▁Army ▁A viation ▁school ▁was ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁North ▁Island , ▁San ▁Diego . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁Fl ight ▁Training ▁When ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁entered ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁the ▁exha usted ▁British ▁and ▁French ▁forces ▁wanted ▁American ▁troops ▁in ▁the ▁tren ches ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Front ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁possible . ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁aer ial ▁war fare ▁was ▁also ▁considered ▁key ▁to ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁ground ▁forces , ▁and ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁The ▁French , ▁in ▁particular , ▁asked ▁the ▁Americans ▁to ▁also ▁bol ster ▁Al lied ▁air ▁power . ▁The ▁French ▁wanted ▁the ▁Americans ▁to ▁supply ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁pil ots ▁and ▁plan es , ▁along ▁with ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁mechan ics ▁to ▁supp lement ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁British ▁air ▁forces ▁already ▁in ▁combat . ▁ ▁The ▁training ▁system ▁of ▁the ▁Sign al ▁Corps ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁would ▁simply ▁not ▁be ▁capable ▁of ▁producing ▁such ▁numbers . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁decided ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁system , ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁training ▁program ▁of ▁a ▁ground ▁school , ▁ ▁then ▁a ▁primary ▁flight ▁program , ▁then ▁a ▁special ized ▁program ▁to ▁train ▁new ▁pil ots ▁in ▁the ▁three ▁basic ▁areas ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁developed ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁British ▁air ▁forces , ▁purs uit , ▁bomb ard ment ▁and ▁observation . ▁ ▁Pref light ▁Training ▁The ▁Air ▁Service ▁instit uted ▁the ▁first ▁phase ▁of ▁air ▁training , ▁ground ▁school ing , ▁first ,