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Douglas Municipal Airport (Arizona)
Encyclopedia
Douglas Municipal Airport is a public airport
located two miles (3 km) east of the central business district
of Douglas
, a city in Cochise County
, Arizona
, United States
. The airport is owned by the city of Douglas. It is not served by any commercial airlines at this time.
s: 3/21 has an asphalt
pavement measuring 5,760 x 75 ft (1,756 x 23 m) and 18/36 has a dirt
surface measuring 4,095 x 100 ft (1,248 x 30 m). For the 12-month period ending July 31, 2005, the airport had 7,500 general aviation
aircraft operations, an average of 20 per day.
There is also an Arizona State Prison
on the site. The area is all flat desert land.
. Land for the airfield was leased from several ranches by the United States Government from several ranches using War Emergency Powers and turned over to the War Department. Some 2,600 acres were set aside for military use.
Known as Douglas Army Airfield, the base included six operational runways, all over 7,000' in length. The runways included 17L-35R, 17R-35L, 8L-26R, 8R-26L, 3L-21R, 3R-21L, and 12-30. 16 taxiways, a parking apron, seven hangars were also constructed at the airfield. Improvements at the base included 418 buildings, sewage treatment facilities,
associated utilities, including personnel barracks, warehouses, aircraft storage hangars, a commissary, civilian quarters, service clubs for officers and enlisted men, a small base hospital, as well as vehicular maintenance shops, recreational facilities, supply storage, specialty training, and ordinance buildings, an ordnance storage area, two firing ranges and a skeet range.
The ranges included a machine gun range with 10 targets, a pistol range with 24 targets, and a skeet range with two units. The General Site Plan for the air field lists storage for small arms, pyrotechnic, chemical bomb storage, assembly and maintenance, segregated storage and an underground magazine. Enlisted men used Douglas Air Field to complete the qualification course with the firing of a pistol, rifle, and sub-machine gun. They fired the .45 caliber automatic pistol at different distances and the .30 caliber rifle. They also fired the .45 caliber sub-machine gun at
movable targets. Cadets fired these weapons at the pistol and machine gun ranges, and fired shotguns at the skeet range
In addition to the main base, five auxiliary airfields were constructed in the area for emergency and overflow use:
Records of Auxiliary Airfield #4 have been lost to time.
The Army activated the former Douglas Air Field on May 28, 1942, as a twin-engine advanced flying school for training bomber pilots. It was also used to train soldiers as post mechanics. Douglas Army Air Field was an advanced flying training school where aviation cadets received their pilot wings and commissions as second lieutenants or appointments as flight officers in the Army Air Force. The base came under the command of 83d Flying Training Wing (Advanced Twin-Engine), Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command, headquartered at Santa Ana, California. Aircraft assigned to the base were BT-14
's, AT-6
's, UC-78's, AT-9
's, AT-17
's, and B-25's
Graduates were then sent to III Bomber Command
airfields in the southeast for group assignments on B-26 Marauder
or B-25 Mitchell
medium bombers, or twin-engined P-38 Lightning
IV Fighter Command
airfields along the West Coast. Others went to I Troop Carrier Command
or Air Transport Command
for transport pilot duty.
During World War II, there were about 5,500 troops stationed at Douglas at any one time. It was one of four Army Air Fields in the United States to have both African-American soldiers and WACs, and was the second air field to receive black WACs.
Pilots in Air Transport Command
began training at Douglas in June 1944. These pilots ferried replacement planes around the world. In August 1944, B-25 bomber planes arrived at the former Douglas Air Field replacing the AT-17s and AT-9s.
Chemical warfare training also occurred at Douglas Air Field. The only chemical warfare training conducted at the air field was carrying a gas mask. In a memorandum issued in 1943 it was stated that military training would include six hours of instruction in defense against chemical attack as well as the required arms qualifications. From 1943 to
1945, enlisted men, cadets, and Air Transport Command trainees attended various chemical warfare courses including incendiary and decontamination exercises. Quarterly gas chamber exercises were also conducted using tear gas and chlorine gas. In addition to the gas chamber training, the Chemical Warfare Section used several areas at the
base for training and storage. They conducted decontamination demonstrations at one end of the Officers' Athletic Field. They used a warehouse in the Ordnance Area for segregation of supplies and ammunition.
The Air Training Command maintained the former Douglas Air Field on temporary inactive status starting on October
31, 1945. The site was declared surplus on April 25, 1947. Custody of the site was assumed by the War Assets Administration (WAA) on November 1, 1947. The WAA transferred ownership of 2,774 acres to Cochise County on May 13, 1949 by quitclaim deed. WAA Real Property classification documents dated April 8, 1948, indicated that the exchange agreement for acquisition of 31 acres was not complete. It is assumed that these 31 acres were leased from the State of Arizona and were returned upon declaring the site as surplus.
In 1949-50, the base administration building was remodeled to serve as an airline terminal building. It included offices for airport and airline administration, a passenger lobby, restaurant, rest rooms, and a Flight Service Station. The terminal building remains today, for the most part, in its 1950's vintage configuration
The first Airport Layout Plan (ALP) record drawing for the Bisbee-Douglas International Airport was prepared by Johannessen &. Girand Engineers - Phoenix, Arizona in 1956. The 1956 ALP recommended that Runways 17L-35R, 12-30, and 8R-26L be phased out, along with many taxiways and some of the bituminous aircraft parking aprons. The 1956 plan also recommended development of an industrial area where the current state prison now resides.
The ALP was updated by Blanton & Company of Tucson, Arizona in 1967. By this time, the three runways and their serving taxiways had been phased out. During the 1960's, BDI had scheduled airline service. The critical aircraft being used was the Boeing 727 and Douglas DC-7. The ALP reflected design for these types, and recommended ultimate design for use by the Boeing 747. Recommendations also included extension of Runway 17-35 to an ultimate length of 10,290' (existing length is 7,290').
The ALP was again updated by Blanton &. Company in 1974. This document indicates that the three "phased out" runways were again active, although they were probably not actually useable because of their condition. The recommended extension of Runway 17-35 is continued, along with ultimate installation of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 17. In 1974, a new 25,000 gallon elevated water tower was constructed. The tower is 140 feet tall, and is lighted with double-fixture obstruction lights.
A 1975 improvement project (ADAP 7-04-0013-01) included replacement of the Medium Intensity Runway Lighting (MIRL) system for Runways 17-35 and 8-26. The electrical vault was rehabilitated at this time, and taxiway guidance signs and a Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI-2) system was installed on Runway 17-35. Project engineers were Blanton & Company.
Over recent years, there has been relatively little development activity at the Bisbee-Douglas International Airport.
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 miles (3 km) east 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 Douglas
Douglas, Arizona
Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining.The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census...
, a city in Cochise County
Cochise County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*78.5% White*4.2% Black*1.2% Native American*1.9% Asian*0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*9.6% Other races*32.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport is owned by the city of Douglas. It is not served by any commercial airlines at this time.
Facilities and aircraft
Douglas Municipal Airport covers an area of 640 acres (259 ha) which contains two 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: 3/21 has an asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
pavement measuring 5,760 x 75 ft (1,756 x 23 m) and 18/36 has a dirt
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
surface measuring 4,095 x 100 ft (1,248 x 30 m). For the 12-month period ending July 31, 2005, the airport had 7,500 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...
aircraft operations, an average of 20 per day.
There is also an Arizona State Prison
Arizona State Prison Complex - Douglas
Arizona State Prison Complex – Douglas is one of 13 prison facilities operated by the Arizona Department of Corrections . ASPC-Douglas is located in Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, 248 miles southeast from the state capital of Phoenix, Arizona....
on the site. The area is all flat desert land.
World War II
Construction began on Douglas Municipal Airport in June 1942 for the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
. Land for the airfield was leased from several ranches by the United States Government from several ranches using War Emergency Powers and turned over to the War Department. Some 2,600 acres were set aside for military use.
Known as Douglas Army Airfield, the base included six operational runways, all over 7,000' in length. The runways included 17L-35R, 17R-35L, 8L-26R, 8R-26L, 3L-21R, 3R-21L, and 12-30. 16 taxiways, a parking apron, seven hangars were also constructed at the airfield. Improvements at the base included 418 buildings, sewage treatment facilities,
associated utilities, including personnel barracks, warehouses, aircraft storage hangars, a commissary, civilian quarters, service clubs for officers and enlisted men, a small base hospital, as well as vehicular maintenance shops, recreational facilities, supply storage, specialty training, and ordinance buildings, an ordnance storage area, two firing ranges and a skeet range.
The ranges included a machine gun range with 10 targets, a pistol range with 24 targets, and a skeet range with two units. The General Site Plan for the air field lists storage for small arms, pyrotechnic, chemical bomb storage, assembly and maintenance, segregated storage and an underground magazine. Enlisted men used Douglas Air Field to complete the qualification course with the firing of a pistol, rifle, and sub-machine gun. They fired the .45 caliber automatic pistol at different distances and the .30 caliber rifle. They also fired the .45 caliber sub-machine gun at
movable targets. Cadets fired these weapons at the pistol and machine gun ranges, and fired shotguns at the skeet range
In addition to the main base, five auxiliary airfields were constructed in the area for emergency and overflow use:
- McNeal Field (Aux #1) 31°36′21"N 109°39′09"W
- Forrest Field (Aux #2) 31°22′27"N 109°40′30"W
- Webb Coutland (Elfrida) Field (Aux #3) 31°46′24"N 109°41′49"W
- Hereford Army AirfieldHereford Army AirfieldHereford Army Airfield is an abandoned military airfield located about west-southwest of Hereford, Arizona.-Military use:The airfield was was acquired by the War Department in August 1942 for use as an auxiliary air field for Douglas Army Airfield, Arizona. A total of were acquired by the War...
(Aux #5) 31°24′57"N 110°08′51"W
Records of Auxiliary Airfield #4 have been lost to time.
The Army activated the former Douglas Air Field on May 28, 1942, as a twin-engine advanced flying school for training bomber pilots. It was also used to train soldiers as post mechanics. Douglas Army Air Field was an advanced flying training school where aviation cadets received their pilot wings and commissions as second lieutenants or appointments as flight officers in the Army Air Force. The base came under the command of 83d Flying Training Wing (Advanced Twin-Engine), Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command, headquartered at Santa Ana, California. Aircraft assigned to the base were BT-14
North American BT-9
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Davis, Larry. T-6 Texan in Action . Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1989. ISBN 0-89747-224-1....
's, AT-6
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
's, UC-78's, AT-9
Curtiss AT-9
-Related content:Related development:Comparable aircraft:Beech C-45 Expeditor-Bibliography:* Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8....
's, AT-17
Cessna AT-17
-References:NotesBibliography* Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II . London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4....
's, and B-25's
Graduates were then sent to III Bomber Command
III Bomber Command
The III Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
airfields in the southeast for group assignments on B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
or B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
medium bombers, or twin-engined P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
IV Fighter Command
IV Fighter Command
The IV Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fourth Air Force, based at Oakland Airport, California...
airfields along the West Coast. Others went to I Troop Carrier Command
I Troop Carrier Command
The I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training...
or Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
for transport pilot duty.
During World War II, there were about 5,500 troops stationed at Douglas at any one time. It was one of four Army Air Fields in the United States to have both African-American soldiers and WACs, and was the second air field to receive black WACs.
Pilots in Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
began training at Douglas in June 1944. These pilots ferried replacement planes around the world. In August 1944, B-25 bomber planes arrived at the former Douglas Air Field replacing the AT-17s and AT-9s.
Chemical warfare training also occurred at Douglas Air Field. The only chemical warfare training conducted at the air field was carrying a gas mask. In a memorandum issued in 1943 it was stated that military training would include six hours of instruction in defense against chemical attack as well as the required arms qualifications. From 1943 to
1945, enlisted men, cadets, and Air Transport Command trainees attended various chemical warfare courses including incendiary and decontamination exercises. Quarterly gas chamber exercises were also conducted using tear gas and chlorine gas. In addition to the gas chamber training, the Chemical Warfare Section used several areas at the
base for training and storage. They conducted decontamination demonstrations at one end of the Officers' Athletic Field. They used a warehouse in the Ordnance Area for segregation of supplies and ammunition.
The Air Training Command maintained the former Douglas Air Field on temporary inactive status starting on October
31, 1945. The site was declared surplus on April 25, 1947. Custody of the site was assumed by the War Assets Administration (WAA) on November 1, 1947. The WAA transferred ownership of 2,774 acres to Cochise County on May 13, 1949 by quitclaim deed. WAA Real Property classification documents dated April 8, 1948, indicated that the exchange agreement for acquisition of 31 acres was not complete. It is assumed that these 31 acres were leased from the State of Arizona and were returned upon declaring the site as surplus.
Bisbee-Douglas International Airport
The former Douglas Air Field is currently owned by Cochise County. On May 13, 1949, the U.S. government, acting through the War Assets Administration deeded the Douglas Army Airfield to Cochise County. The airfield was named Bisbee-Douglas International Airport and plans were made by the county to prepare the airport to serve as the major air commerce facility in the region.In 1949-50, the base administration building was remodeled to serve as an airline terminal building. It included offices for airport and airline administration, a passenger lobby, restaurant, rest rooms, and a Flight Service Station. The terminal building remains today, for the most part, in its 1950's vintage configuration
The first Airport Layout Plan (ALP) record drawing for the Bisbee-Douglas International Airport was prepared by Johannessen &. Girand Engineers - Phoenix, Arizona in 1956. The 1956 ALP recommended that Runways 17L-35R, 12-30, and 8R-26L be phased out, along with many taxiways and some of the bituminous aircraft parking aprons. The 1956 plan also recommended development of an industrial area where the current state prison now resides.
The ALP was updated by Blanton & Company of Tucson, Arizona in 1967. By this time, the three runways and their serving taxiways had been phased out. During the 1960's, BDI had scheduled airline service. The critical aircraft being used was the Boeing 727 and Douglas DC-7. The ALP reflected design for these types, and recommended ultimate design for use by the Boeing 747. Recommendations also included extension of Runway 17-35 to an ultimate length of 10,290' (existing length is 7,290').
The ALP was again updated by Blanton &. Company in 1974. This document indicates that the three "phased out" runways were again active, although they were probably not actually useable because of their condition. The recommended extension of Runway 17-35 is continued, along with ultimate installation of an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 17. In 1974, a new 25,000 gallon elevated water tower was constructed. The tower is 140 feet tall, and is lighted with double-fixture obstruction lights.
A 1975 improvement project (ADAP 7-04-0013-01) included replacement of the Medium Intensity Runway Lighting (MIRL) system for Runways 17-35 and 8-26. The electrical vault was rehabilitated at this time, and taxiway guidance signs and a Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI-2) system was installed on Runway 17-35. Project engineers were Blanton & Company.
Over recent years, there has been relatively little development activity at the Bisbee-Douglas International Airport.
See also
- Arizona World War II Army AirfieldsArizona World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Arizona for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
External links
- Douglas Municipal Airport (DGL) at Arizona DOT airport directory
- Douglas Army Airfield in World War II