SPENCE AIR BASE
Moultrie, Georgia
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This web site conveys, in word and picture, a
brief history
of Spence Air Base, a base that performed a vital training function
during
two wars, and completed it's second military mission in March,
1961.
It is dedicated to the personnel, both military and civilian, who
played
a role in the operation of Spence Air Base during its two terms as a
military air training center. Although military operations
covered by this
web site ceased long ago many still look back on their tour of duty at
Spence among their most challenging, rewarding and enjoyable life
experiences.
This site is dedicated also to the fine people of Moultrie, Georgia and
surrounding area who graciously accepted those who served at Spence,
took
us into their homes and hearts and by their actions taught us the true
meaning of “southern hospitality”.
* * * * * *
In 1941,
before the United States was actively engaged in World War II, a new
Army Air Force base was carved from some 1600
acres of tobacco and cotton fields a few miles southeast of Moultrie,
Georgia. It was named Spence Air Base after World War I hero Lt.
Thomas Lewis Spence of Thomasville, Georgia. When the attack on
Pearl
Harbor came on December 7, 1941 a small military detachment of 27
officers
and 39 enlisted men staffed Spence Air Base.
Spence grew rapidly into an Advanced single engine training
base that functioned throughout the war and trained nearly 6000 pilots
by the time the base closed in November of 1945. The last several
months of operation, from February 1945 until the base closed it served
as a Basic flight training site.
Spence was reactivated in 1951 during the Korean conflict due to the
increased need for well trained military pilots. The base had
deteriorated badly over its six idle years and a major renovation
project was required to return it to acceptable standards. Repair
work was still underway when the first United States Air Force (USAF)
class, Class 52-C, reported for training in May 1951.
On it’s second military mission
Spence operated as a Contract Primary Flying Training base - a training
system where a civilian contractor provided professional flight,
maintenance and support personnel to train military students, in
military aircraft, to military standards, with their training monitored
by a specialized
military team selected for that purpose. It was one of nine
contract bases activated during the Korean conflict era
and
was among the last of this group to be phased out. The contract
training concept was first introduced during World War II by General
“Hap” Arnold and resulted in most World War II Army Air Force
pilots receiving
some of their training in one of the over 60 contract schools that
operated during that war.
The civilian contractor for the Spence operation was
Hawthorne Flying Service of Charleston, South Carolina operating under
the name Hawthorne School of Aeronautics. Hawthorne had operated
contract schools during World War II so was well qualified for the new
assignment.
President of Hawthorne was world famous aerobatic pilot Beverly E.
“Bevo”
Howard. Military supervision was provided by the 3302nd Pilot
Training Squadron of the USAF Air Training Command.
Instructor Pilots and Flight Supervisors were
selected from a pool of ex-military and professional civilian pilots
who were then given further training at the USAF Instructor Pilot
School at Craig Air Force Base, Selma, Alabama. Flight students
were USAF aviation cadets and student officers interspersed with
additional trainees from other U.S. military services plus trainees
from over 30 allied countries. Students and instructors alike
were spot checked periodically by 3302nd military check pilots and by a
traveling USAF standardization board to insure that training conformed
to strict USAF standards. Spence was noted for both its
standardization and safety record and received several USAF
commendations for both.
Spence flight
students flew the finest of military training
aircraft available at that time. In the earlier classes students
flew the North American T-6G, the latest version of the
legendary
AT-6 advanced trainer of World War II, during their entire flight
curriculum. Time proved that the T-6 was a major challenge for
some beginning students and the Piper PA-18 was added to the training
fleet. The PA-18 was a less complex aircraft that permitted early
screening of flight students and allowed students to develop some
degree of proficiency before advancing to the more sophisticated
T-6. In 1953-54 the T-6 was replaced with the more modern North
American T-28 and in 1955 the new Beechcraft T-34 replaced the
PA-18. The T-34 & T-28 were the standard trainers until
1959-60 when the new Cessna T-37 jet trainer was phased in replacing
the T-28 and it remained until military flight operations at Spence
were terminated.
Flight training took place at Spence, the home field,
plus three auxiliary fields, Thomasville, Tifton and Sunset Field south
of Moultrie.
Flight operations varied somewhat over time but
typically consisted of two squadrons of four flights each.
Flights normally included a Flight Commander, Assistant Flight
Commander, Standardization Leader, Safety Leader and about fifteen
additional instructors, depending on the size of the class. Four
students were assigned to each
instructor. Students alternated between morning and afternoon
flight
schedules with other required training during the remaining
half-day.
Actual flying training typically entailed 30 hours in the smaller first
phase aircraft and another 100 hours in the more complex second phase
aircraft,
all flown in a six month period. Students were trained in
fundamental
through advanced maneuvers, night flying, instrument flying, navigation
and aerobatics. A student class graduated and a new class started
every six weeks. Graduates went on to a Basic Training base for
an
additional six months and upon satisfactory completion of that phase of
training Cadets were commissioned and all graduates received their
coveted silver wings. Advanced training followed, with eventual
operational assignments.
While flying training was the primary mission at Spence little would
have been accomplished without the dedicated support groups that worked
hand-in-hand with the Flight Department. Departments of Academic
Training, Flight Safety, Aircraft Maintenance, Base Supply, Base
Engineering and Maintenance, Food Services, Accounting and Industrial
Relations all fell under the umbrella of responsibility of Hawthorne
School of Aeronautics. All departments contributed significantly
to fulfilling the primary mission.
Spence Air Base was a model of cooperation between
military
and civilian personnel with strong support from the surrounding
community.
All worked in concert to successfully accomplish an important
mission.
Spence, in the 1951-61 decade, saw over a million hours flown, with
over 2.5 million take offs and landings and over 6400 flight students
successfully completing their training courses. In addition to
flight trainees from the United States students were trained from
Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador,
France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran,
Iraq, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan,
Paraguay, Peru, Philippine Islands, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Spain,
Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela, and Viet Nam.
It was indeed a decade of accomplishment for all involved.
The skies over Moultrie and vicinity were relatively quiet for many
years following the base closure in 1961 but it was not always
so.
The older folks of the Moultrie area and aging pilots worldwide
remembered when those same skies were filled with graceful aircraft
training fine young airmen to become competent military pilots in order
to help protect and defend freedom throughout the world.
Sources: Hawthorne publications SPENCE AIR BASE and THE SPENCE
STORY, personal knowledge gained as an instructor pilot
and standardization leader at Spence Air Base, plus information and
photographs contributed by many fine people who shared in the Spence
experience.
Note: Since
launching the Spence Web site we have learned that Spence was again
used by the USAF. It served as an auxiliary field for the
pilot training program at Moody AFB, Valdosta, GA being used for take
off
and landing operations by their T-6 Texan
II turbo-prop trainers. For the latest information on Spence
click here.
This web site is a works in progress and subject to additions
and modification as time goes on - Bruce R. Watson
