Third Reich Flying Schools: How the Luftwaffe Eagle Grew Its Wings and Claws
This work continues the cycle dedicated to stories the reconstruction of the German Air Force in the pre-war decade, and concludes the series of articles Luft Hansa – Wings of the Third Reich и Luftwaffe: Phoenix from the Ashes of Versailles.
As in previous publications, I consider it necessary to note that All photographs, posters, and quotes containing Nazi symbols are included in this article for historical and informational purposes only. The materials used are taken from official open internet sources from various countries and do not constitute Nazi propaganda or a justification of Nazi ideology.
Below is one of the Third Reich's propaganda posters, figuratively calling on the German people to "take flight" on the future Air Force. The poster reads:
"It cannot be otherwise: we must fly, and we certainly will fly!" - Adolf Hitler.
For Germany in the mid-1930s, these words were more than just a propaganda slogan. They reflected the political course of the country's leadership and served as a signal for the large-scale implementation of a program to create a modern air force.
Aircraft production, engineering training, and the training of thousands of pilots were rapidly launched. This article focuses on the flight training system, the activities of the aviation schools, and the lives of their graduates.
Aviation schools – step by step to perfection
Between 1933 and 1935, there were only twelve major sport flying schools in Germany. After the official creation of the Luftwaffe in 1935, the entire flight training system was gradually centralized and transferred to the Ministry of aviation Reich Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium, RLM) - the highest state body responsible for the development of the aviation industry, civil aviation and the German Air Force.
Interestingly, the Minister of Aviation had his own command standard, just like the commanders of large military units. Take a look at this standard—its very existence speaks volumes about the importance the Third Reich's leadership attached to aviation.
Command standard of the Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM), 1933-1935. It was so full of Nazi symbols it was practically unbearable!
In the fall of 1935, aviation training units were reorganized. While previously flight training had been conducted at general-purpose educational institutions, it was now divided according to the branches of the armed forces.
The school commands received new names: “Command of the Flying Schools of the Ground Forces” (Fliegerschulkommando des Heeres), “Command of the Flying Schools of the Naval Forces” (Fliegerschulkommando der Marine), and instrument flight training schools (Blindflugschulen) were also created.
Between 1936 and 1939, a vast network of aviation training institutions was formed. It included military aviation schools (Luftkriegsschulen, LKS), the National Socialist Flying Corps (Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps, NSFK), aviation reserve units (Fliegerersatzabteilungen, FEA), and general pilot training schools (Flugzeugführerschulen, FFS).
In the aviation reserve units (FEA), cadets underwent six months of basic general military training (Grundausbildung), studied combat service, handling weapons, the basics of military discipline, and physical training. Upon completion of this stage, a selection process was held to determine which aviation specialty the future aviator was most suited to, and the cadets were sent to basic flight training schools (Flugzeugführerschulen A/B, FFS A/B), where they began their pilot training.
Taking the oath of allegiance by cadets of the flying school at Gatow airfield near Berlin, 1937
At the same time, candidates selected for other aviation specialties were transferred to the corresponding specialized schools, including air gunnery schools (Fliegerwaffenschulen). Cadets who successfully completed the initial stage of flight training continued their studies at higher-level aviation schools depending on their chosen specialization.
The German Civil Aviation School (Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule, DVS), which played an important role in training pilots even before the official creation of the Luftwaffe, was fully integrated into the air force training system after 1935.
After several reorganizations, beginning in late 1938, training aviation regiments (Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regimenter, FAR) were formed, each of which had a basic flight training school subordinated to it.
From August 1940, these schools received independent status and were transformed into A/B schools (A/B-Schulen).
An archive photo of cadets from one of the flight schools (Flugzeugführerschule A/B)
Later, the A/B schools were divided into independent stages A and B, with separate training institutions established for each. This division allowed for a clearer distinction between the initial and subsequent flight training stages, as well as a unified curriculum.
It was in the pre-war years that the multi-stage system of candidate selection, flight training, and progressive pilot development was finally established. Its core consisted of basic pilot training schools (Flugzeugführerschulen, FFS), as well as specialized aviation schools designed to train pilots in various specialties.
The main feature of this system was its strict sequence: progression to each subsequent stage of training was permitted only after successful completion of the previous one.
The pre-war period is considered the peak of German pilot training efficiency. Later, as losses and frontline needs increased, it had to be significantly simplified and scaled back. Before the war, it was a well-oiled system combining rigorous candidate selection, consistent training, and a high level of flight training.
Therefore, it makes sense to take a closer look at its structure: stages of training, types of aviation schools, flight requirements, and criteria for admitting pilots to service in combat units.
Selection and training system
Selection (Auswahl) was the first stage of training future Luftwaffe pilots and was a multi-stage system of medical, physical, psychological and ideological testing.
The medical examination included an assessment of general health, cardiovascular system, vision, hearing, and the absence of chronic diseases or other limitations that would prevent flight service.
Physical training tested general endurance, motor coordination, vestibular function, and the ability to handle stress. At the same time, candidates' psychophysiological abilities were assessed: reaction speed, concentration, spatial reasoning, and resilience to stress.
An integral part of the selection process was a test of political reliability, which corresponded to the requirements of the National Socialist system of personnel training.
Before the war, a significant portion of candidates were eliminated during the preliminary testing stages and were not allowed to begin flight training. It is estimated that during this period, the system could annually process approximately 8–12 cadets through the initial stages of training, with the number of operational training centers and schools at various levels within the Luftwaffe and related Air Force structures numbering several dozen, gradually expanding as the rearmament program progressed.
Moreover, the indicated number reflects precisely the annual incoming flow of candidates into the training system, while the final number of pilots who annually reached the level of full flight qualification was significantly lower due to multi-stage selection, a consistent increase in requirements at the stages A-, B- and C-Schulen, as well as the redistribution of some personnel to ground and auxiliary aviation structures.
The core network included schools for basic and further advanced training, distributed both throughout Germany and partly in the “new territories” – the annexed and later captured areas of Europe, which made it possible to ensure a continuous flow of training and specialization of pilots.
National Socialist Flying Corps (NSFK)
The glider schools of the National Socialist Air Corps (Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps, NSFK) played a key role in the preliminary preparations.
Archival poster of the National Socialist Air Corps (Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps, NSFK) for the 1937 gliding competition[/ Center]
Formally, training at the NSFK was not a requirement for entry into the Luftwaffe, but in practice, its glider schools were where most future pilots trained. Here, cadets mastered the fundamentals of aerodynamics and glider piloting techniques, gained initial solo experience, and received recommendations for further training. Candidates who demonstrated sufficient proficiency could enter the Luftwaffe flight school system directly from the NSFK.
Most recruits were initially sent to reserve aviation units (Fliegerersatzabteilungen), where they underwent military, drill, physical training, and basic aviation training. After completing this stage, they were enrolled in flight schools. category AThe entire training system was built on the principle of sequentially completing several stages of training: Flugzeugführerschule A, B and C.
The names of the first two stages came from the pilot license system A1, A2, B1 and B2, issued after mastering the relevant training programs on land and naval aviation aircraft.
A separate classification of certificates was used for maritime and seaplane aviation. C, unlike A and B, no longer designated a type of license, but rather the training of multi-engine pilots. This system was in effect from 1935 to 1944.
Advancement to each subsequent level was permitted only after successful completion of the previous stage, confirmation of the necessary practical piloting skills, the required flight time, and the ability to confidently perform flight missions in conditions of increasing complexity.
As I wrote above, the initial stage of preparation was training in NSFK glider schools.
Basic Flight Training School (A-Schule)
Transition into A-Schulen This was carried out after the candidate was deemed fit for independent glider piloting and basic adaptation to the air environment. At this stage, the ability to stably control the aircraft in simple modes was recorded.
The first step was Flugzeugführerschule A — a basic flight training school. The duration of training typically ranged from four to six months, although combined with the preceding stage of preliminary military training, the full cycle of basic training took from six months to one year.
Here, cadets mastered the basics of aircraft piloting, navigation, radio communications, and elements of air law. The practical program included initial training with an instructor, followed by solo flights. Total flight time at this level typically amounted to 100–150 hours, although by the end of the war, due to fuel shortages and training time, it was reduced to approximately 40 hours. The primary training aircraft were Bücker and Klemm aircraft.
Completion of the course was accompanied by a practical test—a qualification exam (Zwischenprüfung)—that included solo flight in a circuit, performing assigned aerobatic maneuvers, basic navigation, and stable takeoffs and landings. Particular attention was paid to maintaining control in conditions of limited visibility and during challenging flight conditions.
Only after this was the cadet allowed to proceed to the next stage.
After finishing school categories A Some of the cadets returned to the Fliegerersatzabteilungen for additional military, drill, and physical training. Those most suitable for the selection criteria were then sent to continue their studies in Flugzeugführerschule B, the rest were assigned for further service in other specialties in Luftwaffe units.
Theoretical classes in the classroom
Advanced training: B-Schule
In schools categories B the program became much more complicated. Training in Flugzeugführerschule B Typically lasted three to five months. Cadets mastered aerobatics, navigation, instrument flying, formation flying, night flying, and missions in adverse weather conditions. Training was conducted on heavier and faster training aircraft, the primary one being the Arado Ar.66, whose performance characteristics significantly outperformed those of the primary training aircraft.
One of the Arado modifications, the AR-66c
According to available data, Category B school graduates could accumulate 180–220 hours of total flight time by the end of this stage in the pre-war period (including all previous stages). Upon successful completion of the course, graduates received a single pilot's license (Flugzeugführerschein A/B).
Narrow specialists
It was after Category B school that the cadets were assigned to further specialization. The most prepared pilots were sent to fighter schools (Jagdfliegerschulen) or attack aviation schools (Schlachtfliegerschulen).
Cadets who passed the selection for service in multi-engine aviation continued their training in Flugzeugführerschule C, where they trained to pilot heavy aircraft. At "C schools," cadets were taught blind-flying using instruments, at night, and to fly multi-engine aircraft (such as the Focke-Wulf Fw.58, Junkers Ju.52, or Heinkel He.111 and Ju.88).
After completing Category C school, future bomber crews underwent specialized training in Kampffliegerschulen, scouts - in Aufklärerschulen, and transport aviation pilots - in Transportfliegerschulen.
In this 1939 photo, cadets are examining the equipment in person. It's presumably a Junkers aircraft. The manufacturer, Heine Propellerwerke, can be identified by the inscription on the propeller blade. Their propellers were installed on aircraft from Junkers, Bücker, Focke-Wulf, Arado, and others.
The final stage of training was instruction in Ergänzungsgruppen—training groups attached to combat units. Here, pilots mastered the types of combat aircraft assigned to their units, perfected their piloting techniques, practiced crew coordination and combat missions, and then, having successfully passed the final qualification test, were assigned to Luftwaffe combat squadrons.
Overall, the clearance system formed a strictly structured filter: each subsequent stage was impossible without a confirmed practical level, not formal completion of the program. By the time a pilot entered combat aviation, the total accumulated flight time—including all completed stages and glider training—was already approximately 200–300 hours.
Alongside the main system of A-, B-, and C-Schulen, there were also specialized training units designed for in-depth training. This stage included mastering specific aircraft types within a more specialized field, as well as conversion training to specific types of combat aircraft, including experimental and specialized modifications. This represented the final stage of pilot training, available only to the best before joining combat units—a kind of "Top Gun," German style.
Having created a nearly ideal selection and training program for its time, the Germans, quite logically, provided this “conveyor belt of personnel training” with a solid fleet of aircraft.
"Steel arms like wings, and instead of a heart, a fiery motor"
The schools' fleet was quite impressive. According to the staffing schedule, the training unit training pilots for the A1/A2 program was supposed to have 45 aircraft. B1 - 21 aircraft, and B2 - 30 aircraft. In practice, the number of aircraft depended on the period of formation, location, and mission of a particular school. There are A/B schools whose fleets numbered over 100 training aircraft.
The training aircraft fleet consisted of:
Bücker Bü.131 Jungmann, a true "flying desk" of the Luftwaffe. It was a virtually ideal aircraft for a first foray into the skies: extremely easy to fly, forgiving of piloting errors, and with a low landing speed. This is precisely why the Bü.131 became a true "calling card" of the German A-Schulen.
Heinkel He.72 KadettThe He.72 was the predecessor of the Bü.131 and was very similar in its performance. It was the He.72 that became the typical initial training aircraft of the first half of the 1930s.
Focke-Wulf Fw.44 StieglitzIt was said that such a training aircraft was a dream come true! Compared to the Bü.131 and He.72, it was a next-level aircraft. More powerful, faster, and significantly better suited for aerobatic maneuvers, it demanded much greater precision from the student and was less forgiving of mistakes.
Arado Ar.66 — this was a more impressive aircraft. Formally, it was also classified as a trainer, but in reality, it represented a transitional stage between a regular trainer and a combat training aircraft. The aircraft was significantly heavier than the Bü.131 and was equipped with an engine almost twice as powerful. Consequently, its speed, takeoff weight, and piloting complexity increased.
It was on the Ar.66 that B-Schulen cadets learned formation flying, night flying, glider towing, and the basics of combat use against ground targets.
Arado Ar.96 — the pinnacle of German training aviation.
The Arado Ar.96, introduced in 1938, was a logical development of the entire Luftwaffe pilot training system. While the Bü.131 introduced students to the basics of piloting, and the Ar.66 prepared them for more complex exercises, the Ar.96 almost completely simulated the behavior of a modern combat aircraft.
The low-wing monoplane with an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing gear, flaps, variable-pitch propeller, and a powerful Argus As.410 engine required the student not only to possess confident piloting skills but also to be proficient in operating numerous aircraft systems. This is why the transition to Messerschmitt Bf.109 fighters, He.111 bombers, and Ju.87 dive bombers after training on the Ar.96 was significantly easier than after training on earlier trainers.
In the fighter (Jagdfliegerschulen / JFS) and attack (Schlachtfliegerschulen / St.G.Sch) aviation schools, cadets mastered combat aircraft types used there for training purposes, such as the Messerschmitt Bf.109 and Henschel Hs.123.
Henschel Hs.123 — one of the main aircraft used in training pilots of the Luftwaffe's attack aircraft in the pre-war years.
Mastering combat aircraft was the final stage of training for future Luftwaffe combat pilots.
Messerschmitt Bf.109 It needs no comment or description. The photo below shows fighter pilot school cadets (Jagdfliegerschule) during training. Behind the instructor is a Bf.109E.
Between 1939 and 1941, German pilots generally had significant flight time, good basic training, and were trained according to a clearly structured, multi-stage system. This period is rightfully considered the peak of German pilot training.
Thus, the Luftwaffe training system of the 1930s was not a linear process, but a rigorous, consistent system of selection and approval, in which each level was confirmed by practical testing. This structure ensured a high level of readiness for pilots until the transition to accelerated training under wartime conditions.
As a result of the implementation of the general program of training personnel by the beginning of the Second World War, the total number of Luftwaffe personnel was approximately 370–400 thousand people, of which flight and flight-technical personnel amounted to approximately 60–80 thousand people.
By the beginning of the war, the number of people who had received the qualifications of aircraft pilots and were allowed to fly independently (Flugzeugführer) within it amounted to approximately 8,000–12,000 people.
Luftwaffe Flight Training System (1935-1944)
Beginning in 1939–1940, this established system began to gradually transform under the pressure of war. Formally, the structure of A-, B-, and C-Schulen remained, but its internal content and admission requirements began to be simplified.
The Impact of War Realities on Pilot Training
Rising combat losses and expanding fronts meant that the key factor became not the depth of training, but the speed of replenishing flight units. This inevitably affected the certification system: flight hours were reduced, and some qualification checks were simplified or combined. While in the pre-war period, each transition was accompanied by a full practical test of the pilot's relevant qualifications, in wartime, the minimum required level of task performance increasingly became decisive.
This became especially evident during the transition from training units to combat units. Where previously consistent flight hours, confident aircraft handling, and well-practiced group operations were required, the factor of accelerated graduation gradually increased.
As a result, the initially rigid system of selection and gradual approvals began to lose its closed logic. The formal structure remained, but its content shifted toward shorter training cycles. This created a gap between the pre-war level of training and the realities of the front, where the demands on pilots increased sharply, while the time for their development was reduced.
This transition period marked a turning point for the entire Luftwaffe training system: from a model of quality and selection to a model of replacement. While the basic structure of the schools remained, its effectiveness no longer matched the original level of the late 1930s.
By 1943–1945, the degradation of the training system had become quantifiable. While pre-war pilots would join combat units with a total flight time of approximately 200–300 hours, by 1943 this had dropped to 110–160 hours. In the spring of 1945, due to a catastrophic shortage of fuel, aircraft, and training time, recent cadets, aged 18–19, with only 30–50 hours of flight time, were often sent to combat units. Most of them died on their first combat missions.
The reduction affected not only the total number of flights but also their structure. Time allocated to complex flight modes, group interactions, and night training was reduced. The most critical decline was in "combat flight time"—the practice of practicing real tactical scenarios within units. As a result, pilots increasingly found themselves assigned to combat units with formally completed training, but without robust group interaction skills and limited experience in complex flight modes.
Attempts to compensate for this by reorganizing training centers and strengthening individual stages of training failed to reverse the overall trend. The system could no longer restore the previous depth of training: resources, time, and experienced instructors were limited by combat losses and the expansion of fronts.
In fact, by this point, the final divergence between the pre-war model and its military transformation had occurred. The original system, based on strict selection, multi-stage training, and high flight hours, was no longer replicable in its previous form. It was replaced by an accelerated training model focused on the rapid replacement of losses rather than the development of sustainable professionalism.
Thus, the development of the Luftwaffe training system went through a full cycle—from a highly structured model of pre-war quality to a simplified military system that prioritized speed over depth of training. It was this transition that determined the change in the quality of pilots and became one of the key factors influencing the decline in the effectiveness of German aviation in 1943–1945.
The real confirmation of these tragic changes for the Germans are the dry statistics of irreparable losses of Luftwaffe flight personnel in the period from 1939 to 1945.
During the entire period of the Second World War, the irreparable losses of the Luftwaffe flight personnel amounted to
100 to 000 people. There are about pilots directly 44 000-50 000 human.
Irrecoverable losses include those killed, those who died from wounds, those missing in action, those captured, as well as military personnel who have completely lost the ability to continue serving due to serious injuries.
Another "superman" has remained in Russia forever.
It should be noted that the most common category of pilots, especially in fighter, attack and bomber aviation, were non-commissioned officers - Unteroffizier, Unterfeldwebel, Feldwebel and Oberfeldwebel.
Officer ranks (Leutnant, Oberleutnant, Hauptmann) were typically awarded to flight (Schwarm), squadron (Staffel), and group (Gruppe) commanders, as well as graduates of specialized military schools. Officer rank could also be awarded subsequently for combat merit or upon appointment to a command position.
If we look at the statistics of aircraft losses, it looks like this:
According to various estimates, the Luftwaffe irretrievably lost approximately 70–60 aircraft during World War II. These figures most often reflect irretrievable combat and critical non-combat losses—when an aircraft is more than 60% destroyed and cannot be repaired.
An Fw.190 shot down by Soviet pilots and landed on its belly somewhere on the Eastern Front.
Comparing these two figures, the average loss of one aircraft irretrievably corresponded to approximately 1,5–1,8 aircrew members. This ratio was consistent with the nature of combat operations and the structure of the Luftwaffe's fleet.
I hope I haven't overly tired the reader with an abundance of numbers, names, and listings of all sorts of titles in German and Russian, but the topic we were discussing simply required it.
The implementation of these dry figures and facts, namely the fates of pilots who passed through the German training system with which we have just become acquainted, will be continued soon.
To be continued...
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