Westover Metropolitan Airport
Encyclopedia
For the military airport use of this facility, see Westover Joint Air Reserve Base
Westover Metropolitan Airport is a civilian airline
, and general aviation
airport located in the Massachusetts communities of Chicopee
, Granby
, and Ludlow
, near the cities of Springfield
and Holyoke, Massachusetts. The complex is considered intermodal because it borders the Massachusetts Turnpike
and is accessible by several industrial rail spurs. It was named for General Oscar Westover
, commanding officer of the Army Air Corps
in the 1930s.
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 mile-long runways provide significant separation between the two components.
in 1939. It became the largest military air facility in the Northeast during the course of World War II. The post-war Berlin Airlift was based in large part at Westover. It was renamed Westover Air Force Base after that agency's creation and became instrumental in waging the Cold War. The Eighth Air Force and its 99th Bomber Wing was headquartered at Westover in order to provide range and support to nuclear bombers. As a former Strategic Air Command
(SAC) B-52 and KC-135 base, this military center was one of the Soviet Union
's top targets during the Cold War
. The SAC constructed a secret underground bunker several miles away in Amherst, Massachusetts
to coordinate Westover's operations during a nuclear war. The command post was linked to the main base by buried cables and microwave antennae. The U-2 spy plane film that set off the Cuban Missile Crisis
was developed at Westover. It was a base of operations for the Air Force in both the Korean War
and the Vietnam War
. Bombing and cargo missions in Vietnam were made directly from Westover. Eight fully armed nuclear bombers stood ready in Christmas Tree formation to scramble if a conflict broke out with the Soviet Union.
In 1974, as the last Vietnam War veterans stepped onto Westover's tarmac, the base was turned over to the Air Force Reserve. The decision followed four years after the Eighth Air Force was deactivated by President Richard Nixon
.
. An area of 91 acres (368,264.3 m²) of the property has been operated since that time as a public use, regional civilian airport. The United States Air Force extends military-grade air traffic control and firefighting/rescue services to civilian users.
security facilities. The facility was built in 1989 in order to host several commuter airlines and closed in April 2008 with the collapse of Skybus Airlines
. Long-term and short-term parking is available. Parking shuttles and hotel shuttles are provided at no cost. Facility upgrades were paid for by Massachusetts taxpayers, but since the collapse of Skybus the passenger terminal has been empty.
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
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
and 1% air taxi
. There were 46 aircraft based at this airport: 35% military, 50% single engine, 9% multi-engine, 2% jet aircraft, 2% helicopter
s and 2% ultralight.
General aviation services are provided by Metro Air Services.
Westover Joint Air Reserve Base
Westover Air Reserve Base is an Air Force Reserve Command installation located in the Massachusetts communities of Chicopee and Ludlow, near the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Westover hosts the largest Air Reserve Base in the world in terms of area...
Westover Metropolitan Airport is a civilian airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
, and 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...
airport 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...
, Granby
Granby, Massachusetts
Granby is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,420 at the 2010 census.It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.Part of the town is comprised in the census-designated place of Granby....
, 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 cities of Springfield
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...
and Holyoke, Massachusetts. The complex is considered intermodal because it borders the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
and is accessible by several industrial rail spurs. It was named for 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.
Joint use mission
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 DefenseUnited 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 mile-long runways provide significant separation between the two components.
History
Westover Field was created by a war-readiness appropriation signed by president Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin 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...
in 1939. It became the largest military air facility in the Northeast during the course of World War II. The post-war Berlin Airlift was based in large part at Westover. It was renamed Westover Air Force Base after that agency's creation and became instrumental in waging the Cold War. The Eighth Air Force and its 99th Bomber Wing was headquartered at Westover in order to provide range and support to nuclear bombers. As a former 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) B-52 and KC-135 base, this military center was one of 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....
's top targets during 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...
. The SAC constructed a secret underground bunker several miles away in Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
to coordinate Westover's operations during a nuclear war. The command post was linked to the main base by buried cables and microwave antennae. The U-2 spy plane film that set off 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 developed at Westover. It was a base of operations for the Air Force in both 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...
and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Bombing and cargo missions in Vietnam were made directly from Westover. Eight fully armed nuclear bombers stood ready in Christmas Tree formation to scramble if a conflict broke out with the Soviet Union.
In 1974, as the last Vietnam War veterans stepped onto Westover's tarmac, the base was turned over to the Air Force Reserve. The decision followed four years after the Eighth Air Force was deactivated by President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
.
Economic Impact
The local government credits Westover with spurring development of the Memorial Drive corridor, including several planned hotels and a high-end retail plaza.Civilian Use
Westover Metropolitan Airport is the civilian component of the complex. It is owned and managed by the non-profit Westover Metropolitan Corporation, established in 1974 to develop property surplused by the General Services AdministrationGeneral Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
. An area of 91 acres (368,264.3 m²) of the property has been operated since that time as a public use, regional civilian airport. The United States Air Force extends military-grade air traffic control and firefighting/rescue services to civilian users.
Airlines and destinations
Westover Metropolitan Airport contains a full-service passenger terminal, including Transportation Security AdministrationTransportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
security facilities. The facility was built in 1989 in order to host several commuter airlines and closed in April 2008 with the collapse of Skybus Airlines
Skybus Airlines
Skybus Airlines Inc. was a privately held airline based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It operated as an ultra-low-cost carrier modeled after the European airline Ryanair, and aimed to be the least expensive airline in the United States...
. Long-term and short-term parking is available. Parking shuttles and hotel shuttles are provided at no cost. Facility upgrades were paid for by Massachusetts taxpayers, but since the collapse of Skybus the passenger terminal has been empty.
Facilities and aircraft
The Westover complex covers an area of 2,500 acres (10 km²) 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: 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.
General aviation services are provided by Metro Air Services.