Coleman Army Airfield
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Coleman Barracks, also known as Coleman Army Airfield (ICAO: ETOR) is a United States Army military installation located in the Sandhofen district of Mannheim, Germany. It is assigned to U.S. Army, Europe (USAREUR) and administered by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command-Europe (IMCOM-E). Coleman Barracks should not be confused with the former "Coleman Kaserne", located in Gelnhausen.
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[edit] History
The first commercial airport in Mannheim was founded on 16 May 1925 as Flughafen Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ludwigshafen in the northern district of Sandhofen. With its opening Mannheim became part of an important air track, running from north to south and viceversa. In the late 1920s and early 1930s Deutsche Aero Lloyd operated cargo and passenger flights from Hamburg to Zürich stopping in Mannheim. Balair from Switzerland flew between Geneva and Amsterdam via Basel, Mannheim, Frankfurt, and Essen. Badisch-Pfälzische Luftverkehrs AG operated the black forest route to Konstanz, via Karlsruhe, Baden Baden and Villingen.
In 1926 the airfield was transferred to Mannheim-Neuostheim, which is now called Mannheim City Airport. The airfield in Sandhofen was rebuilt as the Fliegerhorst-Kaserne in 1937 as a German Air Force base. At the beginning of World War II, the fighter squadron "Pik-As" was based here, commanded by one of Germany's top combat pilots, Hans Moelders. In September 1944 a concentration camp was installed on the site by the SS, holding 80 POWs from Poland, Luxembourg and Russia.
After World War II, the United States Army took over the barracks in the fall of 1945, giving it the temporary name of "Y-79". Until mid-1949 the area was used as a collecting point for unserviceable automobile material and for surplus storage. In 1951, a replacement depot was established at Coleman Barracks and served as the staging area for all troops arriving in Germany.
Its current name commemorates Lieutenant Colonel Wilson D. Coleman.
[edit] Location
The airport is located 8.5 km (5.28 mi) north of the Mannheim city center in the district of Sandhofen, 2.5 km (1.6 mi) east of the river Rhine and 3 km (1.86 mi) south of Lampertheim.
It is surrounded by an autobahn (A6) to the south and a Federal highway (Bundesstraße 44) to the west; the Riedbahn train line (between Frankfurt and Mannheim) runs 1.6 km (1 mi) to the east.
[edit] Runways
The airport has one paved runway (900 m (2954 ft) x 20 m (67 ft). The runway offers Precision Approach Path Indicator and illumination. There have been discussions about extending the runway to 1200 metres, but these plans were withdrawn due to severe protests by nearby residents. The airfield is in use from 06:30 - 23:59 daily. Radar approach has been available since June 2002.
Coleman is the only U.S. Army airfield in Germany that has its own approach control zone and provides approach control for several airports in the region, both military and civilian, such as Mannheim City Airport, Speyer airfield, Worms airfield, and Heidelberg Army Airfield.
[edit] Buildings
A new six-story control tower was built in 2004. Besides air-conditioned offices, briefing-rooms, restrooms and an elevator, the tower accommodates the Coleman radar approach control room. The largest helicopter maintenance facility in Europe is located at Coleman.[1]
[edit] Air Traffic
Being the largest maintenance base for Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk and Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters in Europe, Coleman Airfield has more take-offs and landings than any other US Army airfield in Germany. The Coleman Aero Club (CAC) is the only military non-profit flying organization in Europe. The CAC provides flight training to member forces of NATO, the United States Armed Forces, and civilians. It operates a fleet of several US-registered Cessna aircraft.
[edit] Tenant Activities
In 2004, the American Forces Network (AFN)- Europe relocated its headquarters and studios from Frankfurt to Coleman Barracks. Coleman Barracks also has a small post exchange (PX) and bowling alley.
