The 41st Flying Training Squadron is part of the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It operates Beechcraft T-6 Texan II aircraft conducting flight training. The squadron's mission is to train future Air Force military aviators in Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Phase 2 in the T-6A. Additionally, the 41st trains several foreign military pilots each year in the T-6, through both Foreign Military Sales program and the international Aviation Leadership Program. To accomplish its mission, the squadron annually flies over 17,200 sorties and 22,000 flight hours. The squadron also qualifies and sustains 80–90 mission-ready T-6 instructor pilots. The "Flying Buzzsaws" are currently commanded by Lt Col Timothy "Bogey" Thoren.

History

The squadron flew antisubmarine patrols off the coast of Washington from 14 December 1941 – 21 January 1942. Transferred to the Southwest Pacific theater in early 1942, the 41st converted to the Bell P-39 Airacobra at Sydney, Australia. Scrambled in response to an attack on Sydney Harbour by Japanese submarines, 1/Lt George Cantello died when his P-39 crashed, soon after takeoff. On 23 July 1942, the squadron commenced frontline combat sorties in New Guinea, including air patrols, bomber escort, and close air support. It later converted to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. Combat sorties continued until 14 August 1945. During the Korean War, the squadron flew air defense sorties over Japan. It had been re-designated the 41st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. It conducted academic training for pilots and managed the accelerated copilot enrichment training program from, 1990–1991 and has conducted student flight training since 1998.

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