Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport
Encyclopedia
Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport
located two nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of the central business district
of Big Spring
, a city in Howard County, Texas
, United States
. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
for 2009–2013, it is categorized as a general aviation
airport.
Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this airport is assigned BPG by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA (which assigned BPG to Barra do Garças Airport
in Barra do Garças
, Mato Grosso
, Brazil
).
and the B-18 Bolo
were the primary aircraft flown for training. The 79th Bombardier Training GroupUSAFHRA Document 00147684 continued operations until the surrender of Japan, when the cadets who agreed to remain in postwar service were transferred to Midland AAF
, Texas
. The last class graduated on 26 September 1945. The base was declared surplus and reverted to city control in November 1945,USAFHRA Document 00169727 and it served as the Big Spring Municipal Airport for six years.
, and the need for trained pilots, the airfield was reopened on October 1, 1951. The base was renamed Webb Air Force Base
in 1952 to memorialize Lieutenant James L. Webb, a Big Spring native and World War II combat pilot, who was killed off the Japanese coast in 1949.
The 3560th Pilot Training Wing (later redesignated the 78th Flying Training Wing) was stationed at the base, and instruction of the first class began in April 1952. The base population soon passed the 2,000 mark. By the end of 1968 almost 9,000 pilots had been trained at Webb.
In 1956 the 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadron was transferred to Webb from Stewart Air Force Base in New York to defend the southern United States border on air intercept missions. In March 1967 the 331st was redesignated the 4760th Combat Crew Training Squadron and charged with training Royal Jordanian Air Force
students. It was inactivated when the Jordanians were recalled because of the war with Israel in the summer of 1967.
Webb was also the site of annual summer training for college AFROTC (Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps) cadets throughout the 1950s and most of the 1960s. In 1977 the end of the Vietnam War meant a decrease in the need for Air Force pilots. Webb was formally deactivated, and the property it had occupied was turned over to the Big Spring Industrial Park.
s: 17/35 measuring 8,802 x 100 ft (2,683 x 30 m) and 6/24 measuring 4,601 x 75 ft (1,402 x 23 m).
The airport is currently an uncontrolled airfield, limited to UNICOM
advisories only. Although the former Webb AFB control tower is still standing, it has not been operational since the Air Force's departure in late 1977 and the airfield's subsequent conversion to a civilian airport.
For the 12-month period ending January 30, 2009, the airport had 12,195 aircraft operations, an average of 33 per day: 91% general aviation
and 9% military
. At that time there were 48 aircraft based at this airport: 73% single-engine
, 13% multi-engine, 6% jet
, 6% ultralight and 2% helicopter
.
privately operated by Cornell Companies
) are located on the base grounds (as well as FCI Big Spring, which is a separate facility operated directly by the Bureau of Prisons).
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located two nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Big Spring
Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. With a population of 25,233 at the 2000 census, it is the largest city between Midland to the west, Abilene to the east, Lubbock to the north, and San Angelo...
, a city in Howard County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. It is developed and maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration . Its purposes are:* to identify all the airports in the U.S...
for 2009–2013, it is categorized as a general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airport.
Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, this airport is assigned BPG by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA (which assigned BPG to Barra do Garças Airport
Barra do Garças Airport
Barra do Garças Airport is the airport serving Barra do Garças, Brazil.-External links:...
in Barra do Garças
Barra do Garças
Barra do Garças is a city with a population of 50,000 located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, around far from the capital city of Cuiabá...
, Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
).
World War II
The facility was first used by the United States Army Air Force as Big Spring Army Air Field, opening on 28 April 1942 as part of the Central Flying Training Command. The mission of Big Spring AAF was to train aviation cadets in high altitude precision bombing as bombardiers.USAFHRA Document 00169712 The airfield had received its first class of cadets in September 1942. The AT-11 (Beechcraft Model 18Beechcraft Model 18
The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
and the B-18 Bolo
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
were the primary aircraft flown for training. The 79th Bombardier Training GroupUSAFHRA Document 00147684 continued operations until the surrender of Japan, when the cadets who agreed to remain in postwar service were transferred to Midland AAF
Midland International Airport
-Top Destinations:-See also:* Texas World War II Army Airfields-References:* Shaw, Frederick J. , Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The last class graduated on 26 September 1945. The base was declared surplus and reverted to city control in November 1945,USAFHRA Document 00169727 and it served as the Big Spring Municipal Airport for six years.
Webb Air Force Base
As a result of the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and the need for trained pilots, the airfield was reopened on October 1, 1951. The base was renamed Webb Air Force Base
Webb Air Force Base
Webb Air Force Base , previously named Big Spring Air Force Base, was a United States Air Force facility of the Air Training Command that operated from 1951 to 1977 in west Texas within the current city limits of Big Spring. It was a major training facility, and by 1969 almost 9,000 pilots had...
in 1952 to memorialize Lieutenant James L. Webb, a Big Spring native and World War II combat pilot, who was killed off the Japanese coast in 1949.
The 3560th Pilot Training Wing (later redesignated the 78th Flying Training Wing) was stationed at the base, and instruction of the first class began in April 1952. The base population soon passed the 2,000 mark. By the end of 1968 almost 9,000 pilots had been trained at Webb.
In 1956 the 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadron was transferred to Webb from Stewart Air Force Base in New York to defend the southern United States border on air intercept missions. In March 1967 the 331st was redesignated the 4760th Combat Crew Training Squadron and charged with training Royal Jordanian Air Force
Royal Jordanian Air Force
The Royal Jordanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces.-Early days:...
students. It was inactivated when the Jordanians were recalled because of the war with Israel in the summer of 1967.
Webb was also the site of annual summer training for college AFROTC (Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps) cadets throughout the 1950s and most of the 1960s. In 1977 the end of the Vietnam War meant a decrease in the need for Air Force pilots. Webb was formally deactivated, and the property it had occupied was turned over to the Big Spring Industrial Park.
Facilities and aircraft
Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport covers an area of 2086 acres (844.2 ha) which contains two paved runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s: 17/35 measuring 8,802 x 100 ft (2,683 x 30 m) and 6/24 measuring 4,601 x 75 ft (1,402 x 23 m).
The airport is currently an uncontrolled airfield, limited to UNICOM
UNICOM
Universal Communications or as known by its abbreviation, UNICOM, is an air-ground communication facility operated by a private agency to provide advisory service at uncontrolled aerodromes and airports.-Description:...
advisories only. Although the former Webb AFB control tower is still standing, it has not been operational since the Air Force's departure in late 1977 and the airfield's subsequent conversion to a civilian airport.
For the 12-month period ending January 30, 2009, the airport had 12,195 aircraft operations, an average of 33 per day: 91% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and 9% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 48 aircraft based at this airport: 73% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 13% multi-engine, 6% jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
, 6% ultralight and 2% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
Other tenants
Three units of the Big Spring Correctional Center (a federal prisonFederal prison
Federal prisons are run by national governments in countries where subdivisions of the country also operate prisons.In the United States federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In Canada the Correctional Service of Canada operates federal prisons. Prison sentences in these...
privately operated by Cornell Companies
Cornell Companies
Cornell Companies was an American corporation that operates correctional facilities, contracting them to state and local governments. The company's headquarters are located in Houston, Texas...
) are located on the base grounds (as well as FCI Big Spring, which is a separate facility operated directly by the Bureau of Prisons).
External links
- Former Webb AFB website (Includes expanded history of the AFB)