Boeing School of Aeronautics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boeing School of Aeronautics
Location
Oakland Municipal Airport Oakland , United States , California
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. It taught people how to design, fix, and fly airplanes. The school was open from 1929 to 1945. Later, it was also called the United Air Lines Training Center.

Discovering the Boeing School

How the School Started

The Boeing Company started the Boeing School of Aeronautics. They wanted to train people for their airline, Boeing Air Transport. The school opened on September 16, 1929. It was located at the Oakland Municipal Airport in Oakland, California.

When it first opened, the school had 19 staff members and 100 students. At that time, the Oakland Municipal Airport was the biggest city airport in the United States. The Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce gave the school its license. This group approved aviation schools back then.

Theophilus Lee Jr. was the school's manager. George Myers was in charge of flying lessons. Students learned using early Boeing planes. These included the Boeing Model 81 and the Model 100 fighter plane. They also used the Boeing Model 203. Students even helped design and test new Boeing aircraft. This helped the main Boeing company improve their planes. Some original planes were designed by students and teachers. Examples include the 1939 Thorp T-5 and T-6.

By 1937, the school had grown quite a bit. It had 41 staff members and 500 students.

A Boeing School plane in 1939.

The School During World War II

In October 1938, General Henry H. Arnold from the U.S. Air Force had an important meeting. He invited leaders from the top three aviation schools in the country. Theophilus Lee Jr. from the Boeing School was one of them. General Arnold asked them to start a new program. It was called the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP). This program would train young people to become airplane mechanics for the Air Force.

Even though Congress hadn't given money yet, the schools agreed to help. They started training, housing, and feeding cadets. This was to get ready for the United States joining World War II.

The Boeing School grew a lot during the war. By 1942, it had 14 buildings and 1,000 students. To help with the war effort, the school stopped training commercial pilots. This was for United Airlines in August 1942.

After the War

By 1943, the Civilian Pilot Training Program ended. The Boeing Company then took over the school's operations. The school buildings were still used. They were called the United Air Lines Training Center. This center kept training airplane mechanics. They worked under a contract with the U.S. Navy. The school finally closed in 1945.

What Happened Next?

The Oakland Aviation Museum is now located in one of the old Boeing School buildings. This building was built in 1939.

People Who Studied Here

• Peter M. Bowers – an airplane designer and historian
• Frederick Howard Buller – an airplane engineer
• Jack Eckerd – a businessman who owned the Eckerd drugstore chain
• Ted R. Smith – an aircraft designer
• John Thorp – an airplane engineer
• Ray Vasquez – a singer, musician, and actor
• Lee Ya-Ching – a Chinese film actress and early female pilot
• Ed Yost – known as the "Father of the modern hot-air balloon"

Teachers at the School

• Allan F. Bonnalie – a pilot from World War I
• John Thorp – an airplane engineer

See Also

• History of Boeing
• Junior Birdmen
• Stearman Cloudboy

More Information

• School Badge, Boeing School of Aeronautics, Smithsonian Institution
• Lapel Pin, Boeing School of Aeronautics, Smithsonian Institution
• Boeing School of Aeronautics (book)
• Lusk, H.F. "This School of Aeronautics Is Different", U.S. Air Services, September 1929