg | 1 | D-OAAA to D-OZZZ |
| B (seaplanes) | 1-4 | up to 5000 kg | 1 | D-IAAA to D-IZZZ |
history
In the years 1933 to 1935, the twelve existing sports aviation schools were divided between the six air district commandos. In autumn 1935 the school commandos were renamed Command of the Aviation Schools / Land, Command of the Aviation Schools / Lake and Blind Flying Schools. Between 1936 and 1939 the Air War Schools , the National Socialist Air Corps (NSFK) and the Air Force Replacement Departments (FEA) were established. The German Aviation School (DVS) was incorporated into the Air Force in 1935. After a few reorganizations, pilot training regiments (FAR) emerged from the end of 1938, each with a school for pilot training for beginners. Beginning in August 1940, these schools became independent A / B schools. The A / B schools were later divided into their A and B components, and separate schools were set up for each.
The target stock was 45 aircraft for the A2 school elements, 21 for the B1 schools and 30 aircraft for the B2 schools. In fact, A / B schools have become known that had over 100 aircraft, including captured aircraft, in their inventory.
Training course
All candidates for aviation service in the Air Force, including ground crews, were first assigned to an Air Force Replacement Division (FEA). After passing through the FEA, the recruits considered suitable for flight training were assigned to a flight candidate company for two months. General aviation subjects were taught here. Six to twelve months of basic training took place here, with lessons on radio equipment and map reading being the only aspects of flying. Later on in the war, this phase was shortened to two or three months.
Candidates for an officer career continued their training at an air war school. All other candidates were assigned to an aircraft piloting school A / B (FFS A / B), where they received 100 to 150 flight hours for beginners on class A2 and B1 / B2 aircraft. Towards the end of the war, the number of flying hours was reduced to just 40. The first five hours were with a flight instructor, followed by around 25 hours of solo flying to practice take-offs, landings and traffic patterns. The aircraft material used for this usually consisted of robust Bücker and Klemmbuster models . Since these were almost always two-seater, at the end of the training there was almost always an Air Force aircraft license A2. The A1 license could only be purchased in single-seat aircraft.
After the successful completion of the training, there were various options for further training, depending on the assessment of the flight instructor and the ideas of the flight students. Future fighter pilots were seconded to fighter pilot schools, dive bomber pilots went to Stuka preschools, and pilots for bomb and reconnaissance planes received further training at C schools.
literature
- Barry C. Rosch: Luftwaffe Codes, Markings & Units , Schiffer Military / Aviation History, 1995, p. 385 f.
- Barry Ketley, Mark Rolfe: Luftwaffe Fledglings 1935-1945. Luftwaffe Training Units and their Aircraft. Hikoki Publications, Aldershot 1996, ISBN 0-9519899-2-8 , p. 39 f.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ketley, Rolfe p. 11