Kearney Municipal Airport

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Kearney Municipal Airport
IATA: EAR - ICAO: KEAR
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator City of Kearney
Serves Kearney, Nebraska
Elevation AMSL 2,131 ft (650 m)
Coordinates 40°43′37″N, 99°00′24″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 7,094 2,162 Asphalt
13/31 4,498 1,371 Concrete

Kearney Municipal Airport (IATA: EAR, ICAO: KEAR, FAA LID: EAR) is a public airport located four miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district (CBD) of Kearney, a city in Buffalo County, Nebraska, USA. The airport covers 2,500 acres and has two runways. It is served by one commercial airline, with service subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

Contents

[edit] Airline and destination

[edit] History

Kearney Municipal Airport began as Keens Municipal Airport in 1942 when it was learned that the United States Army Air Force was considering the site for a military airfield. Construction was approved on 5 September for the Kearney airfield and for satellite fields at McCook, Grand Island and Harvard. The City of Kearney not only offered the use of the Keens 532-acre airfield, but signed a long-term lease with the Army for $1.00 per year for as long as the field was needed. An additional 2,227.5 acres of farmland was condemned by the Army to provide more room.

[edit] World War II

Kearney AAF was was one of eleven United States Army Air Force training bases in Nebraska during World War II. The base was under the command of Second Air Force Headquarters, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The 485th Army Air Force Base Unit commanded the support elements at Kearney as part of Air Technical Service Command. The 485th was assigned to the 21st Bombardment Wing (Feb - Aug 1943) then transferred to the 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing in Aug 1943 for B-17 training. The 485th was transferred back to the 21st Bombardment Wing (Nov 1943 - on).

The following unit was assigned this base - 3rd Heavy Bombardment Processing Headquarters (Provisional) & 7th Heavy Bombardment Processing Headquarters.

The base served a dual purpose during 1943: one for training, the other for processing. It became a training field with the arrival of the 100th Bombardment Group. The 100th became the parent group responsible for producing cadres for new Army Air groups being formed and for training of combat crews. The ground crews were stationed at Kearney while the air crews were divided among various bases where they served as instructors. Then, having organized its offspring units, the 100th reunited at Kearney in mid-April and prepared for overseas movement. It departed Kearney in May and joined the Eighth Air Force in England.

After the 100th moved out in May, it was decided to move the processing unit out of Kearney and to make the Kearney Air Base a replacement training center to develop replacement crews, provide them with second and third phase training before sending them off to staging centers for overseas duty. The 393d Bombardment Group replaced the 100th BG in that role.

However, Kearney's days as a replacement training center lasted only from August to November 1943. On 1 November 393d Bomb Group was transferred to Sioux City AAF Iowa, and was replaced by the bombardment processing units for B-17, and later B-29, crews and planes.

From then until the end of the war Kearney Army Airfield remained a processing station.

With the end of the war in Europe in May, 1945, work at Kearney increased as attention was devoted to the war against Japan and the expanding B-29 program. After Japan's surrender in August, 1945, the number of base personnel gradually diminished, and by 1 March 1946 the base was reduced to mere housekeeping functions and it seemed as if it might be deactivated.

[edit] Kearney Air Force Base

North American F-82E Twin Mustangs, Serial 46-294 and 46-295 of the 27th FW, 1948. These aircraft were sent to reclamation at Robbins AFB, Georgia on 24 Apr 1951.
North American F-82E Twin Mustangs, Serial 46-294 and 46-295 of the 27th FW, 1948. These aircraft were sent to reclamation at Robbins AFB, Georgia on 24 Apr 1951.
27th FW North American F-82E Twin Mustangs, (Serial 46-354 identifiable) along with a Boeing B-29 Superfortress at Kearney.
27th FW North American F-82E Twin Mustangs, (Serial 46-354 identifiable) along with a Boeing B-29 Superfortress at Kearney.

With the establishment of Strategic Air Command the Eighth Air Force 27th Fighter Wing was activated at Kearney Army Airfield on 28 July 1947. The new 27th Fighter Wing was bestowed the honors and lineage of the World War II 27th Fighter Group. The operational squadrons of the 27th Fighter Wing were:

  • 522d Fighter Squadron (Formerly WWII 6th Fighter Squadron)
  • 523d Fighter Squadron (Formerly WWII 7th Fighter Squadron)
  • 524th Fighter Squadron (Formerly WWII 91st Fighter Squadron)

The 27th was initially equipped with the North American P-51D Mustang, and in 1948 was upgraded to the new North American F-82E Twin Mustang. In June 1948 the designation "P" for pursuit was changed to "F" for fighter. Subsequently, all P-51s were redesignated F-51s.

The mission of the 27th Fighter Wing was to fly long-range escort missions for SAC B-29 bombers. With the arrival of the F-82s, the older F-51s were sent to Air National Guard units.

From a key personnel numbering only four in July 1946 the base population increased to 795 by 31 August and to a postwar peak of 2,344 by March 1948. With the activation of the United States Air Force in September 1947 the name of the airfield was changed to Kearney Air Force Base in January, 1948.

However, the Air Force considered the facility substandard. The two major deficiencies were inadequate housing facilities (even though twenty-six new fourplex apartment houses had been built) and a need for additional funds of $2,800,000 to bring existing facilities up to desired operating standards. With the tight defense budgets in the late 1940s, the decision was made by Strategic Air Command decided to close the base.

The official announcement to move the 27th Fighter Wing was made on 16 February 1949 and operations officially ceased at Kearney on 15 March.

The 27th Fighter Wing was transferred to Bergstrom AFB Texas on 16 March 1949, ending military use of the facility.

[edit] See Also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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