Total training+missions flying hours

[Stig Jarlevik]

Our friend Geoffrey Sinclair wishes to add the following:

For new personnel the general rule was the better the air force
situation was the more training was done, as a result the hours varied
for all air forces 1939 to 1945, allied ones tended to go up, axis ones
down. You need to choose which air force at what date and of course
what they were going to do and fly, plus the inevitable variations
between students. As the system became more efficient, more
instructors, more available equipment etc. students could obtain more
training hours per day, cutting the number of days required.

According to a diagram in Luftwaffe by Williamson Murray in the first
two years of the war Luftwaffe around 230 training hours, RAF 200 hours,
for October 1942 to June 1943, Luftwaffe around 200 training hours, RAF
350, USAAF 280 hours, for June 1943 to June 1944, Luftwaffe around 175
training hours, RAF 350, USAAF 325 hours, finally June 1944 to end,
Luftwaffe 125 training hours, RAF 350, USAAF 400 hours

When it comes to combat operations it depends on what the mission was,
whether the air force had the concept of a tour and as noted the loss
rate will determine how experienced the average aircrew would be before
they ceased combat operations. Again the length of a tour varied, the
8th Air Force started at 25 missions and ended up at 35, the 15th Air
Force ended up at 50 missions, but had the concept of a double mission
when attacking heavily defended targets (or ones the 8th Air Force also
attacked). Tours could be defined by the number of hours instead of
missions. Someone doing anti submarine patrols would probably fly more
operational hours per tour than if in a bomber unit.

Training continued in combat units, the 9th Air Force Flying time 16
October 1943 to 31 May 1945, Source Flying Time and Gasoline Consumption
Reports

Operational Hours by type \ Average Sortie length hours
A-20 67,917 \ 3.31
A-26 35,513 \ 3.55
B-26 267,941 \ 3.44
P-38 82,581 \ 2.51
P-47 475,052 \ 2.41
P-51 72,609 \ 2.96
P-61 6,411 \ 2.26
F-3 1,280 \ 2.04
F-5 13,309 \ 1.79
F-6 44,726 \ 1.83
P-51 RCN 3,344 \ 2.11
Total 1,070,904

Non Operational Hours
A-20 37,351
A-26 40,796
B-26 113,975
P-38 18,905
P-47 134,029
P-51 21,933
P-61 6,350
Beau 124
F-3 3,119
F-5 7,652
F-6 13,883
P-51 RCN 916
C-47 252,265
L-4 11,511
L-5 91,360
Misc 65,948
Total 820,117

According to the Bomber Command War Losses series the combat units lost
132 aircraft on air tests and 839 on training missions September 1939 to
April 1945 inclusive, which gives an idea of the amount of training
done, the 92 losses on ferry missions an indicator of the hazards of
wartime flying.

The Luftwaffe Quartermaster reports for Luftflotte Reich June 1943 to
December 1944 inclusive say 2,545 aircraft lost and 3,719 damaged not on
operations, again an indicator of training activity and in 1944 average
crew experience.

Geoffrey Sinclair