During World War II, Kansas was a major United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training center for pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Kansas was favored because it has excellent, year-round flying conditions. The sparsely populated land made ideal locations for gunnery, bombing, and training ranges.
The training that was given to the airmen stationed at these airfields gave them the skills and knowledge that enabled them to enter combat in all theaters of warfare, and enabled the Allies to defeat Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
The majority of these airfields were located in rural farmland, near small farming towns. The effect of stationing thousands of airmen brought the reality of war to rural and small town Kansas. In addition to providing training for servicemen, the air bases provided jobs for many civilians. Civilians were employed in maintenance, repair, and secretarial work.
Major airfields USAAF NameCurrent Name Command Mission Location Coordinates Notes Coffeyville Army AirfieldCoffeyville Municipal Airport Army Air Forces Training CommandThird Air Force Phase 2 Basic flying trainingReconnaissance Pilot Training Coffeyville Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants (1942–1944), F-5 Lightnings, and F-10 Mitchells (1944–1945) Closed 1945. Now Coffeyville Municipal Airport (CFV). Dodge City Army Airfield Army Air Forces Training Command Specialized 2-Engine flying training school (B-26 Marauders) Dodge City Originally trained Royal Air Force and Free French pilots in basic flight training. Became B-26 Marauder training base. In addition, was a training facility for Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). Closed 1945. Now abandoned. Fairfax Army AirfieldFairfax Airport Air Technical Service CommandAir Transport Command B-25 Mitchell manufacturing Fairfax Manufactured 1/2 of all B-25's built during World War II (B-25D, B-25J). ATSC modification center; ATC ferrying base for new aircraft; transport hub on mid-America transport route. After the war it became GM Buick assembly plant; manufactured F-84F Thunderstreaks during the 1950s. Airport closed on April 1, 1985. Garden City Army AirfieldGarden City Regional Airport Army Air Forces Training CommandAir Technical Service Command Phase 2 Basic flying trainingAircraft storage depot Garden City Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants. Also AT-17 (UC-78) advance training beginning in 1943. Closed 1944 and became aircraft storage depot until 1946. Now Garden City Regional Airport (GCK). Great Bend Army AirfieldGreat Bend Municipal Airport Second Air Force B-29 Superfortress bomber training Great Bend One of three B-29 training bases in Kansas for the 58th Bombardment Wing, the first B-29 combat unit of World War II. Also used legacy B-17Fs for pilot training. Closed 1945. Now Great Bend Municipal Airport (GBD). Herington Army AirfieldHerington Regional Airport Second Air Force Unit staging base Herington Processed B-24 Liberator; later B-29 Superfortress aircrews prior to overseas deployment Closed October 1945. Now Herington Regional Airport (HRU). Independence Army AirfieldIndependence Municipal Airport (Kansas) Army Air Forces Training CommandAir Technical Service Command Phase 2 Basic flying training Aircraft storage depot Independence Aircraft operated North American BT-14 Yale. Closed 1945 and became aircraft storage depot until 1947. Now Independence Municipal Airport (IDP). Liberal Army AirfieldLiberal Mid-America Regional Airport Second Air Force B-24 Liberator Basic Training School Liberal Closed 1945. Now Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport (LBL). Marshall Army Airfield Third Air Force Used by Fort Riley for light observation aircraft Fort Riley Later Marshall AFB under ConAC. Turned over to Army in 1950. Still active under United States Army jurisdiction (FRI). Pratt Army AirfieldPratt Regional Airport Second Air Force B-29 Superfortress bomber training Pratt One of three B-29 training bases in Kansas for the 58th Bombardment Wing, the first B-29 combat unit of World War II. Closed 1945. Now Pratt Regional Airport (PTT). Sherman Army Airfield Third Air Force Used by Fort Leavenworth for light observation aircraft Fort Leavenworth Later Sherman AFB under ConAC. Turned over to Army in 1953. Still active under United States Army jurisdiction operated as joint military-civil use airport for light aircraft (FLV). Smoky Hill Army AirfieldSchilling Air Force BaseSalina Regional Airport Second Air Force 15th Air Force SAC 3/21/1946 Strategic Air Command B-29 Superfortress bomber trainingSAC B-47/ICBM Base Salina One of three B-29 training bases in Kansas for the 58th Bombardment Wing, the first B-29 combat unit of World War II. Major Strategic Air Command base during the early Cold War Era (1951–1965). Now Salina Regional Airport (SLN). Strother Army Air FieldStrother Field Army Air Forces Training CommandII Fighter Command Phase 2 Basic flying trainingAdvanced Fighter Training Winfield Aircraft operated were Vultee BT-13A Valiants. Later P-47D Thunderbolts. Closed 1945. Now Strother Field (WLD). Topeka Army AirfieldForbes Air Force BaseForbes Field Air National Guard Base Second Air ForceStrategic Air CommandTactical Air Command B-29 Superfortress bomber trainingSAC Bomber/ICBM Base/TAC Airlift baseKansas Air National Guard Topeka In continuous military use since 1941. Initially B-29 replacement aircrew training base. Later in use by SAC and TAC during Cold War. Now Kansas Air National Guard joint civil-military airport with KC-135. Walker Army Airfield Second Air Force B-29 Superfortress bomber training Walker B-29 replacement aircrew training base. Closed 1945. Now abandoned. Wichita Army AirfieldMcConnell Air Force Base Air Technical Service CommandAir Transport CommandStrategic Air CommandAir Mobility Command B-29 Superfortress manufacturingSAC Bomber/ICBM BaseRefueling tanker base Wichita Boeing B-29 Superfortress manufacturing during World War II; ATSC modification center; ATC ferrying base for new aircraft; transport hub on mid-America transport route. Later B-47 manufacturing facility during the 1950s. Major SAC base with B-52/KC-135 and Titan II followed by B-1B until 1992; now AMC KC-135 tanker base.
Postwar use
After the war ended, the vast majority of these airfields were declared surplus by the USAAF and were either sold to the public or turned over to the local community. Most of them today are small, rural general aviation airports. Many World War II-era reminders remain with abandoned runways and streets, with some wartime-era buildings still in use.
Marshall AAF is located at Fort Riley. It is still in use by the United States Army as a military airfield and is not open to the public.
Sherman AAF is located at Fort Leavenworth. Although the airfield is within the confines of a United States Army post and is still used by the military, it has agreement with the city of Leavenworth to permit civilian use at all hours.
Smoky Hill AAF and Topeka AAF became major United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases (Schilling AFB, Forbes AFB). In the 1960s and early 1970s, the active duty Air Force presence was withdrawn and were turned over to the local communities for redevelopment while retaining military cantonment areas for the Air National Guard. Both are still in use by the Kansas Air National Guard, the former for transient military aircraft operations and operation of an adjacent ANG-controlled bombing range, the latter as a tanker base for KC-135 aircraft.
Wichita Army Airfield (now McConnell Air Force Base) is located at the site of Wichita's original municipal airport, which shared a runway with the Boeing Aircraft Wichita facility. Boeing produced B-29 Superfortresses at Wichita and the USAAF Air Materiel Command took over control of the airport in 1942 to accept, service and coordinate the transfer of newly produced aircraft to other installations. It was returned to civilian jurisdiction in 1946 as Wichita Municipal Airport. It was reacquired by the United States Air Force in 1951 and became McConnell AFB.
References
Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . 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.
External links World War II Military Airfields including Auxiliaries and Support fields