Pennsylvania World War II Army Airfields

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Pennsylvania for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Pennsylvania World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
TypeArmy Airfields
Site history
Built1940-1944
In use1940-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

Air Technical Service Command

Now: Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport (ICAO: KVVS, FAA LID: VVS)
487th/496th Army Air Force Base Unit
Was: Olmsted Air Force Base (1947-1968)
Now: Harrisburg International Airport (IATA: MDT, ICAO: KMDT, FAA LID: MDT)

First Air Force

431st Army Air Force Base Unit (Reduced)
Now: Northeast Philadelphia Airport (IATA: PNE, ICAO: KPNE, FAA LID: PNE)
390th Army Air Force Base Unit
Now: Reading Regional Airport (IATA: RDG, ICAO: KRDG, FAA LID: RDG)

Air Transport Command

Now: Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station (IATA: PIT, ICAO: KPIT, FAA LID: PIT)

Army Air Forces Training Command

Contract Primary Pilot Training
Closed, 1950 Now: non-aviation industrial site.

Other

References

  • 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 - Pennsylvania
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.