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...

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

A downed American bomber crew quickly falls prey to the clever interrogation techniques of the Germans in this dramatic WW2 training film....

A group of sailors kid their shipmate Frank about his constant reading, when they would all rather play cards. But each of them has a dream for the future that they consider impossible. Harry wants a better world for his two kids, Shorty and Eddie wa...

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 ...

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...

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, ...

Hapless B-17 waist gunner "Trigger Joe" learns how to adjust his aim, to take into account the relative motion of his aircraft, his bullets, and the attacking enemy fighter....

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,...

A documentary showing the functions of the Army Air Corps' First Motion Picture Unit, which made training and inspirational films for the Army Air Force during the Second World War....

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...

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....

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...

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...

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....

A tribute to the pioneering achievements of the Negro combat pilots trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama....

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...

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...

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