This patch is from Lafayette Field, identifying a Primary Flight Instructor, and dates to the early Cold War or Vietnam War training period.
It features a silver eagle with spread wings over a blue background, encircled by red text reading “Primary Flight Instructor – Lafavette Field.”
The design and wording reflect U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Air Corps heritage flight training traditions.
Lafayette Field refers to Lafayette Regional Airport in Louisiana, which served as a contract primary flight training base for the U.S. military during World War II and was reactivated or utilized periodically for military training activities through the postwar years.
During the Vietnam War era, many civilian airports and auxiliary fields were contracted for pilot instruction under the U.S. Air Force\'s Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) and Contract Primary Flying Training (CPFT) programs to meet the rapidly growing demand for trained aviators.
Flight instructors at such facilities were responsible for teaching cadets the basics of flight in aircraft such as the T-41 Mescalero or T-34 Mentor, before the cadets progressed to more advanced jet training.
This patch represents a stateside instructor’s role in producing the thousands of pilots who would go on to fly combat and support missions during the Vietnam War and beyond.
utist, Vietnam War, SpecialOperations, Military, Tiger, Ranger, Route
