Movies: First Motion Picture Unit United States Army Air Forces

Documentary feature film depicting the training of young Lieutenant Jim Anthony as a pilot of the B-26 Marauder bomber. Dick, the captain charged with pilot instruction, leads Jim through every aspect of preparation to fly the bomber, going through a...

This government documentary short film depicts and explains proper procedures for functioning as a flight engineer on the B-29 bomber. Lieutenant Anderson is normally the co-pilot of this B-29, but as part of the readiness regimen for aircraft crews,...

The story of Three Cadets and sexually transmitted diseases....

U.S. Army Air Force pilot Bob Chilton and North American Aircraft designer Arthur Deeds show an Air Force colonel and major the new P-51B aircraft, explaining the changes in this new model and taking the plane through its paces with full description ...

Clark Gable stars in this propaganda short about the Officers Candidate School of the Army Air Forces....

In this documentary short film, a woman volunteer for the civilian aviation observer corps in World War II explains how the U.S. military depends on civilians watching the skies to warn of possible attacking or spying enemy aircraft. An army major ex...

This U.S. Army Air Forces documentary short film depicts training methods and instructions for pilots of the C-47 Skytrain troop carrier aircraft. Lieutenant Warren is shown being put through his training paces by his instructor, Captain Mathews, who...

Documentary/training film depicting the duties of a pilot in the Pacific Theatre of the Second World War as he flies reconnaissance missions over enemy-held islands....

Joe Instructor, an Army Air Forces flight instructor, visits Pilot Heaven and has a discussion with Saint Peter about the unacceptable number of pilots who have died and gone to heaven without ever getting into combat, all as a result of haphazard or...

Lt. Scott Reynolds is co-pilot on a B-17 bomber. When his ship is forced to ditch at sea, only Reynolds survives. The nine other crew members died as a result of insufficient training in ditching procedure. Sent back to the States and promoted, Capta...

Documentary short film depicting the correct methods of surviving the crash landing of a military aircraft in the desert. Methods of conserving water, providing shelter, and signaling for help are depicted....

In this World War II military training film, a B-25 crew bails out over the jungle, and the pilot is separated from the rest of of his crew. The two groups of soldiers must survive until they can meet up and be rescued. The pilot does almost everythi...

A downed American bomber crew quickly falls prey to the clever interrogation techniques of the Germans in this dramatic training film....

When naval Lieutenant Phil Bowen encounters his friend, Air Forces Captain Grover, he inquires as to what Grover's aerial reconnaissance team is doing to protect ships from attack by submarine. Grover introduces him to Captain Smith, an expert at pho...

This government documentary short film depicts and explains the processes for retrieving a glider in the field. In combat situations in World War II, gliders were used to transport men and materiel to sites not suitable for landing powered aircraft, ...

An ace fighter pilot captain expects to get leave, but instead is ordered to Washington, where a colonel explains that mounting casualties among fighter pilots require new, battle-tested tactics in combat. The captain sets out to train a group of you...

Tom, a young Army Air Forces pilot, begins instruction with his captain on flying the A-20 attack aircraft. The captain demonstrates to Tom the pre-flight routine and checklists, then pilots the plane with Tom as his passenger. The captain demonstrat...

This documentary short film was produced by the United States Army Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit as a training film for American pilots and other personnel during the Second World War. In it, the Air Corps' CG-4A glider is demonstrated in its...

This documentary short film depicts the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane in combat operations in various locales around the world during the Second World War. A variety of pilots are depicted recounting their actions in combat missions such as strafing...

The story of the first bombing raid on Tokyo by B-29 Superfortress bombers of the U.S. Army Air Forces. Crews are followed from their training staging at Grand Island, Nebraska to their bombing embarkation point on the island of Saipan. From there, t...