Arizona World War II Army Airfields

Arizona World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Type Army Airfields
Built 1940-1944
In use 1940-Present

During World War II, the United States Army Air Force (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.

Contents

Major Airfields

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 LID: DGL)
Hereford Army Airfield, 2 miles west-southwest of Hereford
Auxiliary of Douglas Army Airfield
Now: Airfield closed and abandoned
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, 1 mile west of Yucca
Sub-base of Kingman Army Airfield
Now: Ford Motor Co-AZ Proving Grd Airport (P17)
West Coast Training Center, 1941
Western Flight Training Center
66th Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Luke Air Force Base
Ajo Army Airfield, 5 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, 3 miles southeast of Gila Bend
Sub-base of Luke Army Airfield
492d Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field
  • Marana Army Airfield, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Marana
Western Flight Training Center
Now: Pinal Airpark (IATA: MZJ, ICAO: KMZJ)
Contract Flight Training
Today: Ryan Field Airport (IATA: RYN, ICAO: KRYN)

Army Air Forces Training Command

Contract Flight Training
Now: Thunderbird School of Global Management (Non flying facility)
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.

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

Known Secondary Facilities

  • Forrest Auxiliary Airfield #2 (6 mi (9.7 km) west-northwest of Douglas)
  • Gila Bend Auxiliary Airfield #1 (15 mi (24 km) southwest of Gila Bend)
  • Gila Bend Auxiliary Airfield #2 (18 mi (29 km) south-southwest of Gila Bend)
  • Gila Bend Auxiliary Airfield #3 (8 mi (13 km) west-southwest of Gila Bend)
  • Ernest Love Field (8 mi (13 km) north-northeast of Prescott)
  • Laguna Army Airfield (6 mi (9.7 km) northeast of the Laguna Diversion Dam)
  • McNeal Auxiliary Airfield #1 (Douglas)
  • Safford Field (6 mi (9.7 km) east-northeast of Safford)
  • Sahuarita Field (2 mi (3.2 km) east of Sahuarita)
  • Sky Harbor Airport (2 mi (3.2 km) east of Phoenix)
  • Tucson Memorial Airport (6 mi (9.7 km) south of Tucson)
  • Winslow Municipal Airport (2 mi (3.2 km) southwest of Winslow)

References

External links

United States Air Force portal
Military of the United States portal