Virginia World War II Army Airfields

Virginia World War II Army Airfields
Part of World War II
B-17 at Langley Field, July 1942
Type	Army Airfields
Site history
Built	1940-1944
In use	1940-present

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Virginia for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

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

Air Technical Service Command

• Blackstone AAF, Blackstone

Supported Fort Pickett

Now: Allen C Perkinson Airport/Blackstone Army Airfield (IATA: BKT, ICAO: KBKT, FAA Location identifier: BKT)

Army Air Force Training Command

• Langley Field AAF, Hampton
  Was also a part of First Air Force

2d Army Air Force Base Unit

Eastern Technical Training Center

Now: Joint Base Langley-Eustis (1947-Pres)

First Air Force

• Norfolk AAF, Norfolk

390th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Norfolk International Airport (IATA: ORF, ICAO: KORF, FAA Location identifier: ORF)

• Richmond AAF, Richmond

428th Army Air Force Base Unit

Now: Byrd Field/Richmond International Airport (IATA: RIC, ICAO: KRIC, FAA Location identifier: RIC)

References

• 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 - Virginia