List of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes

This is a chronological list of Tuskegee Airmen Cadet Pilot Graduation Classes from 1942 to 1946.

The Tuskegee Airmen /tʌsˈkiːɡiː/[1] were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 99th Fighter Squadron, the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces. The name also applies to the navigators, bombardiers, mechanics, instructors, crew chiefs, nurses, cooks and other support personnel.

This list compiles all documented cadet pilot graduates who trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, Moton Field, and other locations prior to the U.S. Air Force's deactivation of all-African American Air units.[2][3][4] There are 1007 documented Tuskegee Airmen Pilots.[5]

This list includes training in the Tuskegee Aviation Cadet School's three cadet programs:

  • Single-Engine Cadet Pilot Class (i.e. trained to fly Bell P-39 Airacobra, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, North American P-51 Mustang or similar single engine combat fighter aircraft);[6]
  • Twin-Engine Cadet Pilot Class (i.e. trained to fly the North American B-25 Mitchell,[7] or
  • Liaison Pilot Cadet Class (i.e. training to serve as liaison and service pilots).[8]

This list excludes:

  • Individuals in non-pilot, support operations.
  • Anyone who may have attended the Tuskegee Airmen cadet pilot program but failed to graduate. Such individuals were often pejoratively deemed as "washed out". Some "washed out" cadets were transferred to the 477th Bombardment Group, Tuskegee's "bomber boys".[9] The 477th comprised four squadrons of B-25 Mitchell bombers, stationed at Hondo Army Air Field in Texas.[9] This group did not see combat in World War II. On October 25, 1943, the inaugural group of "washed out" Tuskegee Airmen arrived at Hondo.[9]
  1. ^ See "Pronunciation of Tuskegee" Archived 2021-11-30 at the Wayback Machine, thefreedictionary.com; retrieved 3 October 2010.
  2. ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Listing | Tuskegee University". www.tuskegee.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  3. ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Roster". CAF RISE ABOVE. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  4. ^ Black Knights – The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen, by Lynn M. Holman and Thomas Reilly.
  5. ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Roster". CAF Rise Above. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Planes: Fighters and Bombers". History. 2019-03-15. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  7. ^ "Tuskegee Airmen Planes: Fighters and Bombers". History. 2019-03-15. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  8. ^ "The Tuskegee Airmen: An Interview with the Leading Authority". The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  9. ^ a b c Hawley, Anna (2020-06-10). "Tuskegee Comes to Texas". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 2023-12-06.