North Auxiliary Airfield

North Air Force Auxiliary Airfield (ICAO: KXNO, FAA LID: XNO) is a military airfield located 3 miles (4.8 km) east of North, a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States.[2][3]

North Auxiliary Airfield
Part of Joint Base Charleston
Near North, South Carolina in the United States of America
US Air Force personnel participating in Exercise Scorpion Lens 15 disembark a C-17 Globemaster III at North Auxiliary Airfield during 2015.
US Air Force personnel participating in Exercise Scorpion Lens 15 disembark a C-17 Globemaster III at North Auxiliary Airfield during 2015.
North is located in the United States
North
North
Location in the United States
Coordinates33°37′01″N 081°04′59″W / 33.61694°N 81.08306°W / 33.61694; -81.08306
TypeUS Air Force airfield
Area970 hectares (2,400 acres)
Site information
OwnerDepartment of Defense
OperatorUS Air Force
Controlled byAir Mobility Command
ConditionOperational
Site history
Built1942 (1942)–1945
In use1942 – present
Garrison information
Garrison628th Civil Engineer Squadron
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: KXNO, FAA LID: XNO
Elevation321 feet (98 m) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
06/24 3,048.9 metres (10,003 ft) asphalt
051/231 1,066.8 metres (3,500 ft) concrete
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

It is owned by the U.S. Air Force and is used primarily for C-17 Globemaster III training by the 437th Airlift Wing (437 AW) and its Air Force Reserve "Associate" unit, the 315th Airlift Wing (315 AW), at Joint Base Charleston. Other units can utilize North with prior coordination with the 628th Air Base Wing (628 ABW). The 628th Civil Engineering Squadron (628 CES) of the 628 ABWW at Charleston AFB maintains a detachment to maintain and operate the airfield.

Facilities

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North Auxiliary Airfield covers an area of 2,400 acres (971 ha), of which 1,150 acres (465 ha) are undeveloped. It contains two asphalt paved runways: the main runway (6/24) measuring 10,000 x 150 ft (3,048 x 46 m) and an asphalt runway (5/23) measuring 3,500 x 90 ft (1,067 x 27 m).[2][3]

History

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Aerial view of North Auxiliary Airfield during 2006

The land for North Army Airfield was bought between 1942 and 1945. The airfield was built by the United States Army Air Forces The original dirt runway was constructed in April 1943 and used by Hughes Aircraft Company for testing, as well as being a satellite airfield of Columbia Army Air Base, supporting B-25 Mitchell medium bomber training for Third Air Force's III Air Support Command. Training was accomplished by 74th Station Complement Squadron which also maintained the facility.

After World War II, a 10,000 ft runway and a 3,000 ft assault runway were built. North Airfield (later North Auxiliary Airfield, Northfield Air Base), has been under the jurisdiction of Fort Jackson, the former 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Shaw AFB, and the United States Department of Energy (DOE). On 1 October 1979, the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston AFB assumed real property jurisdiction, control, and accountability over North Field.

With the transition of the 437th Airlift Wing and 512th Airlift Wing (Associate) to the C-17 Globemaster III, an air traffic control tower and permanent aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) station was constructed at North Auxiliary Airfield, establishing it as a controlled versus uncontrolled airport.[4][5]

See also

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References

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  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ "(XNO) NORTH AF AUX". Federal Aviation Administration. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b North Auxiliary Airfield Archived 2009-01-26 at the Wayback Machine at Charleston AFB website
  3. ^ a b FAA Airport Form 5010 for XNO PDF, effective 2007-12-20
  4. ^ "Aeronautical Information Portal Login".
  5. ^ "AirNav: KXNO - North Air Force Auxiliary Field".
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