During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Kentucky for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.
Kentucky World War II Army Airfields | |
|---|---|
| Part of World War II | |
| Type | Army Airfields |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940-1944 |
| In use | 1940-present |
Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles.
It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.
Major airfields
edit- First Air Force
- Support for Fort Knox
- 99th Army Air Force Base Unit
- Was: Godman Air Force Base (1947-1954)
- Now: active United States Army Airfield (IATA: FTK, ICAO: KFTK, FAA LID: FTK)
- Sub-base of Smyrna AAF, Tennessee
- 99th Army Air Force Base Unit (DET)
- Was: Campbell Air Force Base (1947-1959)
- Now: active United States Army Airfield (IATA: HOP, ICAO: KHOP, FAA LID: HOP)
- Air Technical Service Command
- Louisville MAP, Louisville
- Aircraft Modification Center
- Now: Louisville International Airport and Louisville Air National Guard Base (IATA: SDF, ICAO: KSDF, FAA LID: SDF)
- Troop Carrier Command
- AAF Convalescent Hospital
- 27th Army Air Force Base Unit
- Now: Bowman Field Airport (IATA: LOU, ICAO: KLOU, FAA LID: LOU)
- Lexington/Bluegrass AAF, Lexington
- Auxiliary to Bowman AAF
- Now: Blue Grass Airport (IATA: LEX, ICAO: KLEX, FAA LID: LEX)
References
edit- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1-57510-051-7
- Military Airfields in World War II - Kentucky