Bryan Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Bryan Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force
base located just west of Bryan, Texas
. Today, the location houses the Texas A&M University
Riverside Campus.
Bryan Army Airfield was constructed with three concrete runways, one main 5500x300(N/S), and two secondary 5000x300(NE/SW) 5000x300(NW/SE). A large parking apron was built with additonal taxiways, landing aids and several hangars. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper. The base had its own hospital, 40-acre sewage plant, 9 administration buildings, 4 mess halls, supply rooms, officers' quarters, a guardhouse, a chapel, and 37 barracks.
In addition to the main base and airfield, at least four auxiliary fields were also constructed in the area:
Records for Auxillary field #3 have not been located.
Bryan AAF became the home of the Army Air Forces Instructors School (Instrument Pilot). The school was established as a means of strengthening the AAF instrument program. A substantial improvement in the instrument proficiency of basic graduates was achieved; this resulted from standardized employment of the more efficient system, proper training of instructors, procurement of adequate equipment, and allocation of more flying hours to instrument work
In 1943, Bryan Field was the starting point of the first intentional meteorological flight into a hurricane. It was assigned to the AAFTC Central Flying Training Command as an AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Twin-Engine).
Instructor training continued until the base was inactivated in Feburary 1947.
Following World War II, enrollment at nearby Texas A&M University soared. Housing was in short supply, so between 1949 and 1952 an estimated 5,500 men lived, studied, ate, showered, and attended classes at the Annex on the former Bryan Army Airfield.
training surge. In the spring of 1951 the government purchased 1376 acres (5.6 km²) at the site, and Bryan Field was reactivated as Bryan Air Force Base under Air Training Command
(ATC).
Much construction was necessary to bring the World War II training base up to postwar Air Force standards. In 1951 additional land surrounding the base was appropriated for military facilities and extended runways. A jet runway (00/18) was laid down along with accompanying taxiways, concrete block buildings and other support facilities to replace the temporary wooden World War II structures that were viewed as substandard for a permanent Air Force base.
The 3530th Pilot Training Wing (Advanced Single-Engine) was activated by ATC on 14 October 1951. The primary mission of Bryan AFB was to provide advanced single engine pilot training for student officers and aviation cadets of the USAF and foreign nationals. The 3530th PTW qualified aviation cadets as officers in the USAF. The school used T-28 Trojan
single-engine trainers and jet training used F-80 and T-33 Shooting Star
aircraft. The 3531st Pilot Training Squadron flew T-28s; the 3530th PTS flew T-33s.
Gus Grissom
, later one of the first astronauts, was a jet instructor at Bryan AFB in the 1950s. In 1954 the 3530th PTW began transitioning to all-jet basic training using the T-33/F-80s and retired the propeller-driven T-28s. The last T-28 was sent to storage in early 1956.
In 1956 ATC transferred tanker and bomber training to Strategic Air Command
and fighter training to Tactical Air Command
. Thus, ATC found itself with a much smaller advanced flying training program. Jet qualification training had been taught at Craig AFB, Alabama, but by moving it to Randolph AFB, ATC was able to free Craig for basic pilot training and closed Bryan AFB. Basic single-engine training ended at Bryan on 12 June 1958. The command discontinued Bryan's 3530th Pilot Training Wing on 25 October and placed the base on inactive status until it transferred to Air Materiel Command on 1 April 1960 for subsequent disposition.
The base was turned over to Texas A&M in May 1961. The land and buildings were deeded to the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University) in 1962.
The runway is also used as an SCCA racetrack.
In 2006, the Texas A&M College of Architecture completed an 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) Built Environment Teaching and Research Facility also known as Architecture Ranch. The building contains a woodshop, a metal shop, and two digital fabrication machines: a CNC Mill
and a CNC Plasma Cutter
. Architecture Ranch is located on 12 acres (4.9 ha) of the Texas A&M Riverside Campus.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base located just west of Bryan, Texas
Bryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
. Today, the location houses the Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
Riverside Campus.
World War II
Bryan AFB was established in 1942 as part of the expansion of the flying training program by Army Air Fores Training command. It was activated on 1 March under the Central Flying Training Command (CFTC) 77th Flying Training Wing (Advanced, Single Engine), Foster Army Airfield, Texas.Bryan Army Airfield was constructed with three concrete runways, one main 5500x300(N/S), and two secondary 5000x300(NE/SW) 5000x300(NW/SE). A large parking apron was built with additonal taxiways, landing aids and several hangars. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper. The base had its own hospital, 40-acre sewage plant, 9 administration buildings, 4 mess halls, supply rooms, officers' quarters, a guardhouse, a chapel, and 37 barracks.
In addition to the main base and airfield, at least four auxiliary fields were also constructed in the area:
- Somerville Field (AAF Aux #1) 30°28′17"N 096°29′19"W
- Hearne Field (AAF Aux #2) 30°52′18"N 096°37′20"W
- Easterwood Field (AAF #4) 30°35′18"N 096°21′49"W
Records for Auxillary field #3 have not been located.
Bryan AAF became the home of the Army Air Forces Instructors School (Instrument Pilot). The school was established as a means of strengthening the AAF instrument program. A substantial improvement in the instrument proficiency of basic graduates was achieved; this resulted from standardized employment of the more efficient system, proper training of instructors, procurement of adequate equipment, and allocation of more flying hours to instrument work
In 1943, Bryan Field was the starting point of the first intentional meteorological flight into a hurricane. It was assigned to the AAFTC Central Flying Training Command as an AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Twin-Engine).
Instructor training continued until the base was inactivated in Feburary 1947.
Following World War II, enrollment at nearby Texas A&M University soared. Housing was in short supply, so between 1949 and 1952 an estimated 5,500 men lived, studied, ate, showered, and attended classes at the Annex on the former Bryan Army Airfield.
Cold War
The Air Force retained a recapture right, which it exercised at Bryan to accommodate 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...
training surge. In the spring of 1951 the government purchased 1376 acres (5.6 km²) at the site, and Bryan Field was reactivated as Bryan Air Force Base under Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
(ATC).
Much construction was necessary to bring the World War II training base up to postwar Air Force standards. In 1951 additional land surrounding the base was appropriated for military facilities and extended runways. A jet runway (00/18) was laid down along with accompanying taxiways, concrete block buildings and other support facilities to replace the temporary wooden World War II structures that were viewed as substandard for a permanent Air Force base.
The 3530th Pilot Training Wing (Advanced Single-Engine) was activated by ATC on 14 October 1951. The primary mission of Bryan AFB was to provide advanced single engine pilot training for student officers and aviation cadets of the USAF and foreign nationals. The 3530th PTW qualified aviation cadets as officers in the USAF. The school used T-28 Trojan
T-28 Trojan
The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
single-engine trainers and jet training used F-80 and T-33 Shooting Star
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
aircraft. The 3531st Pilot Training Squadron flew T-28s; the 3530th PTS flew T-33s.
Gus Grissom
Gus Grissom
Virgil Ivan Grissom , , better known as Gus Grissom, was one of the original NASA Project Mercury astronauts and a United States Air Force pilot...
, later one of the first astronauts, was a jet instructor at Bryan AFB in the 1950s. In 1954 the 3530th PTW began transitioning to all-jet basic training using the T-33/F-80s and retired the propeller-driven T-28s. The last T-28 was sent to storage in early 1956.
In 1956 ATC transferred tanker and bomber training to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
and fighter training to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
. Thus, ATC found itself with a much smaller advanced flying training program. Jet qualification training had been taught at Craig AFB, Alabama, but by moving it to Randolph AFB, ATC was able to free Craig for basic pilot training and closed Bryan AFB. Basic single-engine training ended at Bryan on 12 June 1958. The command discontinued Bryan's 3530th Pilot Training Wing on 25 October and placed the base on inactive status until it transferred to Air Materiel Command on 1 April 1960 for subsequent disposition.
The base was turned over to Texas A&M in May 1961. The land and buildings were deeded to the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University) in 1962.
Redevelopment
A vintage World War II hangar at the Texas A&M Riverside Campus was recently transformed into a state-of-the-art training facility for utility workers in the electric power and telecommunications industry. Classrooms in the new facility include interactive Smart boards, custom-built workbenches and cabinets, built-in audiovisual systems, and automatic lighting.The runway is also used as an SCCA racetrack.
In 2006, the Texas A&M College of Architecture completed an 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) Built Environment Teaching and Research Facility also known as Architecture Ranch. The building contains a woodshop, a metal shop, and two digital fabrication machines: a CNC Mill
Milling machine
A milling machine is a machine tool used to machine solid materials. Milling machines are often classed in two basic forms, horizontal and vertical, which refers to the orientation of the main spindle. Both types range in size from small, bench-mounted devices to room-sized machines...
and a CNC Plasma Cutter
Plasma cutting
Plasma cutting is a process that is used to cut steel and other metals of different thicknesses using a plasma torch...
. Architecture Ranch is located on 12 acres (4.9 ha) of the Texas A&M Riverside Campus.
External links
- http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/BB/qbb6.html