Midland Army Airfield

Last updated

Midland Army Airfield

Us army air corps shield.svg
AAF Gulf Coast Training Center
Midland Army Airfield - Texas.jpg
Midland Army Airfield, Texas, 13 October 1943
Summary
Location Midland, Texas
Built1942
In use1942-1945
Occupants USAAF Bombardier School Midland AAF TX.png
Midland AAF Bombardier training school
Coordinates 31°56′36″N102°12′19″W / 31.94333°N 102.20528°W / 31.94333; -102.20528 (Midland AAF) Coordinates: 31°56′36″N102°12′19″W / 31.94333°N 102.20528°W / 31.94333; -102.20528 (Midland AAF)
Map
USA Texas location map.svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
Midland AAF
Midland Army Airfield, Texas
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
ftm
00R/18L6,5001,981Asphalt
00L/18R4,2431,293Asphalt
05/236,5001,981Asphalt
14/326,5001,981Asphalt

Midland Army Airfield is a former World War II military airfield, located 8.4 miles west-southwest of Midland, Texas. It operated as a Bombardier training school for the United States Army Air Forces from 1942 until 1945.

Contents

History

Origins

Midland Army Air Field was a World War II United States Army Air Forces bombardier-training base on U.S. Highway 80 halfway between Midland and Odessa in Midland County.

It was originally named Sloan Field for Samuel Addison Sloan, who leased 240 acres of pastureland from Clarence Scharbauer, a rancher in October 1927 to establish a privately owned landing field and flying school. Sloan was killed in a plane crash on 1 January 1929, and the operation was continued by his brother and sister. Sloan Field was designated an Army Airways Station in May 1930. In 1939 Harvey Sloan sold the Field to the City of Midland for $14,500. [1] [2]

Prominent businessmen in Midland could foresee the possibility of a military base in West Texas. In 1940, after Hitler struck Poland, they started promoting the airport for use as a training base to the military establishment in Washington. Work was done by the WPA with more runway and taxiway improvements, as well as airfield lighting. A visit by Brigadier General G.C. Brant, Commander of the Gulf Coast Air Corps Training Center at Randolph Field was made and he reported that the situation at Midland was very favorable. It was on Friday, 13 June 1941, that it was announced that Midland would get the air school. On 1 July 1941, the municipal airport was leased to the United States government for a dollar a year, and construction began on 17 July. [1] [2]

Immediate search for ranch land to be used as target ranges was instigated and plans for "an advanced twin-engine flying and bombardment school" had begun. Ground was broken on 15 July 1941 with the leasing of 1,030 acres of land for the duration of the war plus six months. Twenty-three bomb ranges were mapped out - located within a 50-mile radius of the base. [2]

One of the first structures to go up was the 500,000 gallon water tank which is still in use. Buildings for Headquarters, officer, enlisted and cadet barracks, a station hospital, classrooms, mess hall and flight line were all being erected by civilian employees. By the time the first enlisted man arrived in October 1941, he found that 105 buildings were partially completed with the remaining 99 waiting to be started. In November 1941, officers and enlisted men started arriving for duty. [1] [2]

It was announced that training of cadets would begin in January 1942. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the need for bombardiers was evident, soon after an announcement was made by Lieutenant Colonel Isaiah Davies, Commanding Officer of Midland Army Air Field (MAAF), that the school would be used exclusively to train bombardiers. [1] [2]

Operations

Midland Army Air Field 1942 classbook Midland Army Airfield - 42-16 Classbook.pdf
Midland Army Air Field 1942 classbook

On 26 September 1942, the base was formally re-designated Midland Army Air Field, and the school was named the Army Air Forces Bombardier School, one of a dozen bombardier-training schools. It was one of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools of the Army Air Forces Training Command. The other bases in the quad were Childress Army Airfield, San Angelo Army Airfield and Big Spring Army Airfield. The sole purpose of the Bombardier College was to train young men to use the bombsight invented by Carl Norden. [1] [2]

The first group of cadets, Class 42–6, arrived for training from Ellington, Texas, on 6 February 1942. Midland reached a peak base population of more than 4,000 and graduated a total of 6,627 bombardier officers before all training ceased on 1 January 1946. [1] [2]

Cadets remained at Midland exactly twelve weeks for combined ground and flight training, rigorous physical activity and rigid military discipline during a sixteen-hour day, with only part of Sunday off. They learned to hit targets with remarkable accuracy, dropping at least 200 practice bombs each from the AT-11 airplane—and learned to handle the complex Norden sight with considerable skill. The first class consisted of 103 cadets and graduated on 30 April 1942. Students from the Netherlands, East Indies, France, Brazil and China were trained at MAF. [1] [2]

In August 1943 the AAF Central Bombardier Instructor School was transferred from Carlsbad Army Airfield, New Mexico, to Midland. The base pioneered the use of the highly secret Norden bombsight and at one time operated twenty-three bombing ranges across West Texas. Personnel from Midland AAF were instrumental in developing photographic and sonic methods of scoring bomb hits and analyzing bombing proficiency. [1] [2]

Closure

The air field was deactivated as a military installation on 15 June 1946, and returned to the city of Midland on 1 July 1947. Since that date, it has been improved and modernized and has become an increasingly busy commercial air terminal and transportation-distribution center. [2]

Post-closure

See also

Related Research Articles

Midland International Air and Space Port

Midland-Odessa International Air and Space Port is in the city limits of Midland, Texas, about midway between Downtown Midland and Downtown Odessa, owned and operated by the City of Midland. In September 2014 it was licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration to serve commercial spaceflight.

Norden bombsight

The Norden Mk. XV, known as the Norden M series in U.S. Army service, is a bombsight that was used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the United States Navy during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Korean and the Vietnam Wars. It was an early tachometric design that directly measured the aircraft's ground speed and direction, which older bombsights could only estimate with lengthy manual procedures. The Norden further improved on older designs by using an analog computer that continuously recalculated the bomb's impact point based on changing flight conditions, and an autopilot that reacted quickly and accurately to changes in the wind or other effects.

Mather Air Force Base Closed United States Air Force Base in Sacramento, CA, US

Mather Air Force Base was a United States Air Force Base, which was closed in 1993 pursuant to a post-Cold War BRAC decision. It was located 12 miles (19 km) east of Sacramento, on the south side of U.S. Route 50 in Sacramento County, California. Mather Field was one of 32 Air Service training camps established after the United States entry into World War I in April 1917.

Waco Regional Airport

Waco Regional Airport is five miles northwest of Waco, in McLennan County, Texas. It is owned by the City of Waco.

Foster Air Force Base

Foster Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force facility in Texas, located in Victoria County, approximately six miles (10 km) east-northeast of Victoria.

Santa Ana Army Air Base

Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB) was a World War II-era air base located near Santa Ana, California. The air base was decommissioned in 1946, and part of the land was annexed by Costa Mesa in 1953. The air base was used for basic training, although it did not have planes, hangars or runways. The base was 1,336 acres (5.41 km2), and the main section of the base was located between Baker Street to the north, Harbor Boulevard to the west, Wilson Street on the south, and Newport Boulevard on the east. The land formerly occupied by the air base is today the home of John Wayne Airport, the Orange County Fairgrounds, and Orange Coast College.

Ainsworth Regional Airport

Ainsworth Regional Airport is seven miles northwest of Ainsworth, in Brown County, Nebraska. It is owned by the Ainsworth Airport Authority. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 called it a general aviation airport.

Sharpe Field

Sharpe Field is a closed private use airport located six nautical miles (11 km) northwest of the central business district of Tuskegee, a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. This airport is privately owned by the Bradbury Family Partnership.

<i>Bombardier</i> (film) 1943 film by Richard Wallace and Lambert Hillyer

Bombardier is a 1943 film war drama about the training program for bombardiers of the United States Army Air Forces. The film stars Pat O'Brien and Randolph Scott. Bombardier was nominated for an Oscar in 1944 for the special effects used in the film. It was largely filmed at Kirtland Army Air Field, New Mexico, site of the first bombardier training school.

Spence Air Base

Spence Air Base was a United States Air Force base that operated from 1941 to 1961. It was later reopened as Spence Airport.

Army Air Forces Training Command

The US Army Air Forces in WWII had major subordinate Commands below the Air Staff level. These Commands were organized along functional missions. One such Command was the Flying Training Command (FTC). It began as Air Corps Flying Training Command on 23 January 1942, was redesignated Army Air Forces Flying Training Command (AAFTC) on 15 March 1942, and merged with Army Air Forces Technical Training Command to become Army Air Forces Training Command on 31 July 1943. Continuing service after the war, it was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946. During the consolidation of Air Force Major Commands in the retrenchment of the 1990s, Air Training Command assumed control of Air University and became Air Education and Training Command on 1 July 1993—today's Air Education and Training Command (AETC), which celebrated its 75th anniversary 23 January 2017. see the Lineage and honors statement for AETC.

Selman Army Airfield

Selman Army Airfield is an inactive United States Air Force base, approximately 7.7 miles east of Monroe, Louisiana. It was active during World War II as an Army Air Forces Training Command airfield. It was closed on 1 September 1945.

Aviation Cadet Training Program (USAAF)

The Flying / Aviation Cadet Pilot Training Program was originally created by the U.S. Army to train its pilots. Originally created in 1907 by the U.S. Army Signal Corps, it expanded as the Army's air assets increased. Candidates originally had to be between the ages of 19 and 25, athletic, and honest. Two years of college or three years of a scientific or technical education were required. Cadets were supposed to be unmarried and pledged not to marry during training. From 1907 to 1920, pilot officers were considered part of the Signal Corps or the Signal Officer Reserve Corps. After 1920, they were considered part of their own separate organization, the U.S. Army Air Service (1918–1926).

San Angelo Army Air Field

San Angelo Army Airfield is an inactive United States Air Force base, about 8 miles south-southwest of San Angelo, Texas. It was active during World War II as a training airfield. It was closed on 30 November 1945.

Childress Army Airfield United States military airfield

Childress Army Airfield is a former World War II military airfield, located 4.8 miles west of Childress, Texas. It operated as a Bombardier training school for the United States Army Air Forces from 1942 until 1945.

Freeman Army Airfield

Freeman Army Airfield is an inactive United States Army Air Forces base. It is located 2.6 miles (4.2 km) south-southwest of Seymour, Indiana.

Flying Division, Air Training Command

Flying Division, Air Training Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Air Training Command, stationed at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 14 November 1949.

Army Air Forces Bombardier School

A Bombardier School was a United States Army Air Forces facility that used bombing ranges for training aircrew. After ground simulator training with the Norden bombsight, the 12- to 18-week course recorded each student's scores for approximately 160 practice bomb drops of "Bomb Dummy Units" (BDU), both in daytime and at night. The elimination rate was 12%, and graduates transferred to a Second or Third Air Force training unit to join a crew being trained for overseas duty. The bombardier trainer used was the Beech AT-11 Kansan. With the Bradley Plan increase in Eighth Air Force aircrews needed for the Combined Bomber Offensive, the 17 Army Air Forces Bombardier Schools graduated 47,236.

St. Petersburg Training Center

The St. Petersburg Training Center is a closed United States Air Force facility that was located in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was last assigned to the United States Army Air Forces Personnel Distribution Command. It was closed in 1945.

Webb Air Force Base

Webb Air Force Base, previously named Big Spring Air Force Base, was a United States Air Force facility of the Air Training Command that operated from 1951 to 1977 in West Texas within the current city limits of Big Spring. Webb AFB was a major undergraduate pilot training (UPT) facility for the Air Force, and by 1969, almost 9,000 pilots had been trained at Webb. The last operational wing at Webb AFB was the 78th Flying Training Wing.

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Midland International Airport history Archived 2013-01-28 at the Wayback Machine