Washington World War II Army Airfields

Washington World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
Bellingham AAF
Ephrata AAF
Geiger AAF
Felts Field
McChord AAF
Olympia AAF
Paine AAF
Walla Walla AAF
Port Townsend AAF
Boeing Field
Ellensburg AAF
Moses Lake AAF
Spokane AAF
Yakima AB
Gray AAF
Port Angeles AAF
Map Of Washington 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 Washington for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of Second 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

Army Air Force Training Command

Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport
Contract Flying School
Now: Yakima Air Terminal (IATA: YKM, ICAO: KYKM)

Air Transport Command

302d Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Active Army Airfield which supports Fort Lewis.

Air Technical Service Command

Aircraft delivery facility, Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport
465th Army Air Force Base Unit
Was: Moses Lake Air Force Base (1947)
Was: Larson Air Force Base (1948-1966)
Now: Grant County International Airport
(IATA: MWH, ICAO: KMWH, FAA LID: MWH)

Now: Bowers Airport
(IATA: ELN, ICAO: KELN, FAA LID: ELN)
498th Army Air Force Base Unit
Was: Spokane Air Force Base (1947-1950)
Now: Fairchild Air Force Base

Second Air Force

Now: Bellingham International Airport
(IATA: BLI, ICAO: KBLI, FAA LID: BLI)
355th Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Ephrata Municipal Airport
(IATA: EPH, ICAO: KEPH, FAA LID: EPH)
41st Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Spokane International Airport
(IATA: GEG, ICAO: KGEG, FAA LID: GEG)
Seven Mile Gunnery Range, Spokane
Sub-base of Geiger AAF
(7 miles NW of Spokane; may have only been a target field.)
Felts Field, Spokane
Auxiliary of Geiger AAF
Joint civil and contract AAF pilot training
Now: Felts Field Airport (IATA: SFF, ICAO: KSFF)

43d Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Now: Olympia Airport
(IATA: OLM, ICAO: KOLM, FAA LID: OLM)
33d Army Air Force Base Unit
Was: Paine Air Force Base (1951-1968)
(Joint use USAF/Civil Airport)
Now: Paine Air National Guard Base (IATA: PAE, ICAO: KPAE)
Now: William R. Fairchild International Airport
(IATA: CLM, ICAO: KCLM)
Now: Jefferson County International Airport (IATA: 0S9)
357th Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Walla Walla Regional Airport (IATA: ALW, ICAO: KALW, FAA LID: ALW)

References

External links