Arizona World War II Army Airfields

Arizona World War II Army Airfields
Douglas AAF Hereford AAF Falcon AAF Kingman AAF Yucca AAF Luke AAF Ajo AAF Gila Bend AFAF Marana AAF Ryan AAF Thunderbird #1 Thunderbird #2 Yuma AAF Dateland AAF Coolidge AAF Williams AAF Winslow MAP Tucson MAP Davis–Monthan AAF Map Of Arizona World War II Army Airfields
Type	Army Airfields
Site history
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-Present

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Arizona for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Fourth Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However, the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles.

It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.

Major Airfields

Air Transport Command

• Coolidge Army Airfield, 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Coolidge

Now: Coolidge Municipal Airport (IATA: P08)

• Winslow Municipal Airport, Winslow

Now: Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport (IATA: INW, ICAO: KINW)

Fourth Air Force

• Davis-Monthan Field Army Airfield, Tucson

32d Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Air Technical Service Command

• Tucson Army Airfield, Tucson

Joint Use USAAF/Civil Airport

Now: Tucson International Airport (IATA: TUS, ICAO: KTUS)and Tucson Air National Guard Base, home to the 162d Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard

Army Air Forces Training Command

• Douglas Army Airfield, 8 miles (13 km) north-northwest of Douglas

Western Flight Training Center

461st Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Douglas Municipal Airport
(IATA: DGL, ICAO: KDGL, FAA Location identifier: DGL)

Hereford Army Airfield, two miles west-southwest of Hereford

Auxiliary of Douglas Army Airfield

Now: Airfield closed and abandoned

• Falcon Field Army Airfield, Mesa

Western Flight Training Center

Now: Falcon Field Airport (IATA: FFZ, ICAO: KFFZ)

• Kingman Army Airfield, 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Kingman

Western Flight Training Center

460th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Kingman Airport and Industrial Park (IATA: IGM, ICAO: KIGM)

Yucca Army Airfield, one mile west of Yucca

Sub-base of Kingman Army Airfield

Now: Ford Motor Co-AZ Proving Grd Airport (P17)

• Luke Army Airfield, Glendale

West Coast Training Center, 1941

Western Flight Training Center

66th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Luke Air Force Base

Ajo Army Airfield, five miles north of Ajo

Sub-base of Luke Army Airfield

472d Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Eric Marcus Municipal Airport (P01)

Gila Bend Army Airfield, three miles southeast of Gila Bend

Sub-base of Luke Army Airfield

492d Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field

Army Air Forces Training Command

• Marana Army Airfield, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Marana

Western Flight Training Center

Now: Pinal Airpark (IATA: MZJ, ICAO: KMZJ)

• Ryan Field, Tucson

Contract Flight Training

Today: Ryan Field Airport (IATA: RYN, ICAO: KRYN)

• Thunderbird Field No 1, Glendale

Contract Flight Training

Now: Thunderbird School of Global Management (Non flying facility)

• Thunderbird Field No 2, Scottsdale

Contract Flight Training

Now: Scottsdale Airport (IATA: SCF, ICAO: KSDL)

• Williams Army Airfield, 10 miles (16 km) east of Chandler

West Coast Training Center, 1942

Western Flight Training Center

389th Army Air Force Base Unit

Was Williams Air Force Base (1947-1993)

Now: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IATA: AZA, ICAO: KIWA)

• Yuma Army Airfield, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Yuma

Western Flight Training Center

403d Army Air Force Base Unit

Was: Vincent Air Force Base (1951-1959)

Now: Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

Dateland Army Airfield, 40 miles East of Yuma

Sub-base of Yuma Army Airfield

Now: Airfield closed and abandoned.

Known Secondary Facilities

• Ernest Love Field 34°39′16″N 112°22′33″W

(8 mi (13 km) north-northeast of Prescott); USAAF Limited Usage

• Laguna Army Airfield 32°51′36″N 114°23′48″W

(6 mi (9.7 km) northeast of the Laguna Diversion Dam); USAAF Limited Usage

• Sahuarita Flight Strip 31°58′12″N 110°55′12″W (2 mi (3.2 km) east of Sahuarita); Aux to Davis-Monthan AAF

See also

• Arizona during World War II

References

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1-57510-051-7
• Military Airfields in World War II - Arizona

External links

• Arizona in World War II