87th Flying Training Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 87th Flying Training Squadron (87 FTS) is part of the 47th Flying Training Wing
based at Laughlin Air Force Base
, Texas
. It operates T-38 Talon
aircraft conducting flight training.
to fight against Germany
's Afrika Korps
. Following the German defeat and withdrawal from North Africa the 87th participated in the Allied
Invasion of Sicily and Invasion of Italy and subsequent drive up the Italian Peninsula
. During the Allied offensive in Italy the squadron was briefly dispatched to support the invasion of Southern France
in 1944. Following the war the 87th was stationed in Austria
for a short time before its return to the United States and deactivation.
, England in 1954 assisting in the air defense of the United Kingdom
.
Returned to CONUS in 1956 at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio with an air defense mission over the Ohio Valley. Was upgraded to the North American F-86L Sabre in 1957, an improved version of the F-86D which incorporated the Semi Automatic Ground Environment
, or SAGE computer-controlled direction system for intercepts; upgraded again in 1960 to the supersonic F-102 Delta Dagger
interceptor.
The 87th was re-equipped with new McDonnell F-101B Voodoo supersonic interceptor, and the F-101F operational and conversion trainer in 1960. The two-seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable. The F-101Bs were transferred to the Air National Guard
in 1968 and the squadron moved to Duluth International Airport
, Minnesota. At Duluth, was upgraded to the F-106 Delta Dart
s. During this period the squadron became known for its ability to perform cold weather operations.
The squadron was again moved to K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base
, Michigan in 1971. Deactivated in 1985 after budget cuts forced the cancellation of its scheduled conversion to the F-15 Eagle
.
aircraft providing training to pilot students on track to operate fighters or bombers.
47th Flying Training Wing
The 47th Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force pilot training wing based at Laughlin Air Force Base, near Del Rio, Texas...
based at Laughlin Air Force Base
Laughlin Air Force Base
Laughlin Air Force Base is a facility of the United States Air Force located five miles east of the central business district of Del Rio, Texas.-Overview:...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It operates T-38 Talon
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
aircraft conducting flight training.
History
First activated as the 87th Aero Squadron, the 87th saw brief service in the 1910s and again in the 1930s.World War II
It was reactivated in 1942 when it was transferred to North AfricaNorth Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
to fight against Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
. Following the German defeat and withdrawal from North Africa the 87th participated in the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
Invasion of Sicily and Invasion of Italy and subsequent drive up the Italian Peninsula
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
. During the Allied offensive in Italy the squadron was briefly dispatched to support the invasion of Southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
in 1944. Following the war the 87th was stationed in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
for a short time before its return to the United States and deactivation.
Air Defense Command
The 87th was again activated at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa in 1952 to provide air defense of the central United States. Equipped with the F-51D Mustang, it was later equipped with the F-86D Sabre Interceptor in 1953 prior to being reassigned to USAFE, stationed at RAF BentwatersRAF Bentwaters
RAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about 80 miles NE of London, 10 miles ENE of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England...
, England in 1954 assisting in the air defense of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Returned to CONUS in 1956 at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio with an air defense mission over the Ohio Valley. Was upgraded to the North American F-86L Sabre in 1957, an improved version of the F-86D which incorporated the Semi Automatic Ground Environment
Semi Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment was an automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft used by NORAD from the late 1950s into the 1980s...
, or SAGE computer-controlled direction system for intercepts; upgraded again in 1960 to the supersonic F-102 Delta Dagger
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
interceptor.
The 87th was re-equipped with new McDonnell F-101B Voodoo supersonic interceptor, and the F-101F operational and conversion trainer in 1960. The two-seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable. The F-101Bs were transferred to the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
in 1968 and the squadron moved to Duluth International Airport
Duluth International Airport
Duluth International Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located five nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Duluth, a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. It serves the Duluth-Superior area including Superior, Wisconsin...
, Minnesota. At Duluth, was upgraded to the F-106 Delta Dart
F-106 Delta Dart
The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date...
s. During this period the squadron became known for its ability to perform cold weather operations.
The squadron was again moved to K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base
K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base
K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base is a decommissioned U.S. Air Force base in Marquette County, Michigan, south of the city of Marquette. The base, near the center of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, closed in 1995. The county airport, Sawyer International, now occupies a portion of the base and has scheduled...
, Michigan in 1971. Deactivated in 1985 after budget cuts forced the cancellation of its scheduled conversion to the F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
.
Modern era
The squadron was reactivated in 1990 and its mission changed to providing flight training. Today the squadron operates T-38 TalonT-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
aircraft providing training to pilot students on track to operate fighters or bombers.
Lineage
- Designated as 87th Aero Squadron, and organized, on 18 Aug 1917
- Redesignated: Squadron B, Park Field, on 25 Jul 1918
- Demobilized on 1 Dec 1918
- Reconstituted, and consolidated (1 Dec 1936) with unit constituted as 87th Pursuit Squadron on 19 Feb 1935
- Organized on 1 Mar 1935
- Inactivated 1 Sep 1936
- Demobilized on 1 Jan 1938
- Reconstituted, and consolidated (21 Mar 1979) with unit constituted as 87th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 13 Jan 1942
- Redesignated 87th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) on 31 Jan 1942
- Activated on 9 Feb 1942
- Redesignated: 87th Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942
- Redesignated: 87th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 21 Aug 1944
- Inactivated on 15 Jul 1947
- Redesignated 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 11 Sep 1952
- Activated on 1 Nov 1952
- Inactivated on 8 Sep 1955
- Activated on 8 Apr 1956
- Inactivated on 1 Oct 1985
- Redesignated 87th Flying Training Squadron on 9 Feb 1990
- Activated on 2 Apr 1990.
Assignments
- III Corps Observation Group (1917–1918)
- 20th Pursuit Group (1935–1936)
- Attached: Air Corps Tactical SchoolAir Corps Tactical SchoolThe Air Corps Tactical School, also known as ACTS and "the Tactical School", was a military professional development school for officers of the United States Army Air Service and United States Army Air Corps, the first such school in the world. Created in 1920 at Langley Field, Virginia, it...
(1 March 1935-1 September 1936)
- Attached: Air Corps Tactical School
- 79th Fighter Group79th Fighter GroupThe 79th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Defense Command 30th Air Division, being assigned to Youngstown Air Force Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 1 March 1960.-World War II:...
(1942–1947) - 31st Air Division (1952–1953)
- 521st Air Defense Group521st Air Defense GroupThe 521st Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 31st Air Division, being stationed at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa...
(1953–1954) - Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
(1954–1955) - 58th Air Division58th Air DivisionThe 58th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, based at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. It was inactivated on 1 February 1959.- B-29 development :...
(1956–1958) - 30th Air Division (1958–1959)
- Detroit Air Defense SectorDetroit Air Defense SectorThe Detroit Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 26th Air Division, being stationed at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan...
(1959–1966) - 34th Air Division (1966–1968)
- 343d Fighter Group (1968–1970)
- 23d Air Division (1970–1981)
- 21st Air Division (1981–1983)
- 24th Air Division (1983–1985)
- 47th Flying Training Wing47th Flying Training WingThe 47th Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force pilot training wing based at Laughlin Air Force Base, near Del Rio, Texas...
(1990–Present)
Stations
- Kelly Field, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(1917) - Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
(1917) - Park Field, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
(1917–1918) - Maxwell FieldMaxwell FieldMaxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
(1935–1936) - Dale Mabry FieldDale Mabry FieldDale Mabry Field was an early airfield located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States established in 1928 and replaced by Tallahassee Regional Airport. It was located at what is now Appleyard Drive and W...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(1942) - Morris Field, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
(1942) - Rentschler Field, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
(1942) - EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
(1942–1943) - LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
(1943) - TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
(1943) - MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
(1943) - SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
(1943) - Southern Italy (1943)
- Salsola Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(1943) - Madna Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(1943–1944) - Pomigliano AirfieldPomigliano AirfieldPomigliano Airfield was a military airfield and base in Pomigliano d'Arco, southern Italy. It was attacked on several occasions by the United States Army Air Force...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(1944) - CorsicaCorsicaCorsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
(1944) - Southern FranceSouthern FranceSouthern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
(1944) - Iesi, Italy (1944)
- FanoFanoFano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea...
, Italy (1944–1945) - CesenaticoCesenaticoCesenatico is a port town with about 20,000 inhabitants on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It is located in the province of Forlì-Cesena in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about 30 km south of Ravenna...
, Italy (1945) - HörschingHörschingHörsching is a municipality in the district Linz-Land in Upper Austria, Austria. It is next to the Linz Airport which is served by a shuttle bus from the Hörsching train station....
, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
(1945–1947) - Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(1947) - Sioux City Municipal Airport, IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
(1952–1954) - RAF BentwatersRAF BentwatersRAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about 80 miles NE of London, 10 miles ENE of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(1954–1955) - Lockbourne Air Force Base, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
(1956–1968) - Duluth International AirportDuluth International AirportDuluth International Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located five nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Duluth, a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. It serves the Duluth-Superior area including Superior, Wisconsin...
, MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
(1968–1971) - K. I. Sawyer Air Force BaseK. I. Sawyer Air Force BaseK. I. Sawyer Air Force Base is a decommissioned U.S. Air Force base in Marquette County, Michigan, south of the city of Marquette. The base, near the center of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, closed in 1995. The county airport, Sawyer International, now occupies a portion of the base and has scheduled...
, Michigan (1971–1985) - Laughlin Air Force BaseLaughlin Air Force BaseLaughlin Air Force Base is a facility of the United States Air Force located five miles east of the central business district of Del Rio, Texas.-Overview:...
, Texas (1990–Present)
Aircraft
- P-40 Warhawk (1942–1944)
- P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
(1944–1947) - F-51D Mustang (1952–1953)
- F-86D Sabre Interceptor (1953–1955, 1956–1957)
- F-86L Sabre Interceptor (SAGE) (1957-1958)
- F-102A Delta Dagger (1958–1960)
- F-101B Voodoo (1960–1968)
- F-106 Delta DartF-106 Delta DartThe Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date...
(1968–1985) - T-38 TalonT-38 TalonThe Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
(1990–Present)