Boeing School of Aeronautics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boeing School of Aeronautics |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Location | |
|
Oakland Municipal Airport
, United States
,
|
|
| Information | |
| Other name | United Air Lines Training Center |
| School type | Aviation |
| Established | September 16, 1929 |
| Founder | Boeing Airplane Company |
| Closed | 1945 |
| Oversight | Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce |
| Administrator | Theophilus Lee Jr. |
| Director of flying | George Myers |
The Boeing School of Aeronautics was a special school in Oakland, California, that operated from 1929 to 1945. It was created by the famous Boeing Airplane Company to teach people how to design, build, and fly airplanes. Later on, the school became known as the United Air Lines Training Center.
Contents
A School for Flyers and Builders
How It All Began
The Boeing company started the school to train workers for its airline, Boeing Air Transport. The school officially opened on September 16, 1929, at the Oakland Municipal Airport. At the time, this was the biggest airport of its kind in the United States.
The school started with 19 staff members and 100 students. It was approved by the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce, an organization that made sure aviation schools were safe and taught well. Theophilus Lee Jr. was the school's manager, and George Myers was in charge of teaching students how to fly.
.jpg)
Students learned to fly using early Boeing planes like the Boeing Model 81 and the Model 100 fighter. They didn't just fly; they also helped design, test, and fix the planes. This gave Boeing valuable ideas for making better aircraft. Some students and teachers even designed their own planes, like the Thorp T-5 in 1939.
By 1937, the school had grown to have 41 staff members and 500 students.
Helping During the War
In 1938, as World War II was approaching, the U.S. Air Force needed more trained pilots and mechanics. General Henry H. Arnold asked the country's top three aviation schools, including the Boeing School, for help.
The schools agreed to start a new program called the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP). They began training new cadets for the Air Force, even before the government had officially funded the program. The Boeing School grew to its largest size in 1942, with fourteen buildings and 1,000 students. To focus on training for the war, the school stopped its regular pilot training for United Airlines.
After the War
By 1943, the government's training program ended. The Boeing company took over the school's operations directly. The school was renamed the United Air Lines Training Center. It continued to train airplane mechanics for the U.S. Navy until it closed for good in 1945.
What's Left Today?
One of the original Boeing School buildings from 1939 is still standing. Today, it is home to the Oakland Aviation Museum, where you can learn more about the history of flight.
Famous Students
Many students from the Boeing School went on to do great things.
- Peter M. Bowers – An airplane designer and expert on aviation history.
- Frederick Howard Buller – An aeronautical engineer who designed aircraft.
- Jack Eckerd – A businessman who started the Eckerd drugstore chain.
- Ted R. Smith – A successful aircraft designer.
- John Thorp – An aerospace engineer who also taught at the school.
- Ray Vasquez – A singer, musician, and actor.
- Lee Ya-Ching – A famous actress from China and one of the first female pilots.
- Ed Yost – Known as the "Father of the Modern Hot-Air Balloon."
Famous Teachers
- Allan F. Bonnalie – A pilot who flew in World War I.
- John Thorp – An aerospace engineer who also attended the school as a student.
See also
- History of Boeing
- Stearman Cloudboy
External sources
- Insignia, Boeing School of Aeronautics, Smithsonian Institution
- Lapel Pin, Boeing School of Aeronautics, Smithsonian Institution
- Boeing School of Aeronautics (book)
