Vance AFB
Vance AFB is situated about five miles south of downtown Enid on land which once produced bumper wheat crops. In 1941, for the sum of $1 a year, this land was leased from the city of Enid to the federal government as a site for a pilot training field.
Construction of the airfield complex began in late 1941, and on Nov. 21 the base was officially activated. The installation was without a name but was generally referred to as Air Corps Basic Flying School of Enid, Okla. It was not until Feb. 11, 1942, that the base was officially named Enid Army Flying School.
The mission of the school was to train aviation cadets to become aircraft pilots and commissioned officers in the Army Air Corps.
The first aircraft used was the BT-13A, later supplemented by the BT-15. These were the only aircraft used for basic pilot training during World War II. However, in 1944 advanced students were graduated in the TB-25 and TB-26. For the duration of the war, the basic phase of training graduated 8,169 students, while the advanced phase of training graduated 826.
As the demand for pilots decreased after World War II, the Enid Army Flying Field (as it was named in 1943) closed Jan. 31, 1947. With the creation of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service in September 1947, it became evident that once again the Enid training facilities would be required. The base was reactivated, and its name changed to Enid AFB on Jan. 13, 1948, as one of the pilot training bases within Air Training Command.
Its mission was to provide training for advanced students in multi-engine aircraft. The four-month program, later expanded to six months, included training in the AT-6 and TB-25.
In keeping with the Air Force tradition of naming bases for deceased Air Force flyers, on July 9, 1949, the base was renamed after a local World War II hero and Medal of Honor winner, Lt. Col. Leon Robert Vance Jr.
Late in 1950 the T-28 replaced the T-6, and in 1952 the Vance mission was changed from advanced multi-engine pilot school to basic multi-engine pilot school.
In 1956 the T-33 single-engine jet replaced the TB-25.
The twin-engine T-37 jet, designed as a primary trainer, became operational at the base in 1961. Replacing the T-33 in 1963-64 was the T-38, an advanced supersonic jet trainer. The T-37 and T-38 are the aircraft still used for pilot training at Vance today. In 1960 Vance was selected by the Air Force as part of an extended experiment in contract services. Under this plan a civilian contractor furnishes the support facilities normally provided by base agencies. The contractor performs aircraft and base maintenance, ground transportation, fire protection, procurement, supply, photographic and other services. All military training, academic instruction and flying training continues, however, under military supervision.
Serv-Air, Inc. began support services in October of 1960. Northrop Worldwide Aircraft Services, Inc., assumed the support services at Vance in 1972 and has held the contract since.
Vance took over the fixed wing qualification training program in 1987. The program, which is basically an accelerated version of UPT, teaches helicopter pilots to fly fixed wing aircraft.
In March 1990 Air Force officials announced that Vance will add a new aircraft to its inventory. The 71st Flying Training Wing took delivery of the Beechcraft T-1 Jayhawk in December 1994, and moved to specialized undergraduate pilot training (SUPT) in September 1995. Under SUPT all students start out flying the T-37, then branch off to specialized training. Those heading for tanker/transport assignments will train in the T-1. Fighter, bomber, and reconnaissance pilots will train in the T-38.
The current squadrons that fall under the 71st Flying Training Wing
are the Operational Support Squadron, the 8th Flying Training Squadron,
and the 25th Flying Training Squadron. A new squadron, the 32nd Flying
Training Squadron, was activated in June of 1995, replacing the provisional
26th Flying Training Squadron.
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