From 1938 until 1944 the federal government operated a Civilian Aeronautics Administration program to train pilots. It was called the Civilian Pilot Training Program. The government would pay for 72 hours of ground instruction and 35-50 hours of flight instruction to create more civilian pilots. During later iterations of the program military pilots got their first taste of the air through an expanded program.
Lewiston State Normal School was one of 1,132 educational institutions to create a pilot training program. They contracted with Zimmerly Air Transport to train Navy cadets from 1942 to 1943.
The top photo shows an airport shuttle for the program, while the bottom picture, is the “9:20 flight of Intermediate students taxiing in a zig-zag manner to the end of the field for takeoff.” Both photos are courtesy of the Idaho State Historical Society digital collection.
Lewiston State Normal School was one of 1,132 educational institutions to create a pilot training program. They contracted with Zimmerly Air Transport to train Navy cadets from 1942 to 1943.
The top photo shows an airport shuttle for the program, while the bottom picture, is the “9:20 flight of Intermediate students taxiing in a zig-zag manner to the end of the field for takeoff.” Both photos are courtesy of the Idaho State Historical Society digital collection.