During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Virginia for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Virginia World War II Army Airfields | |
|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |
 B-17 at Langley Field, July 1942 | |
| Type | Army Airfields |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940-1944 |
| In use | 1940-present |
Most of these airfields were under the command of First 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
editAir Technical Service Command
- Blackstone AAF, Blackstone
- Supported Fort Pickett
- Now:
Allen C Perkinson Airport/Blackstone Army Airfield (IATA: BKT, ICAO: KBKT, FAA LID: BKT)
Army Air Force Training Command
- Langley Field AAF, Hampton
Was also a part of First Air Force
- 2d Army Air Force Base Unit
- Eastern Technical Training Center
- Now: Joint Base Langley-Eustis (1947-Pres)
First Air Force
- Norfolk AAF, Norfolk
- 390th Army Air Force Base Unit
- Now: Norfolk International Airport (IATA: ORF, ICAO: KORF, FAA LID: ORF)
- Richmond AAF, Richmond
- 428th Army Air Force Base Unit
- Now: Byrd Field/Richmond International Airport (IATA: RIC, ICAO: KRIC, FAA LID: RIC)
References
edit- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1-57510-051-7
- Military Airfields in World War II - Virginia