Florida World War II Army Airfields

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Florida World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Locations of major World War II USAAF Airfields in Florida Click on map section to see at full resolution.
Type	Army Airfields
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-Present
Controlled by	United States Army Air Forces
Garrison	Third Air Force Army Air Force Training Command

During World War II, Florida was a major United States Army Air Force (USAAF) training center for pilots and aircrews.

The USAAF established forty-one major airfields under the command of Third Air Force, headquartered at MacDill Army Airfield, Florida between 1942 and 1945, along with several minor auxillary fields and airsrips.

The mission of these bases primarily was wartime training of aircrews by Army Air Forces Training Command (A precursor to the current-day USAF Air Education and Training Command).

It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields as most were converted into municipal airports. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.

[edit] Major Airfields

• Alachua AAF, 3 miles northeast of Gainesville, Florida.

Now: Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV)

• Apalachicola AAF, 2 miles west of Apalachicola, Florida.

Now: Apalachicola Municipal Airport (AAF)

• Avon Park AAF, 10 miles norheast of Avon Park, Florida.

Now: Avon Park Air Force Range.

• Bartow AAF, 4 miles northeast of Bartow, Florida.

Now: Bartow Municipal Airport (BOW)

• Boca Raton AAF,, 2 miles northwest of Boca Raton, Florida.

Now: Boca Raton Airport (BCT)

• Brooksville AAF, 6 miles southwest of Brooksville, Florida.

Now: Hernando County Airport (BKV)

• Buckingham AAF, 10 miles est of Fort Myers, Florida.

Now: Buckingham Field Airport (FL59)

• Bushnell AAF, 3 miles northeast of Bushnell, Florida.

Now: Undeveloped grassland.

• Carlstrom Field, located near Arcadia, Florida.

Now: G. Pierce Wood Memorial Hospital Complex.

• Chapman Field, 10 miles southwest of Miami, Florida.

Now: Redeveloped as part of urbanized area of Dade County and as USDA Research Station.

• Cross City AAF, 1 mile east of Cross City, Florida.

Now: Cross City Airport (CTY)

• Dale Mabry Field, 3 miles west of Tallahassee, Florida.

Was: Dale Mabry Field (commercial airport) (1946-1961)

Now: Campus of Tallahassee Community College.

• Drew Field, 5 miles west of Tampa, Florida.

Now: Tampa International Airport (TPA)

• Dunnellon AAF, 5 miles west of Dunnellon, Florida.

Now: Dunnellon/Marion County Airport (X35)

• Eglin Field, 2 miles west of Valparaiso, Florida.

Now: Eglin Air Force Base.

• Fort Myers AAF, 4 miles south of Fort Myers, Florida.

Now: Page Field (FMY)

• Hendricks Field, 6 miles east of Sebring, Florida.

Now: Sebring Regional Airport (SEF)

• Hillsborough AAF, 7 miles north-northeast of Tampa, Florida.

Now: Redeveloped as part of urbanized area of Hillsborough County

• Homestead AAF, 5 miles east of Homestead, Florida.

Was: Homestead Air Force Base (1948-1995)

Now: Homestead Air Reserve Base.

• Hurlburt Field, 5 miles west of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Now: Hurlburt Field.

• Immokalee AAF, 1 mile east-northeast of Immokalee, Florida.

Now: Immokalee Airport (IMM)

• Jacksonville AAF, 7 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida.
• Was: Imeson Field (1946-1967)

Now: Redeveloped as Imeson International Industrial Park.

• Keystone AAF, 3 miles north of Keystone Heights, Florida.

Now: Keystone Heights Airport (42J)

• Kissimmee AAF, 2 miles west of Kissimmee, Florida.

Now: Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM)

• Lakeland AAF, 4 miles southwest of Lakeland, Florida.

Now: Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL)

• Leesburg AAF, 5 miles east of Leesburg, Florida.

Now: Leesburg International Airport (LEE)

• MacDill Field, 8 miles south-southwest of Tampa, Florida.

Now: MacDill Air Force Base.

• Marianna AAF, 5 miles northeast of Marianna, Florida.

Now: Marianna Municipal Airport (MAI)

• Miami AAF, 5 miles northwest of Miami, Florida.

Now: Miami International Airport (MIA)

• Montbrook AAF, 2 miles southwest of Williston, Florida.

Now: Williston Municipal Airport (X60)

• Morrison Field, 2 miles west of Palm Beach, Florida.

Now: Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)

• Naples AAF, 2 miles northeast of Naples, Florida.

Now: Naples Municipal Airport (APF)

• Orlando AAB, 3 miles est of Orlando, Florida.

Now: Orlando Executive Airport (ORL)

• Perry AAF, 3 miles south of Perry, Florida.

Now: Perry-Foley Airport (40J)

• Pinecastle AAF

Was: McCoy Air Force Base (1951-1974)

Now: Orlando International Airport (MCO)

• Pinellas AAF, 8 miles northeast of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Now: St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)

• Punta Gorda AAF, 5 miles east of Punta Gorda, Florida.

Now: Charlotte County Airport (PGD)

• Sarasota AAF, 4 miles north-northwest of Sarasota, Florida.

Now: Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRO)

• Tyndall Field, 7 miles southeast of Panama City, Florida.

Now: Tyndall Air Force Base.

• Venice AAF, 2 miles south of Venice, Florida.

Now: Venice Municipal Airport (VNC)

• Winter Haven AAF, 2 miles northwest of Winter Haven, Florida.

Now: Winter Haven's Gilbert Airport (GIF)

• Zephyrhills AAF, 1 mile southeast of Zephyrhills, Florida.

Now: Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (ZPH)

[edit] Secondary Airfields

Carrabelle Flt Strip (2 mi west of Carrabelle)  · Eglin Aux Fields (#1-#9)  · Lake Wales Afld (2 mi west-southwest of Lake Wales)  · Marathon Flt Strip (3 mi east-northneast of Marathon)  · Page Field (4 mi south of Fort Myers)  · Taylor Field (1 mi southwest of Ocala)

[edit] See also

• Third Air Force
• United States Army Air Force

[edit] References

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
• Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1575100517

[edit] External links

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