Hawkins Field (airport)

In May 1941 the Dutch government-in-exile, following the occupation of the Netherlands, established the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School at Hawkins Field. The school operated Lend-Lease aircraft with civilian pilots from the Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics. Training was conducted with U.S. Army Air Corps and later with U.S. Army Air Forces units in the southeast United States; however, operation of the school and flight training were done by civilians.

In June 1941 Hawkins Field was redesignated Jackson Army Airfield. It activated on May 1, 1942 and was used by the United States Army Air Forces' Flying Training Command as a basic flying training airfield (Army Air Forces Pilot School, Miscellaneous Fields for Basic and Advanced Single and Twin-Engine training). When the U.S. Army took over Hawkins Field, a massive military construction program was initiated to expand the civil airport. Construction was rapid given the emergency wartime conditions and within three months the post was to be in full operation. The airfield had four concrete runways 3,317 by 150 feet (1,011 m × 46 m) NNE/SSW, 3,310 by 150 feet (1,009 m × 46 m) NNW/SSE, 4,825 by 150 feet (1,471 m × 46 m) NW/SE, 5,400 by 150 feet (1,646 m × 46 m) NNW/SSE; asphalt on first two runways and concrete the others. The runways were laid out on an "A" layout, with one extended length main runway, and two short secondary runways connected to the apron. Auxiliary airfields to support the training activities at the base were:

• Augustine Field 32°26′19″N 090°06′11″W
• Lime Prairie 32°18′16″N 099°24′36″W

In addition to the airfield, the building of a large support base with several hundred buildings, numerous streets, and a utility network was carried out with barracks, various administrative buildings, maintenance shops and hangars. The station facility consisted of a large number of buildings based on standardized military plans and architectural drawings of the period, with the buildings designed to be the "cheapest, temporary character with structural stability only sufficient to meet the needs of the service which the structure is intended to fulfill during the period of its contemplated war use" was underway. To conserve critical materials, most facilities were constructed of wood, concrete, brick, gypsum board and concrete asbestos. Metal was sparsely used. The station and its buildings, together with complete water, sewer, electric and gas utilities, was designed to be nearly self-sufficient, with not only hangars, but barracks, warehouses, hospitals, dental clinics, dining halls, and maintenance shops were needed. There were libraries, social clubs for officers, and enlisted men, and stores to buy living necessities.

The Netherlands pilots operated from the facility as a separate entity until January 1942 when the Army Air Forces Southeast Training Center took over the base and the Dutch pilots began training under the auspices of 74th Flying Training Wing at Maxwell Field, Alabama. The 35th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron was responsible for the operation of the non-flying elements of the base. Operational training squadrons were:

• 735th Basic Flying Training Squadron (Vultee BT-13 Valiant)
• 736th Single-Engine Flying Training Squadron (North American T-6 Texan)
• 737th Twin-Engine Flying Training Squadron (B-25 Mitchell)

On July 1, 1944, Jackson Army Air Base was transferred to the Third Air Force. Training was re-organized under the 2159th Army Air Force Base Unit, with three flying squadrons "A", "B" and "C" and was consolidated with units being reassigned from Laurel Army Airfield to Jackson. The Netherlands aviators left in May 1945 and flight training was closed down in October.

Third Air Force operated the airfield as an Air Force Reserve training center (2588th Air Force Reserve Training Unit) until March 31, 1949 when the United States Air Force excessed Hawkins Field and returned it to civil control.

It was not until 1949 that Hawkins was again classified as a civil airfield. In 1963 the City began work to annex land in Rankin County, Mississippi to build a new airport for jets (Hawkins' longest runway was 5383 feet). Allen C. Thompson Field, Jackson Municipal Airport opened later that year, one of the first airports with parallel runways versus cross wind intersecting runways. With the opening of Jackson Municipal Airport, Hawkins Field became a general aviation airport.

The Kerry Committee report which began in the United States Senate in early 1986 contains a U.S. Customs and DEA investigation report on drug trafficking using DC-4s at Hawkins Field.[6]