Seymour Airport
Encyclopedia
Seymour Airport is an airport
serving the island of Baltra
, one of the Galápagos Islands
in Ecuador
.
of 207 feet (63 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 14/32 with an asphalt
surface measuring 7876 by 115 ft (2,400.6 by 35.1 ).
, the airport (known as Seymour Island Airfield) was used by the United States Army Air Force Sixth Air Force defending the South America
n coastline and the Panama Canal
against Japanese submarines. The first American personnel arrived on 9 April 1942. Military flying units assigned to the airport were:
By 30 September 1945, most personnel were withdrawn and only a housekeeping staff remained. The military facility was inactivated on 30 April 1946, leaving a communications unit which inactivated on 29 February 1948. Today many of the former USAAF aircraft parking hardstands still exist, along with an unused NW/SE runway that was abandoned after the war, but remains in reasonable condition.
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...
serving the island of Baltra
Baltra Island
Baltra Island, or Isla Baltra, is a small island of the Galápagos Islands. Also known as South Seymour , Baltra is a small flat island located near the center of the Galápagos. It was created by geological uplift...
, one of the Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 207 feet (63 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
Runway
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...
designated 14/32 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 7876 by 115 ft (2,400.6 by 35.1 ).
Airlines and destinations
History
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the airport (known as Seymour Island Airfield) was used by the United States Army Air Force Sixth Air Force defending the South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n coastline and the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
against Japanese submarines. The first American personnel arrived on 9 April 1942. Military flying units assigned to the airport were:
- 52d Fighter Squadron (32d Fighter Group), 5 June-1 December 1942 (P-40 Warhawk)
- 51st Fighter Squadron51st Fighter SquadronThe 51st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 6th Fighter Wing, based at Howard Field, Canal Zone...
(32d Fighter Group, later XXVI Fighter CommandXXVI Fighter CommandThe XXVI Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Albrook Field, Canal Zone...
) 9 December 1942-4 March 1944 (P-40 Warhawk)
- Detachments stationed at: Salinas AfldGeneral Ulpiano Paez AirportGeneral Ulpiano Paez Airport is a public/military joint-use airport located near Salinas, a city in the province of Santa Elena in Ecuador.-History:...
, EcuadorEcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
and Talara AfldCap. FAP Victor Montes Arias Airport-External links:...
, PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, December 1942-March 1943
- 3d Bombardment Squadron3d Bombardment SquadronThe 3d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 111th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, based at Travis Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 January 1953.-World War II:...
(6th Bombardment Group) 4 May 1942-12 March 1943 (LB-30 (B-24A) Liberator) - 29th Bombardment Squadron (6th Bombardment Group) 13 May 1943-10 April 1944; 26 April-October 1945 (B-24 Liberator)
- 45th Bombardment Squadron45th Bombardment SquadronThe 45th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 40th Bombardment Wing, based at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas...
(40th Bombardment Group) 18 February-22 May 1943 (LB-30 (B-24A) Liberator) - 74th Bombardment Squadron74th Bombardment SquadronThe 74th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 106th Bombardment Wing, based at March Air Force Base, California...
(VI Bomber CommandVI Bomber CommandThe VI Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Albrook Field, Canal Zone...
) 21 August 1944-13 February 1945 (B-24 Liberator) - 397th Bombardment Squadron397th Bombardment SquadronThe 397th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the VI Bomber Command, based at Rio Hato Army Air Base, Panama. It was inactivated on 1 November 1946.-Heraldry:...
(VI Bomber CommandVI Bomber CommandThe VI Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Albrook Field, Canal Zone...
) 7 April 1944-6 February 1945 (B-24 Liberator)
By 30 September 1945, most personnel were withdrawn and only a housekeeping staff remained. The military facility was inactivated on 30 April 1946, leaving a communications unit which inactivated on 29 February 1948. Today many of the former USAAF aircraft parking hardstands still exist, along with an unused NW/SE runway that was abandoned after the war, but remains in reasonable condition.