Westover Joint Air Reserve Base - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Westover Air Reserve Base is an Air Force Reserve Command

Air Force Reserve Command

The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....

(AFRC) installation located in the Massachusetts communities of Chicopee

Chicopee, Massachusetts

Chicopee is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 55,298, making it the second largest city in...

and Ludlow

Ludlow, Massachusetts

Ludlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census. It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, east of Chicopee, southeast of Granby, southwest of Belchertown, west of Wilbraham and is considered part of the...

, near the city of Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...

. Westover hosts the largest Air Reserve Base in the world in terms of area. Until 2011, it was a backup landing site for the NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

Space Shuttle

The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

and in the past few years has expanded to include a growing civilian access airport sharing Westover's military-maintained runways. The installation was named for Major General Oscar Westover

Oscar Westover

Oscar M. Westover was a major general and fourth chief of the United States Army Air Corps.-Biography:He was born in Bay City, Michigan and enlisted in the Army when he was 18. He began his service as a private in 1901 before being appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point...

, commanding officer of the 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...

in the 1930s, killed in the crash of his high-speed Northrop A-17

Northrop A-17

The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F was a two seat, single engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the US Army Air Corps.-Development and design:...

AS, 36-349, c/n 289, in a crosswind short of the runway at Lockheed

Lockheed Corporation

The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...

Aircraft's air field in Burbank, California

Burbank, California

Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....

, now known as Bob Hope Airport

Bob Hope Airport

Bob Hope Airport is a public airport located 3 miles northwest of the central business district of Burbank, a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States...

, on 21 September 1938. The host unit is the 439th Airlift Wing

439th Airlift Wing

The 439th Airlift Wing is an active United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the Air Mobility Command Twenty-Second Air Force, and is based at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts....

(439 AW) of the Twenty-Second Air Force

Twenty-Second Air Force

Twenty-Second Air Force is a Numbered Air Force component of Air Force Reserve Command . It was activated on 1 July 1993 and is headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia....

(22 AF), Air Force Reserve Command. Outside of the AFRC command structure, the 439 AW and Westover are operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command

Air Mobility Command

Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....

(AMC).

Overview

Physically, Westover is currently the largest Air Force Reserve base in the United States and will expand significantly over the next decade to further encompass Active and Reserve Component activities of the Navy, Marines, Army, and mainline Air Force functions from installations closed by the Base Realignment and Closure

Base Realignment and Closure

Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...

(BRAC) process.

Current military operations at Westover Air Reserve Base are centered around its exceptionally long runways. The Air Force Reserve Command

Air Force Reserve Command

The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....

(AFRC) uses Westover for its largest cargo aircraft. It maintains a fleet of sixteen C-5 Galaxy

C-5 Galaxy

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...

aircraft operated by the 439th Airlift Wing

439th Airlift Wing

(439 AW), an Air Force Reserve unit that is operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command

Air Mobility Command

Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....

(AMC). In 2003, the Air Force Reserve Command briefly changed the name of Westover Air Reserve Base to that of Westover Joint Air Reserve Base. It has since been renamed to its previous designation of Westover Air Reserve Base as a military installation and is referred to as Westover Air Reserve Base / Metropolitan in DoD and FAA Flight Information Publications (FLIP).

The Westover complex serves the "Joint Use" mission of military and civilian cooperation. The core aviation facilities at Westover are owned by the Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

while nearly a 100 acres (404,686 m²) are under private ownership. The two parties coordinate operations in order to promote national defense and economic development. The 11597 feet (3,534.8 m) and 7082 feet (2,158.6 m) long runways provide the flexibility for significant separation between military and civilian operations.

439th Airlift Wing

439th Operations Group

337th Airlift Squadron

The 337th Airlift Squadron is part of the 439th Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. It operates C-5 Galaxy aircraft supporting the United States Air Force global reach mission world wide.-Mission:-History:...

439th Maintenance Group
439th Mission Support Group

Air Force Auxiliary

Westover Composite Squadron, NER-MA-015, Massachusetts Civil Air Patrol

Army

287th Medical Detachment, 804th Medical Brigade
226th Transportation Company (Railway Operating)

Marines

Marine Wing Support Squadron 472, Detachment B
Marine Air Support Squadron 6
Machine Gun Platoon, Support Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division

History

Plans for Westover Field were made in 1939 as a result of the Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

invasion of Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

in 1939. Up to then, the country had only seventeen unimproved and ill-maintained air bases. The Army Air Corps

United States Army Air Corps

began a rapid at the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

to provide an adequate air force for defense of the United States. The Mayor of Chicopee, Massachusetts

Chicopee, Massachusetts

, Anthony Stonina lobbied long and hard to a new military airfield in the Northeast, arguing convincingly for the town's flat, open tobacco fields as a natural air field. Within two weeks of the Polish invasion, Chicopee was chosen for a new base.

President Roosevelt signed a $750,000 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...

(WPA) project bill for the air base's construction in November 1939. Fourteen hundred WPA and Civilian Conservation Corps

Civilian Conservation Corps

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...

(CCC) workers cleared the land, and actual construction was started in February 1940. The Quartermaster Corps proved to be unequal to the gigantic task of rapidly designing and building hundreds of military installations across the country, so to ease their burden, the Army Corps of Engineers was given all Army Air Corps work in November of 1940.

The original airfield at Westover consisted of three runways in the standard "A" pattern to accommodate landings in all directions based on wind direction. They were concrete, aligned 7000x150(N/S), 7000x150(NE/SW), 7000x150(NW/SE). A large parking apron was constructed to accommodate the aircraft with maintenance hangars and supporting buildings.

Since the Constructing Quartermaster had already planned the base, the first permanent masonry buildings were constructed east of the airfield to those designs, which were intended to be lasting and attractive. Wartime demands, made necessary several hundred buildings based on standardized plans and architectural drawings. The buildings were 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." To conserve critical materials, most facilities were constructed of wood, concrete, brick, gypsum board and concrete asbestos. Metal was sparsely used.

Westover Field 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 early permanent buildings were retained after the war and which have survived, while of the hundreds of temporary buildings later constructed to meet the tremendous needs of the war mobilization by the Corps of Engineers only a few remain.

On April 6, 1940, "Army Day" nationwide, the dedication, flag raising and ground breaking ceremony was held on site. The new air base was named for Major General

Major General

Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

Oscar Westover

, Chief of the Air Corps, US Army, who had died in September 1938. Major General Oscar Westover was in part responsible for the beginning of a period of expansion that ended with the emergence of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service. He was named Chief of the Air Corps and promoted to Major General on December 22, 1935. He spent the next two-and-a-half years flying to bases around the country to step up pilot training and increase the emphasis on aviation which would be important in the 1940s. On September 21, 1938, General Westover lost his life in an airplane accident near the Lockheed

Lockheed Corporation

The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...

plant at Burbank, California

Burbank, California

Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....

, when his plane burst into flames on landing.

Building at the base was constant throughout 1941. At first, the base had been planned to accommodate 1,400 men as an airplane overhaul facility, but by 1940 this had been increased to 3,000 men. At the start of 1942 there was housing for approximately 3,300 enlisted and 500 officers, and at the close of that year there were quarters for about 8,000 officers and men. All but a few of these temporary buildings are now gone.

The first organization at the base was the 10th Signal Platoon that began working in June 1940. The first Air Corps arrived in July. Throughout 1941 many organizations passed through being activated and deactivated. For a brief time the all-black pp369th Antiaircraft Coast Artillery Regiment]], known as "Harlem's Finest" was stationed here.

World War II

Westover Field was placed under the jurisdiction of the Northeast Air District, later First Air Force

First Air Force

The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....

, with the 25th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron the main Base Operating Unit. During the course of the war, it became the largest military air facility in the Northeast.

The mission of Westover was to organize and provide initial training to new combat units. Pilots, navigators, bombardiers, flexible gunners and other aircrew would arrive and be assigned to newly-organized squadrons and groups. Newly-manufactured B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator

B-24 Liberator

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...

heavy bombers and P-47 Thunderbolt

P-47 Thunderbolt

Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...

fighters and other aircraft would be ferried to Westover and be assigned to the newly-formed units to begin their first phase of combat group training. After the personnel were assigned to aircraft as aircrews and squadrons, the airmen training consisted of aircraft familiarity, formation flying and other basic skills. Aircrews consisted of new graduates from Training Command and experienced aircrews being transferred into the new units. Along with the flight crews, ground echelon personnel were formed into aircraft maintenance squadrons, and the command and staff echelons were organized. From Westover, the units would proceed on to second-stage advanced training at other bases prior to their deployment into operational services

In 1942 Westover Field was training center for anti-submarine, engineering, chemical platoons, bomber and fighter groups. In 1943, training mainly focused on fighter groups and anti-submarine combat units, and in the fall of 1943 the base's main mission shifted from fighter training to training heavy bombardment groups.

On 7 April 1944, the Base Operating Unit was reorganized into the 112th Army Air Force Base Unit. As victory in Europe was achieved, some aircrews were brought back to be trained for re-deployment to the Pacific Theaer. At the end of die war troops were prepared for inactivation.

Air Transport Command/Military Air Transport Service

With the end of World War II, Westover Field was designated as a permanent United States Army Air Force installation in 1945 and was not inactivated as most of the wartime temporary training airfields were in the fall of 1945.

On 1 February 1946 Westover became an 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...

(ATC) base which meant that it was the terminus for air routes around the world. During World War II, ATC had developed into a huge military air carrier with a worldwide route pattern. Routes had been established to places that had seen few men before the war, and where aircraft had been unheard of. Airline personnel who had never left the United States before the war, had become veterans of long over-water flights to the remotest regions of earth.

Four-engine C-54 Skymaster

C-54 Skymaster

The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...

and shorter-range C-47 Skytrain

C-47 Skytrain

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...

transports took supplies and reinforcements from Westover to the armed forces and returned with the wounded and discharged troops. In 1947, ATC C-54 aircrews from Westover took part in the rescue of stranded airmen in the arctic, rescuing the crew of Kee Bird

Kee Bird

The Kee Bird was a United States Army Air Forces B-29-95-BW Superfortress, 45-21768, of the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron, that became marooned after making an emergency landing in northwest Greenland during a secret Cold War spying mission on 21 February 1947...

, a B-29 Superfortress

B-29 Superfortress

The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

that made an emergency landing in northern Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

, hundreds of miles from an airfield.

With the establishment of the United States Air Force in September 1947, the name of Westover Field was changed to Westover Air Force Base on 13 January 1948.

On 1 June 1948 Air Transport Command was reorganized into the 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...

(MATS), and Westover was designated as Headquarters, Atlantic Division, Military Air Transport Service. From Westover, MATS 1600th Air Transport Wing airlifters provided service across the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

to Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

; to the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

and 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...

; to North Africa

North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

and the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Westover was also the launching point of the heroic Berlin Airlift for 327 days during the Soviet blockade. Altogether 276,926 flights by C-47s and C-54s were flown, bringing an average of one ton of supplies and food to each Berlin resident. Chicopee schoolchildren responded to the plight of German children and organized "Operation Little Vittles" sending ten tons of candy attached to handkerchief parachutes which were dropped from the air.

Westover took part in the Korean War

Korean 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...

transporting freight and passengers to the forces in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

and South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

, and casualties were brought to the Westover Hospital from 1950 to 1954.

Air Defense Command

In 1951 Air Defense Command established an air defense interceptor presence at Westover, it's units being assigned to the base in a tenant status until the turnover of the base to the Air Force Reserve in 1974.

The 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (33d FIG, Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts) was moved to the base in January 1951 flying F-86A Sabres and assumed an air defense mission, providing air defense in the northeastern United States. The squadron changed equipment in December 1951 to more-capable F-86E Sabres before receiving the ADC F-86D Sabre Interceptor in July 1953. The 60th FIS remained until August 1955 when it was moved back to the ADC 33d Fighter Group base at Otis.

A second ADC interceptor squadron, the 324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

The 324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 316th Air Division, stationed at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco. It was inactivated on 8 March 1960.-History:...

(4622d ADW, Otis AFB) was activated at Westover on 18 October 1955. The 324th FIS flew the F-86D Sabre Interceptor, and was later updated to the SAGE-capable computer-directed F-86L in October 1957.

ADC established a more substantial presence in July 1957 when the 4729th Air Defense Group

4729th Air Defense Group

The 4729th Air Defense Group is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Boston Air Defense Sector, being stationed at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts...

was activated. The 4729th ADG was organized after the 4622d Air Defense Wing became the Boston Air Defense Sector

Boston Air Defense Sector

The Boston Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force Air Defense Command organization. Its last assignment was with the ADC 26th Air Division, being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York.-History:...

at Stewart AFB, New York. The group was the command and control organization for the 324th FIS until ADC moved the 324th FIS to USAFE, where it began performing air defense duties at Sidi Slimane Air Base

Sidi Slimane Air Base

Sidi Slimane Air Base is a military air base in Sidi Slimane, a city in the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region in Morocco. It is also known as the Fifth Royal Air Force Base, operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force.-History:...

, Morocco

Morocco

Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

for SAC B-47 Stratojet

B-47 Stratojet

The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...

s deployed there.

In February 1961, the 76th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (Boston Air Defense Sector

Boston Air Defense Sector

) was activated at Westover flying the supersonic F-102 Delta Dagger

F-102 Delta Dagger

The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...

interceptor, assuming air defense duties. The 76th remained at Westover until 1 July 1963 when it was inactivated due to budget reductions.

In September 1972, the 4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron

4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron

The 4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 21st Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command at Westover AFB, Massachusetts...

(21st Air Division) moved to Westover AFB from Otis AFB. The mission of the squadron was to provide Electronic Counter-Measure (ECM) training and evaluation services to the various ADC ground-based Radar Squadrons. The squadron operated specially-equipped EB-57E Canberra bombers fitted with an assortment of Radar jamming devices to train radar squadrons with thousands of hours of ECM training. These specially-equipped EB-57Es were operated until April 1974 when the squadron was inactivated as part of the phase-down of Aerospace Defense Command.

Strategic Air Command

Detonation in August of 1949 by the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

of an Atomic Bomb spawned a new strategy in the military, calling for massive retaliation in the event of an attack. General Curtis LeMay

Curtis LeMay

Curtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968....

carried the strategy to its furthest conclusion: the military had to carry out a pre-emptive attack if it became clear that there were preparations for nuclear attack by an enemy in progress. This strategy was to be made manifest through the Strategic Air Command (SAC)

In 1955 the 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...

(SAC) assumed jurisdiction of Westover Air Force Base, and the MATS transport units assigned were transferred to McGuire Air Force Base

McGuire Air Force Base

JB MDL McGuire is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command...

, New Jersey. Westover's geographic location in New England made it preferable for SAC for it's long distance, great circle route flights across the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

and Arctic

Arctic

The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...

regions for strategic missions against the Soviet Union if the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

suddenly turned into an armed conflict.

499th Air Refueling Wing

SAC initially came to Westover with activation of the provisional 4050th Air Refueling Wing (later 499th Air Refueling Wing

499th Air Refueling Wing

The United States Air Force's 499th Air Refueling Wing was an aerial refueling unit located at Westover AFB, Massachusetts. It was inactivated in 1966....

) and the Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

headquarters. The wing supported SAC bombardment and 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...

fighter aircraft with air-to-air refueling. It was equipped initially with propeller-driven KC-97s and later upgraded to the jet-powered KC-135 Stratotanker

KC-135 Stratotanker

The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...

. The 499th also flew the EC-135 Looking Glass missions in support of the Post Attack Command and Control System (PACCS) for Eighth Air Force. On 11 November 1957 a KC-135 tanker piloted by Gen. Curtis LeMay flew 6,350 miles from Westover AFB to Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

, Argentina, in 13 hours 2 minutes, a world record for nonstop nonrefueled jet flight. The 499th Air Refueling Wing was inactivated on 25 June 1966.

99th Bombardment Wing

The 99th Bombardment Wing moved from Fairchild AFB, Washington to Westover AFB in late 1956, and began operation of the B-52 Stratofortress

B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...

. The 99th Bomb Wing kept bombers and tankers on ground alert at all times, and SAC crews lived on 24 hour alert for two weeks at a time. The 348th Bombardment Squadron

348th Bombardment Squadron

The 348th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 99th Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts on 30 September 1973.-History:...

operated the B-52 from December of 1956 through April of 1972 while assigned to the 99th Bombardment Wing at Westover AFB.

The Target Intelligence Training Building [Building 1875] was constructed in 1957. The Corps of Engineers in Boston oversaw its construction to designs by McClintock & Craig Engineers and Architects of Springfield. It was designated as Target Intelligence Training Building for the Reconnaissance Technical forces in 1957, but its functions were always highly secret. Original drawings of Building 1875 indicated rooms for radar bomb training, se-cure storage, predictions, mission support and operational intelligence maps. Here also were Link Trainers that simulated aircraft for training purposes.

In 1959 the "mole hole", building 7450, was the first building erected as part of the SAC massive retaliation strategy. Here was where long-range B-52 bombers armed with nuclear devices were kept on continuous alert on a nearby runway, known as the Christmas Tree. Their crews rotated through the mole hole, spending one week of 24-hour alert in underground quarters going everywhere together during that week so they were always ready for launch in a few moments. The lower control room was outfitted for SAC operations in case of nuclear war. Nuclear weapons were stored at the Stony Brook section of the base and planes loaded with these devices were kept on the ground ready to take off at a moment's notice. In case of nuclear war, an alternate SAC command bunker, called The Notch, was constructed deep within Mount Holyoke

Mount Holyoke

Mount Holyoke, a traprock mountain, elevation , is the western-most peak of the Holyoke Range and part of the 100-mile Metacomet Ridge. The mountain is located in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, and is the namesake of nearby Mount Holyoke College. The mountain is located in...

, in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts.

In 1967, SAC crews were sent to Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

on B-52 Arc Light

Arc Light

Arc Light is the debut novel by Eric L. Harry, a techno-thriller about limited nuclear war published in 1994 and written in 1991-2.As China and Russia clash in Siberia in June 1999, nuclear missiles strike the United States. The U.S. retaliates against Russia, and World War III begins...

bombing missions and anti-war activists began protesting the war on a daily basis at Westover's main gate. President Nixon ordered the inactivation of the Eighth Air Force in 1970, although the 99th Bomb Wing continued its missions over Southeast Asia. Many American prisoners of war returned from North Vietnam

North Vietnam

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...

through Westover and this operation ended in 1973 with the return of the last POWs from North Vietnam.

Strategic Reconnaissance

Westover was the home of one of four photographic labs for film taken on strategic reconnaissance missions during the SAC era, processing film secretly made by Lockheed U-2

Lockheed U-2

The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...

reconnaissance aircraft. In January 1961, the Air Force Satellite Photo Processing Laboratory (later designated the 6594th Test Squadron) was activated and placed under Eighth Air Force. The quantity of film taken by SAC reconnaissance aircraft was so great that another building on base operated primarily as a silver recovery facility.

Strategic reconnaissance was one of the primary missions of SAC since its establishment in 1946, and during the Cold War

Cold War

, it was critical to SAC's mission. Film exposed on high-speed reconnaissance aircraft over non-friendly territory was developed and translated to maps in Buildings 1900 and 1875. The climax came in 1962 when Soviet R-12 Dvina Intermediate-range ballistic missile

Intermediate-range ballistic missile

An intermediate-range ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a range of 3,000–5,500 km , between a medium-range ballistic missile and an intercontinental ballistic missile...

s were being installed in Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...

was in large part played out at Westover where U-2 film of the Russian cargo ships carrying additional missiles approaching Cuba was developed.

Air Force Reserve

Strategic Air Command phased down operations at Westover in the early 1970s as part of the drawdown of United States forces after the end of the Vietnam War, but also in part due to the reduction of B-52 wings in favor of Intercontinental ballistic missile

Intercontinental ballistic missile

An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...

s. The last SAC aircraft at Westover left in the spring of 1975. They were three KC-135s of Det 1, 42nd Bomb Wing, out of Loring Air Force Base

Loring Air Force Base

Loring Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base that was under the operational control of the Strategic Air Command for most of its existence. In 1992, it was transferred to the newly-established Air Combat Command, and it was finally closed as an active Air Force installation in...

, Maine, the tankers which had pulled satellite alert at the Westover Alert Facility "Mole Hole." SAC's 4040th Air Base Group, the caretaker unit for Westover, departed in 1976.

One year later, SAC leadership turned the base over to the Air Force Reserve. From that time until October, 1987 the 439th Tactical Airlift Wing operated C-130 Hercules

C-130 Hercules

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...

and C-123 Provider

C-123 Provider

The C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...

aircraft. The wing converted to C-5 Galaxy

C-5 Galaxy

heavy transports in 1987 and the unit eventually became designated as the 439th Airlift Wing. Westover ARB continues to operate as the world's largest Air Reserve Base and largest Air Reserve Component airlift wing, as well as being one of the country's two centers for Galaxy C-5A military transport aircraft.

Between March and July of 1991, soldiers returning from the 1991 Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

landed at Westover where they were met by their families and friends.

On July 30, 2002, the old air traffic control tower at Westover ARB was destroyed using five earthmovers to pull down the 40-year-old building. Destruction of the tower followed the completion of a new 10-story, $4.1 million facility that rises 123 feet above the airfield, providing 100 percent visibility of the field as well as 21st century air traffic control equipment.

Previous names

Northeast Air Base, c. 1 Aug 1939
Westover Field, 1 Dec 1939
Westover Air Force Base, 13 Jan 1948

Westover Air Reserve Base, 1991
Westover Joint Air Reserve Base, 2003
Westover Air Reserve Base, 2003

Major commands to which assigned

Northeast Air District, Nov 1940

Re-designated First Air Force

First Air Force

The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....

, 9 April 1941

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...

, 1 Feb 1946
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...

, 1 Jun 1948

Air Defense Command (Tenant Status), 1951-1974
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...

, 1 Apr 1955
Air Force Reserve, 1 May 1974-Present

Major units assigned

10th Signal Platoon, 6 Jun 1940-30 Jun 1940
Third Signal Service Co, 30 Jun 1940-22 Jul 1940
Detachment Base HQ and 26th Air Base Sq, 22 Jul 1940-1 Dec 1940
25th Base HQ and Air Base Sq, 1 Dec 1940-1 Oct 1941
1st Air Force Service Command 1 Oct 1941-5 Jan 1942
34th Bombardment Group, 29 May 1941-22 Jan 1942
60th Transport Group, 21 May 1941-20 May 1942
13th Bombardment Group
13th Bombardment Group
The 13 AEG was re-activated by Thirteenth AF as the air component of Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica . The 13 AEG includes the 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and the 139th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron who fly the C-17 and LC-130 aircraft supporting the operation, respectively. ...

, 22 Jan 1942-30 Nov 1942
64th Troop Carrier Group, 6 Jun 1942-20 Jul 1942
301st Bombardment Group, 30 Jun 1942-3 Aug 1942
326th Fighter Group
326th Fighter Group
The 57th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 25th Air Division, Air Defense Command. It was last stationed at Paine Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 30 September 1968....

, 1 Nov 1942-12 Oct 1943
402d Fighter Group, 1 Oct 1943-12 Oct 1943
459th Bombardment Group, 29 Oct 1943-3 Jan 1944
471st Bombardment Group
471st Bombardment Group
The 471st Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the First Air Force, stationed at Westover Field, Massachusetts, it was inactivated on 10 April 1944....

, 28 Jan 1944-10 Apr 1944
386th Bombardment Group, 30 Sep 1945-7 Noy 1945
409th Bombardment Group
409th Bombardment Group
The 409th Air Expeditionary Operations Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Mobility Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time....

, 6 Oct 1945-7 Noy 1945
341st Bombardment Group, 6 Oct 1945-7 Noy 1945
Army Air Forces (later Air Force) Separation Port, 14 Oct 1946-1 Noy 1949
1st Air Transport Group (Provisional), 15 Mar 1947-1 Jun 1948
2d Air Transport Wing (Provisional), 23 Apr 1947-2 Jun 1948
Atlantic Division, Air Transport Command, 1 Nov 1947-1 Jun 1948
520th Air Transport Wing, 1 Jun 1948

Redesignated 1600th Air Transport Wing, 1 Oct 1948-1 Apr 1955

Atlantic Division, Military Air Transport Service, 1 Jun 1948-31 May 1955
143d Airways & Air Communications Service Squadron, 1 Jun 1948

Redesignated 1917th Airways & Air Communications Squadron, 1 Oct 1948

Redesignated 1917th Communications Squadron, 1 Jul 1961-1984

8501st Air Transport Group, 27 Jun 1949-19 Jul 1951
Squadron VR-6 (US Navy), 3 Aug 1949-c. 10 Jun 1955
60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 January 1951-18 August 1955

26th Air Refueling Squadron
26th Air Refueling Squadron
The 26th Air Refueling Squadron was a squadron of the United States Air Force that flew the KC-97E/F/G Stratofreighter.-History:...

, 22 Apr 1955-7 Aug 1957
324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 316th Air Division, stationed at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco. It was inactivated on 8 March 1960.-History:...

, 18 Oct 1955-25 Jun 1958
337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 Oct 1955-25 Jun 1958
384th Air Refueling Squadron
384th Air Refueling Squadron
The 384th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 22d Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...

, 1 Apr 1955-25 Jun 1966
4050th Air Refueling Wing, 1 Apr 1955-1 Jan 1963
Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

, 13 Jun 1955-1 Apr 1970
57th Air Division, 4 Sep 1956-2 Jul 1969
99th Bombardment Wing, 4 Sep 1956-31 Mar 1974
99th Air Refueling Squadron
99th Air Refueling Squadron
The 99th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at Birmingham Air National Guard Base, Alabama. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...

, 22 Aug 1957-30 Sep 1973
4729th Air Defense Group
4729th Air Defense Group
The 4729th Air Defense Group is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Boston Air Defense Sector, being stationed at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts...

, 8 Jul 1957-25 Jun 1958
North Atlantic Communications Region, 2 Jun 1958-1 Jul 1963
Air Force Satellite Photo Processing Laboratory

Redesignated 6594th Test Squadron, 26 Jan 1961-10 Nov 1965

76th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 Feb 1961-1 Jul 1963
499th Air Refueling Wing
499th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 499th Air Refueling Wing was an aerial refueling unit located at Westover AFB, Massachusetts. It was inactivated in 1966....

, 15 Nov 1962-25 Jun 1966
337th Military Airlift Squadron, 1 April 1966

Redesignated: 337th Tactical Airlift Squadron, 1972

Redesignated: 337th Military Airlift Squadron, 1 October 1987

Redesignated: 337th Airlift Squadron

337th Airlift Squadron

, 1 February 1992-Present

904th Military Airlift Group, 1 April 1966

Redesignated: 904th Tactical Airlift Group, 1972-1 April 1974

4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron
4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron
The 4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 21st Air Division, Aerospace Defense Command at Westover AFB, Massachusetts...

, 15 Sep 1972-15 Apr 1974
901st Tactical Airlift Group, 17 Sep 1973-1 Apr 1974
439th Tactical Airlift Wing, 14 March 1974

Redesignated: 439th Military Airlift Wing, 1 October 1987

Redesignated: 439th Airlift Wing

439th Airlift Wing

, 1 February 1992-Present

Expansion

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission ruled that Westover would absorb other military units in New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

. The expansion proposed the transfer of all military operations at Bradley International Airport

Bradley International Airport

Bradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....

to Westover and the nearby Barnes Municipal Airport

Barnes Municipal Airport

Barnes Municipal Airport , also known as Westfield-Barnes Airport, is a tower-controlled joint civil-military public airport located three miles north of the central business district of Westfield, a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. This airport is owned by City of Westfield...

. The exception to this decision is the 103rd Airlift Wing, which will remain at Bradley. A $32 million building project is underway to accommodate the additional 1600 service members required by the plan.

The new Armed Forces Reserve Center will host Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy Reserve operations. The Massachusetts Army National Guard will also make its debut at the base.

Economic Impact

The air base is one of the biggest employers in the Springfield

Springfield, Massachusetts

area and produces an estimated $231 million in economic activity at current levels. Much of base's extensive landholdings have been sold as surplus and developed into industrial park

Industrial park

An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...

s for tenants such as Friendly's Ice Cream.

The local government credits Westover with spurring development of the Memorial Drive corridor, including several planned hotels and a high-end retail plaza.

Environmental Impact

As a center for military air operations, Westover Air Reserve Base poses several hazards to local residents. These include air pollution, noise pollution, and water contamination hazards - all of which are shared with similar-sized commercial airports.

Air Pollution

Due to its sheer size, the C-5 Galaxy comes fitted with powerful engines (GE TF-39 on classic models), which burn fuel at an elevated rate, causing concern over the release of air pollutants. As with all military aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy runs on JP-8 fuel - a practical and economic fuel, but one renowned for its high impurity levels (e.g. sulfur) and variable composition. During operation, C-5 Galaxy aircraft are expected to release significant levels of contaminants - including sulfur dioxide, arising from the oxidation of sulfur present in the fuel; carbon monoxide, due to the incomplete oxidation of hydrocarbon molecules; and particulate matter.
The release of such air pollutants is not exclusive to C-5 Galaxy aircraft. Comparable commercial aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 airliner, employ GE CF-6 engines - a direct descendant of the GE TF-39 model found in C-5 Galaxy aircraft - which burn fuel at comparable rates, and can produce similar levels of air pollutant concentrations.

Noise Pollution

The engine model employed by the C-5 Galaxy, General Electric's TF-39, holds the unique distinction of being the first successful high-bypass turbofan engine ever developed, and is the predecessor to modern-day engines employed in large airliners - such as the General Electric CF-6, employed in some Boeing 747 airliners. Despite this distinction, the TF-39 was not optimized for noise control, as were its commercial successors. As a result, the C-5 Galaxy has become known as a notoriously loud aircraft, with a very distinctive high-pitched sound. This has led to concerns among local residents regarding the loud engine noise, which can become obtrusive for residents living very near the base. To moderate concerns of air pollution, Westover A.R.B. has in place a strict curfew on maintenance engine runs, which are not allowed to take place after 10PM - although, depending on operational requirements, aircraft may still depart any time. Westover A.R.B. operates a noise complaint phone line, which can be used by residents concerned with elevated engine noise levels.

Water Contamination

As a C-5 Galaxy maintenance hub, Westover A.R.B. makes significant use of aerospace chemicals which pose well-known environmental hazards. These include aircraft deicing fluid, used to deice aircraft during winter operations, and which has been reportedly found in the chemical analysis of water in the Cooley Brook, which feeds into the Chicopee water reservoir. Other chemicals are used during day-to-day maintenance operations - including JP-8 fuel, hydraulic fuel, and a variety of lubricants, among others. Westover A.R.B. implements strict chemical disposal policies, designed to prevent entry of these and other harmful chemicals into the local environment.

However, Westover's extended operations history has produced numerous hazardous waste sites. The Institute for Science and Interdisciplinary Studies concluded that

Fifty years of military operations at Westover have created a complex set of hazardous waste sites. USAF has identified over two-dozen sites on the active Base and on nearby Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) that were sold off as the Westover has downsized.
According to the military's estimates, the waste sites may affect 21,000 people who live within a one mile radius of the Base, Chicopee Memorial State Park
Chicopee Memorial State Park
Chicopee Memorial State Park is a Massachusetts state park located in the Burnett Road neighborhood of Chicopee. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.-Description:...

and the Chicopee Reservoir (both active recreational area
Recreation area
A recreation area is a type of protected area designated in some jurisdictions. In the United States, National Recreation Areas are administered by several different agencies. They typically do not meet the strict guidelines to become national parks. In U.S...

s for surrounding communities), underground drinking water resources, wetlands areas, and critical wildlife habitats.

Facilities and aircraft

The portion of the Westover complex still under military control covers an area of 2,500 acres (10 km²) which contains two 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: 5/23: measuring 11,597 x 301 ft (3,535 x 92 m) and 15/33 measuring 7,082 x 150 ft (2,159 x 46 m). A new Air Traffic Control

Air traffic control

Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...

tower was constructed in 2002 and the old tower was demolished.

According to FAA records for the 12-month period ending September 26, 1994, the airport had 38,137 aircraft operations, an average of 104 per day: 81% military, 18% 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...

and 1% 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...

. There were 46 aircraft based at this airport: 35% military, 50% single engine, 9% multi-engine, 2% jet aircraft, 2% 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...

s and 2% ultralight.

Military facilities are under control of the Commander, 439th Airlift Wing, currently Col Steven D. Vautrain. The civilian portion of the airport is run by the Director of Civil Aviation, an employee of the Westover Metropolitan Corporation.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Overview

439th Airlift Wing

Air Force Auxiliary

Army

Marines

History

World War II

Air Transport Command/Military Air Transport Service

Air Defense Command

Strategic Air Command

499th Air Refueling Wing

99th Bombardment Wing

Strategic Reconnaissance

Air Force Reserve

Previous names

Major commands to which assigned

Major units assigned

Expansion

Economic Impact

Environmental Impact

Air Pollution

Noise Pollution

Water Contamination

Facilities and aircraft

See also

External links