Training Air Service Pursuit Pilots in World War I

The purpose of this study was to determine if the American Air Service developed a training program which successfully prepared pursuit pilots to accomplish their mission along the western front in World War I. This historical research thoroughly examined each of the three key phases (ground training, preliminary flight training, and advanced flight training) of the training concept adopted by the Air Service to determine if each phase successfully prepared the pilot with the skills necessary to advance to the next phase and eventually into combat. The study also briefly explored the overall combat performance of the American pursuit pilots as a direct measure of the success of the training concept. Findings indicated that despite difficulties with variable and outdated training equipment and some inconsistent instruction in the preliminary phase of training, the overall training program provided the pursuit pilots with the basic skills required to be successful in combat. As a result, pursuit pilots trained in the Air Service program were able to post an outstanding record by the end of the war.