WWII Flight Training Museum

WWII Flight Training Museum WWII 63rd Flight Training Detachment About 10,000 young men learned how to fly in the PT-17 Stearman here at this primary flight training facilitiy.

The most intact, complete and original school left in the US is here in Douglas. 13 original buildings are still standing, and in order to preserve their story, one of the buildings houses our WWII Flight Training Museum, a fitting memorial to those who prepared to defend freedom.

Norman Earl Purdy, Class 1942-D, was born on October 15, 1916, in Hamilton, Ohio to Asa and Carrie Purdy. He was the you...
08/31/2026

Norman Earl Purdy, Class 1942-D, was born on October 15, 1916, in Hamilton, Ohio to Asa and Carrie Purdy. He was the youngest of their three children. In 1920, the family lived in Ross, Ohio where Asa was a farmer. Norman graduated from Colerain High School in 1934 and Wilmington College in 1936 with a teaching degree. Norman registered for the Draft on October 16, 1940, at age 24. His employer was listed as the Reily Schools in Reily, Ohio.

Aviation Cadet Purdy enlisted in the Army Air Corps on September 3, 1941, in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Records show that he had completed three years of college and was a secondary school teacher. After Pre-flight Training, Norman completed Primary in Douglas. Mr. Wade Coleman was his instructor. Norman completed Basic in Augusta and Advanced at Turner Field, Albany, Georgia. On April 26, 1942, he married Miss Helen Foltz and together raised two daughters.

Second Lieutenant Purdy attended B-25 School at Mitchell Field, New York and began anti-submarine patrols over the Atlantic. Next up, he checked out in the B-24 Liberator in Westover, Massachusetts. Overseas, he flew 28 missions from November 13, 1943, to March 9, 1944, with the 506th Bomb Squadron 44th Bomb Group with the last three the first daylight missions over Berlin. After D-Day, Norman returned to the US and flew with the Air Transport Command. He was discharged on August 1, 1945, with the rank of captain.

After the war, Norman returned home to Ohio. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a bachelor’s in science degree in high school education and industrial arts and received his master’s degree in School Administration. He had a long career as a teacher, a principal and a school superintendent.

Norman retired in 1975, became a full-time farmer, and maker of Purdy’s Famous Apple Cider. In September 2005, he then married Miss Shirley Cox. Capt. Norman E. Purdy is listed on the National Air and Space Museum’s Wall of Honor that is “Dedicated to all those who shared a passion for flight”.

Norman Earl Purdy, age 95, died on December 12, 2011. He is buried in Ross, Ohio.

To paraphrase a quote: “Heroes like them never truly die. They live on forever as inspiration”. Our “them” is all who wo...
08/30/2026

To paraphrase a quote: “Heroes like them never truly die. They live on forever as inspiration”. Our “them” is all who worked and trained at the WWII Flight Training Base in Douglas. They became heroes to many, and their stories have inspired many more.

Our docents help tell their story and hope to inspire our visitors to not forget and to make sure their service and sacrifice were not in vain. Our docents are an important part of your experience when you visit us.

At present, we are seeking an additional docent. This is a paid position with training provided. Duties include greeting visitors, guiding tours, Gift Shop sales, and light cleaning. Past docents included college students, history teachers, veterans, and retirees. For more information, contact the Museum at (912) 383-9111.

Come and join us at the WWII Flight Training Museum.

you can also follow the WWII Flight Training Museum on Instagram?
08/30/2026

you can also follow the WWII Flight Training Museum on Instagram?

COMING SOON to Georgia Welcome Centers and wherever you find rack cards is a newly refreshed WWII Flight Training Museum...
08/29/2026

COMING SOON to Georgia Welcome Centers and wherever you find rack cards is a newly refreshed WWII Flight Training Museum rack card. The new rack card contains the same great information about the 63rd Flying Training Detachment and Contract Flying School in Douglas, Georgia.

Added on the back cover to this edition is information about Cadet Park and the Charles Loring Memoriaal. There is a QR code that will take you to the Museum website to learn more about those who worked and trained here. We added the Georgia WWII Heritage Trail logo to signify that the Museum is a proud Trail Partner. There are updated hours of operation and an updated web address to learn what to do and where to visit in the Douglas area to the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce and Visit Douglas - Coffee County GA.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT for our latest edition of our rack card. Don’t forget to plan your visit to the WWII Flight Training Base and Museum in Douglas today. Start creating memories for the whole family.

If you can’t visit, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Also, if you like our stories of the Greatest Generation, we know that you will like the ones on the Georgia WWII Heritage Trail page and on Instagram. See you on the Trail.

While you may think it is still too hot to travel, it is nice and cool in the Museum. What do you say? Will we see you soon? 🍑

08/28/2026

Progress! A new base has been constructed for the last remaining Fort Oglethorpe guard shack! We’ve got the shack braced and now we’re raising money for the equipment to move it and repair/restore it for display. Don’t forget, the Southeast Veterans Museum is a 501c3 non profit, so any donations are tax deductible. Come see us and check out this piece of Fort Oglethorpe history!

| World War II Flight Training Museum in Air Classics Magazine January 2024 | The 63rd Army Air Forces Flying Training...
08/28/2026

| World War II Flight Training Museum in Air Classics Magazine January 2024 | The 63rd Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Primary) of Douglas, was part of the overall plan to produce the pilots to fly the warplanes America desperately needed to fend off the Axis powers.

Operated by the Raymond-Richardson Aviation Company but overseen by the Army Air Force, thousands of cadets learned the principles of flight as they piloted Stearman PT-17 biplanes over the Georgia countryside.

One of 55 Civilian Primary Flying Training Centers across America, today the base at Douglas is the most complete and intact - the airfield, hangars, and buildings are pretty much the way they were during thosebhistory-making days of WWII.

The World War II Flight Training Museum is part of the Georgia World bWar II Heritage Trail (www.georgiawwiitrail.org). The first group of eager cadets arrived on October 5, 1941, and graduated on December 12, 1941, - just five days after the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.

A visit to the World War II Flight Training Museum is a must for any aviation or military history enthusiast. The Museum is housed in one of the WWII cadet barracks and is loaded with memorabilia from the war. Located on 3 Airport Circle, Douglas, Georgia, 31535-4033, visitors can browse the area and imagine what it was like as dozens of Stearman trainers buzzed overhead. Part of WWII's "Arsenal of Democracy," the Museum is an excellent teaching aid for young people that want to understand the sacrifice of average Americans during the world's greatest war.

Among the 7000 graduating cadets were Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal who is a central character in the new Masters of the Air Apple TV+ series and Charles Loring who would go on to fly P-47s in the ETO and receive a posthumous Medal of Honor during the Korean War.

The museum is open from 11 am to 4 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Group tours can be arranged for other days of the week by calling the Museum at 912-383-9111. Come visit and help support a very worthwhile Museum. Please visit our website at wwiiflighttraining.org.

What to learn more? Click on the QR code.

Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Emil Estok, Class 1943-I, was born June 3, 1916, in Garfield, New Jersey to Michael and Susanna Es...
08/27/2026

Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Emil Estok, Class 1943-I, was born June 3, 1916, in Garfield, New Jersey to Michael and Susanna Estok. They were both born in Czechoslovakia. He was the twelfth of their thirteen children. In the 1920 US Census, the family lived on Pierre Ave and Michael was a laborer in a mill. By 1930, Michael had moved on to work as a presser in a rubber factory.

In 1940, Emil was a 24-year-old working as a wax tester in a paper mill. On October 16, 1940, he registered for the Draft and was employed by the Titeflex Metal Hose Company. We are not sure when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps.

According to The Garfield Guardian, Emil began Pre-Flight training at Maxwell Field, Alabama in November, 1942. Our records show him in Douglas, Georgia in March 1943 in Primary Flying Training. In a January 3, 1944, article in the Passaic, New Jersey, Herald-News, he received his wings as a rated liaison pilot and was promoted to staff sergeant at the Third Army Air Forces Liaison (Advanced) Training Detachment, Lamesa Field, Texas.

After the war, Emil returned home to Garfield and married Miss Elena Hacik in 1948. They had two sons and a daughter. In the 1950 US Census, he is working as a laborer in a construction company. Later, he worked for the City of Garfield as a traffic signal controller, a position he would hold until 1978. He also wrote a weekly newspaper column in the Garfield Messenger. Emil Estok died on October 4, 1983, and is buried in the East Ridgelawn Cemetery in Clifton, New Jersey.

there were at least nine cadets from the 63rd Flying Training Detachment who were enlisted liaison pilots?

| Mr. Roy St. Elmo McDonald | Civilian Flight Instructor |From the Macon News: Mr. Roy S. Mc Donald, 64, died Septembe...
08/26/2026

| Mr. Roy St. Elmo McDonald | Civilian Flight Instructor |

From the Macon News: Mr. Roy S. Mc Donald, 64, died September 20, 1981, in a Macon hospital. Burial was in the Valley Grove Cemetery, Thomaston, Georgia. A native of Sumter, South Carolina, he was born on October 8, 1916, and lived in Thomaston since 1932. He was a WWII Army Air Corps veteran and a retired flight instructor and instructor pilot for the US Army Air Corps, US Air Force, and US Army. He is survived by his wife, the former Miss Nelle Reynolds, who he married in 1948, and their four sons.

Mr. McDonald registered for the Draft on October 16, 1940, in Thomaston. He was employed by the Thomaston Bleachery on Railroad Street at the time. From January 1943 to December 1944, McDonald was a civilian flight instructor with the Raymond-Richardson Aviation Company in Douglas, Georgia. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces on February 26, 1945, at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia. The record shows that he completed two years of high school and his civil occupation was aviator.

After the war, McDonald worked in Orlando, Florida for Wesley Raymond. In 1951, he was a contract flight instructor for the US Air Force at Spence AFB, Moultrie, Georgia. He worked as a flight instructor for Ross Aviation Incorporated at Fort Rucker, Alabama in 1963.

In 1966, he qualified in helicopters and transferred to the rotary wing, instrument division of the Army Aviation School. His FAA pilot’s license shows that he was a qualified commercial pilot with endorsements for single engine land airplanes and rotorcraft-helicopters and was instrument rated.

We wish we knew more about Mr. Roy St. Elmo McDonald. His lifetime of teaching students to fly had an impact on many lives. Maybe our friends at the Thomaston-Upson Archives have more information. Remember to not forget all from the Greatest Generation.

| August 25, 1998, Tom Norris Zalaha died at age 77. He is buried in the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, Santa N...
08/25/2026

| August 25, 1998, Tom Norris Zalaha died at age 77. He is buried in the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, Santa Nella, California. Engraved on his headstone is “I’VE DANCED THE SKIES ON LAUGHTER-SILVERED WINGS”.

Tom Norris Zalaha, Class 1943-I, was born on January 13, 1921, in Flagstaff, Arizonia to John and Ruby Zalaha. Tom or Thomas was the youngest of the family’s three children. In 1930, the family lived in McPhee, Colorado and relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tom graduated from Albuquerque High School in 1938. He attended New Mexico A&M College at Las Cruces and was in the Army ROTC program.

On May 8, 1942, the Army ordered Tom and 16 New Mexico A&M Senior ROTC cadets to report to Fort Bliss, Texas. Tom officially enlisted in the Army on May 12, 1942, and sent to Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells, Texas, an infantry replacement training center. On June 27, 1942, he married Miss Glenna Rue Freeman in Dallas, Texas. Their son was born premature and did not survive. Tom would be married twice more in his life.

In August 1943, Second Lieutenant Zalaha, US Army, began his career in aviation. He attended Preflight Training in Maxwell Field, Alabama and Primary Training in Douglas, Georgia. We know that he graduated flying training and received his wings. He attended Instrument and Twin-Engine Transport Training at Rosecrans Field, St Joseph, Missouri and C-54 Prefight and Ground School at Fairfield California.

The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engine transport aircraft. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, the C-54 was adapted from a civilian design. The C-54 was also among the first aircraft to carry a sitting US president.

Tom served overseas from June 2, 1944 – July 15, 1945, in the Philippines and New Guinea. On June 11, 1944, he was promoted to the wartime rank of First Lieutenant. On April 20, 1946, he returned to the US, a captain, and was discharged at Hamiliton Field, California.

By 1950, Tom lived in Pheonix, Arizonia and worked as a salesman for a Lumber Company. Sadly, Tom Norris Zalaha died on August 25, 1998, in Fresno, California.

Do you know where his headstone inscription originates?

| The Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) has named “Disgracefully Easy: A B-24 Pilot’s Letters Home” by Willia...
08/24/2026

| The Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) has named “Disgracefully Easy: A B-24 Pilot’s Letters Home” by William Hanchett with Thomas F. Hanchett as an award finalist in the category of Memoir/Biography with sixteen others.

From MWSA's Review | “Disgracefully Easy: A B-24 Pilot's Letters Home by William Hanchett, with Thomas F. Hanchett, is a thoroughly entertaining first-person account of one's experiences in becoming a U.S. Army Air Force pilot during World War II. This is a book not written from memory, years later, but is a primary firsthand account that is candid and observant, giving the reader exacting insight into pilot training during the war.”

While in Douglas, William Francis Hanchett, Jr., Class 1944-B, learned to fly under the instruction of Mr. Bill Dillard. After Douglas, Hanchett went to Bainbridge, Georgia Basic Flying School and then to Advanced Flying School at Marianna Field, Florida. He graduated February 8, 1944, and was assigned to the Central Instructor School at Randolph Field, Texas. He was very disappointed as some of his classmates were assigned to fly P-40s. From Randolph, he returned to Bainbridge as an instructor pilot March 26, 1944.

Around September 24, 1944, Hanchett started B-24 transition training at Maxwell Field, Alabama. The next month, he went to the B-24 school at Courtland Field, Alabama. In February 1945, he was assigned to the 4th Air Force at Lemoore Field, California. He was assigned as a B-24 pilot to the 422nd AAF Base Unit at Tonopah Army Airfield, Nevada. He separated from service at Gowan Field, Idaho in November 1945.

After his discharge, Hanchett graduated from Southern Methodist University and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. He taught U.S. history at San Diego State for more than 30 years and wrote numerous scholarly articles and three books, including the well-regarded study The Lincoln Murder Conspiracies (1983).

On a lighter note, his letters to his mother vividly describe his time in Douglas, including the training, aircraft, check-rides, and his feelings about the experience.

Copies of Disgracefully Easy are in our Gift Shop. Do you have yours?

Address

3 Airport Cir
Douglas, GA
31535

Opening Hours

Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

(912) 383-9111

Website

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