Hawkins Field (airport)
Encyclopedia
Hawkins Field is a city-owned public-use airport
located three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district
of Jackson
, a city in Hinds County
, Mississippi
, United States
.
s: 16/34 with an asphalt
surface measuring 5,387 x 150 ft (1,642 x 46 m) and 11/29 with a concrete
surface measuring 3,431 x 150 ft (1,046 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending March 29, 2007, the airport had 62,516 aircraft operations, an average of 171 per day: 88% general aviation
, 6% air taxi
and 6% military
. At that time there were 116 aircraft based at this airport: 40% single-engine
(46),
32% multi-engine, 3% jet
, 9% helicopter
, 16% military
.
Jackson Army Air Base was the name of the abandoned base in the movie Capricorn One
, which they used to stage a fake Mars landing. But unlike the real base which is in Mississippi, this one was located in Texas.
In 1936 the Works Progress Administration
’s (WPA), Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) invested $62,150 to improve the airport with the construction of a terminal building and paving of an apron for aircraft parking. In 1941 the airfield was officially named Hawkins Field after A.F. Hawkins, a city commissioner with an interest in aviation.
In June 1941 Hawkins Field was designated as Jackson Army Airbase. It activated on 1 May 1942 and was used by the United States Army Air Force Flying Training Command, as a basic flying training airfield (Army Air Forces Pilot School, Miscellaneous Fields) (Basic; Advanced Single and Twin-Engine). When the Army took over Hawkins Field, a massive 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 consisted of four concrete runways 3317x150(NNE/SSW), 3310x150(NNW/SSE), 48250x150(NW/SE), 5400x150(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 an aircraft parking apron. Auxiliary airfields to support the training activities at the base were:
In addition to the airfield, the building of a large support base with several hundred buildings, numerous streets, 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 plans and architectural drawings, 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 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 buildings, together with complete water, sewer, electric and gas utilities
The Netherlands pilots operated from the facility as a separate entity until January 1942 when the Army Air Corps 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:
On 1 July 1944 Jackson Army Air Base was transferred to Third Air Force
, training was re-organized under the 2159th Army Air Force Base Unit, with three flying squadrons "A", "B" and "C". Training 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 31 March 1949 when the United States Air Force excessed Hawkins Field and returned it to civil control.
airfield. With the introduction of jet service to Jackson in 1963, the City began work to annex land in Rankin County, Mississippi to build a new commercial and military service airport. Construction on Allen C. Thompson Field, Jackson Municipal Airport was begun that year. Jackson Municipal Airport was opened later that year one of the first airports to be constructed with parallel runways versus cross wind intersecting runways utilized by the smaller aircraft operations.
With the opening of Jackson Municipal Airpor, Hawkins Field became a general aviation airport.
returned in the summer of 1953 when the Mississippi Air National Guard
began utilizing certain facilities of Hawkins Field.
The 172d began in 1953 as the Tactical Air Command
183d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photo) at Hawkins Field equipped with RB-26 Invaders equipped for night photo reconnaissance missions. Six Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
s replaced the RB-26 in 1957 when the 183d became an Aeromedical Transport Squadron (Light) as part of Military Air Transport Service
. The C-119 widened the mission of the unit. By 1961 plans for a new airport were on the drawing board. The Government leased 64 acres of land in Rankin County to the City of Jackson for the new Air Guard complex. Construction of the present base began on 15 April 1961.
On 1 July 1962 the Lockheed C-121 Constellation aircraft arrived in Mississippi and the squadron was re designated as the MATS 172d Air Transport Squadron. They were sleek, four-engine propeller driven aircraft. Saturday, 1 June 1963, marked the beginning of the unit's world mission with a flight to Germany in the C-121.
This use continued to operate from Hawkins Field until early 1964 when the 172d moved to new facilities at Jackson International Airport in Rankin County MS.
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 three miles (5 km) northwest 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 Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, a city in Hinds County
Hinds County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 250,800 people, 91,030 households, and 62,355 families residing in the county. The population density was 288 people per square mile . There were 100,287 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Facilities and aircraft
Hawkins Field covers an area of 602 acres (243.6 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: 16/34 with 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...
surface measuring 5,387 x 150 ft (1,642 x 46 m) and 11/29 with a concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
surface measuring 3,431 x 150 ft (1,046 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending March 29, 2007, the airport had 62,516 aircraft operations, an average of 171 per day: 88% 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...
, 6% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
and 6% 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 116 aircraft based at this airport: 40% 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...
(46),
32% multi-engine, 3% 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...
, 9% 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...
, 16% military
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
.
Jackson Army Air Base was the name of the abandoned base in the movie Capricorn One
Capricorn One
Capricorn One is a 1977 science fiction thriller movie about a Mars landing hoax. It was written and directed by Peter Hyams and produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment. It stars James Brolin, Sam Waterston and O. J...
, which they used to stage a fake Mars landing. But unlike the real base which is in Mississippi, this one was located in Texas.
History
Aviation in Jackson began in 1928 with the purchase of 151 acres of pasture land in the City of Jackson known then as Davis Stock Farm, for the sum of $53,500. Davis Field, Jackson’s first airport was dedicated November 9, 1928. Delta Airlines made its first commercial flight that year beginning in Dallas landing in Jackson and several other cities on their way to Atlanta.In 1936 the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
’s (WPA), Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) invested $62,150 to improve the airport with the construction of a terminal building and paving of an apron for aircraft parking. In 1941 the airfield was officially named Hawkins Field after A.F. Hawkins, a city commissioner with an interest in aviation.
World War II
In May 1941, the Dutch government-in-exile, following the occupation of the Netherlands, established the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School at Hawkins Field. Operating Lend-Lease aircraft, civilian pilots from the Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics. Training was conducted with Army Air Corps units in the southeast, however operation of the school and flight training were done by civilians.In June 1941 Hawkins Field was designated as Jackson Army Airbase. It activated on 1 May 1942 and was used by the United States Army Air Force Flying Training Command, as a basic flying training airfield (Army Air Forces Pilot School, Miscellaneous Fields) (Basic; Advanced Single and Twin-Engine). When the Army took over Hawkins Field, a massive 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 consisted of four concrete runways 3317x150(NNE/SSW), 3310x150(NNW/SSE), 48250x150(NW/SE), 5400x150(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 an aircraft parking 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, 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 plans and architectural drawings, 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 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 buildings, together with complete water, sewer, electric and gas utilities
The Netherlands pilots operated from the facility as a separate entity until January 1942 when the Army Air Corps Southeast Training Center took over the base and the Dutch pilots began training under the auspices of 74th Flying Training Wing at Maxwell Field
Maxwell Field
Maxwell Field was the football stadium located behind the former location of Louisville Male High School, 911 S. Brook St., Louisville, Kentucky, 40203 which was bounded by the streets of Brook, Breckinridge, Floyd, and Caldwell streets in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1984 a double murder known locally...
, 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 ValiantBT-13 ValiantThe Vultee BT-13 Valiant was an American World War II-era basic trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces...
) - 736th Single-Engine Flying Training Squadron (North American T-6 TexanT-6 TexanThe 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...
) - 737th Twin-Engine Flying Training Squadron (B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe 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...
)
On 1 July 1944 Jackson Army Air Base was transferred to Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, training was re-organized under the 2159th Army Air Force Base Unit, with three flying squadrons "A", "B" and "C". Training 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
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
operated the airfield as an Air Force Reserve training center (2588th Air Force Reserve Training Unit) until 31 March 1949 when the United States Air Force excessed Hawkins Field and returned it to civil control.
Postwar use
It was not until 1949 that Hawkins was once again classified as a civilianCivilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
airfield. With the introduction of jet service to Jackson in 1963, the City began work to annex land in Rankin County, Mississippi to build a new commercial and military service airport. Construction on Allen C. Thompson Field, Jackson Municipal Airport was begun that year. Jackson Municipal Airport was opened later that year one of the first airports to be constructed with parallel runways versus cross wind intersecting runways utilized by the smaller aircraft operations.
With the opening of Jackson Municipal Airpor, Hawkins Field became a general aviation airport.
Mississippi Air National Guard
The United States Air ForceUnited 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...
returned in the summer of 1953 when the Mississippi Air National Guard
Mississippi Air National Guard
The Mississippi Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is, along with the Mississippi Army National Guard, an element of the Mississippi National Guard...
began utilizing certain facilities of Hawkins Field.
The 172d began in 1953 as the 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...
183d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (Night Photo) at Hawkins Field equipped with RB-26 Invaders equipped for night photo reconnaissance missions. Six Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
C-119 Flying Boxcar
The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar was an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, litter patients, and mechanized equipment, and to drop cargo and troops by parachute...
s replaced the RB-26 in 1957 when the 183d became an Aeromedical Transport Squadron (Light) as part of Military Air Transport Service
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
. The C-119 widened the mission of the unit. By 1961 plans for a new airport were on the drawing board. The Government leased 64 acres of land in Rankin County to the City of Jackson for the new Air Guard complex. Construction of the present base began on 15 April 1961.
On 1 July 1962 the Lockheed C-121 Constellation aircraft arrived in Mississippi and the squadron was re designated as the MATS 172d Air Transport Squadron. They were sleek, four-engine propeller driven aircraft. Saturday, 1 June 1963, marked the beginning of the unit's world mission with a flight to Germany in the C-121.
This use continued to operate from Hawkins Field until early 1964 when the 172d moved to new facilities at Jackson International Airport in Rankin County MS.
See also
- Mississippi World War II Army AirfieldsMississippi World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Mississippi for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
External links
- Hawkins Field, official site
- Jackson Municipal Airport Authority