Southwest Georgia Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Southwest Georgia Regional Airport is a public airport
located three miles (5 km) southwest of the central business district
of Albany
, a city in Dougherty County
, Georgia
, United States
. The airport is owned by the City of Albany and is served by commercial passenger airlines.
paved runway
s: 4/22 measuring 6,601 x 150 ft (2,012 x 46 m) and 16/34 measuring 5,219 x 150 ft (1,591 x 46 m). For the 12-month period ending April 27, 2007, the airport had 105,448 aircraft operations, an average of 288 per day: 40% air taxi
, 33% general aviation
, 25% scheduled commercial and 2% military.
began mail service to the field. Eastern's Eddie Rickenbacker
announced that as soon as the City improved the airport, his airline would start passenger service. The City was doing just that during 1939 and 1940 in the form of a WPA project to enlarge the landing area and build a passenger terminal.
In 1940 the United States Army Air Corps
was establishing civilian pilot training schools at airports in the southeast, with its moderate weather. Previously Albany Airport was rejected as an advanced training base, (Turner Army Airfield was built north of Albany instead), but approved Albany Airport for a primary contract school in June. The City agreed to provide $500,000 for further improvements to the landing field, the completion of the passenger terminal, the cost of constructing two hangars and half the cost of a third hangar. An additional investment of over $400,000 was made by Hal S. Darr, owner of the contract flying school for the construction of the cantonment area and one half the cost of one hangar. Ground was broken in July 1940. The Army Air Corps named the school the 52nd Army Air Force Fight Training Detachment. Thus Darr Aero Tech became the first Army Air Corps activity constructed in Georgia during the buildup to World War II.
On 15 August 1940, the first class of 45 cadets began training. The cadets were initially housed in the Georgia Hotel until the barracks reached completion on 20 August. Flight training commenced with 15 PT-13 Stearmans and 11 flight instructors. Seven classes of American cadets were trained until July 1941. On June 8, 1941, the school received the first British RAF cadets. For the next 14 months, Darr's classes were exclusively British. A conflict existed between Turner and Darr over airspace. Generally, Turner's airspace was located north of Albany and Darr's south of Albany. Where the areas overlapped, Turner's aircraft flew above 5,000 ft. and Darr's below 5,000. Darr's three auxiliary fields were located south of Albany.
During the first year of operation, Darr Aero Tech graduated 559 American and 86 British cadets. The last British class graduated on 10 October 1942. The seven British cadets killed at Darr and Turner Field, were interred at Albany's Crown Hill Cemetery. A granite monument and flagpole mark the graves today.
On 11 December 1941, the Defense Plant Corporation bought the school from Mr. Darr for $408,000 and the airfield was called Albany Army Airfield. Anticipating an increase in training, an additional $100,000 was spent on improvements in 1942 that included a dispensary, cold storage building, additional barracks and a Link Trainer building. After the end of 1943 training began to decrease, eventually ending with the closing of the school on 28 December 1944.
In September 1945, control of the airfield was turned over to the City of Albany, and Eastern resumed service after the war. The airport eventually received paved runways. In 2004, the only structures of Darr Aero Tech remaining are the three hangars. No trace of the cantonment area exists. In 1959, a new terminal building was completed and named in honor of the then Mayor William McAfee.
Albany Army Airfield and Darr Aero Tech is remembered by a display inside the terminal building plus a memorial and flagpole outside.
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) 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 Albany
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
, a city in Dougherty County
Dougherty County, Georgia
Dougherty County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 96,065. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 95,859. It is included in the Albany, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, 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 Albany and is served by commercial passenger airlines.
Facilities and aircraft
Southwest Georgia Regional Airport covers an area of 980 acres (396.6 ha) which contains two asphaltAsphalt
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...
paved 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...
s: 4/22 measuring 6,601 x 150 ft (2,012 x 46 m) and 16/34 measuring 5,219 x 150 ft (1,591 x 46 m). For the 12-month period ending April 27, 2007, the airport had 105,448 aircraft operations, an average of 288 per day: 40% 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...
, 33% 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...
, 25% scheduled commercial and 2% military.
Passenger Service
Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Atlanta, GAHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States... |
35,000 | Delta |
History
Albany Airport opened in 1935, about 4 miles southwest of the city. In October 1938, Eastern Air LinesEastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
began mail service to the field. Eastern's Eddie Rickenbacker
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.-Early...
announced that as soon as the City improved the airport, his airline would start passenger service. The City was doing just that during 1939 and 1940 in the form of a WPA project to enlarge the landing area and build a passenger terminal.
In 1940 the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
was establishing civilian pilot training schools at airports in the southeast, with its moderate weather. Previously Albany Airport was rejected as an advanced training base, (Turner Army Airfield was built north of Albany instead), but approved Albany Airport for a primary contract school in June. The City agreed to provide $500,000 for further improvements to the landing field, the completion of the passenger terminal, the cost of constructing two hangars and half the cost of a third hangar. An additional investment of over $400,000 was made by Hal S. Darr, owner of the contract flying school for the construction of the cantonment area and one half the cost of one hangar. Ground was broken in July 1940. The Army Air Corps named the school the 52nd Army Air Force Fight Training Detachment. Thus Darr Aero Tech became the first Army Air Corps activity constructed in Georgia during the buildup to World War II.
On 15 August 1940, the first class of 45 cadets began training. The cadets were initially housed in the Georgia Hotel until the barracks reached completion on 20 August. Flight training commenced with 15 PT-13 Stearmans and 11 flight instructors. Seven classes of American cadets were trained until July 1941. On June 8, 1941, the school received the first British RAF cadets. For the next 14 months, Darr's classes were exclusively British. A conflict existed between Turner and Darr over airspace. Generally, Turner's airspace was located north of Albany and Darr's south of Albany. Where the areas overlapped, Turner's aircraft flew above 5,000 ft. and Darr's below 5,000. Darr's three auxiliary fields were located south of Albany.
During the first year of operation, Darr Aero Tech graduated 559 American and 86 British cadets. The last British class graduated on 10 October 1942. The seven British cadets killed at Darr and Turner Field, were interred at Albany's Crown Hill Cemetery. A granite monument and flagpole mark the graves today.
On 11 December 1941, the Defense Plant Corporation bought the school from Mr. Darr for $408,000 and the airfield was called Albany Army Airfield. Anticipating an increase in training, an additional $100,000 was spent on improvements in 1942 that included a dispensary, cold storage building, additional barracks and a Link Trainer building. After the end of 1943 training began to decrease, eventually ending with the closing of the school on 28 December 1944.
In September 1945, control of the airfield was turned over to the City of Albany, and Eastern resumed service after the war. The airport eventually received paved runways. In 2004, the only structures of Darr Aero Tech remaining are the three hangars. No trace of the cantonment area exists. In 1959, a new terminal building was completed and named in honor of the then Mayor William McAfee.
Albany Army Airfield and Darr Aero Tech is remembered by a display inside the terminal building plus a memorial and flagpole outside.
See also
- Georgia World War II Army AirfieldsGeorgia World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Georgia for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
External links
- Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, official site