Arledge Field on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Arledge Field is a public general aviation airport located approximately east of
In preparation for the eventual U.S. entry into World War II, the United States Army Air Corps sought to expand the nation's combat air forces by asking civilian flight schools to provide the primary phase of training for air cadets. Consequently, it contracted with nine civilian flying schools to provide primary flying training, with the graduates being moved on to basic and advanced training at regular military training airfields.Cameron, Rebecca Hancock, 1999, Training to Fly. Military Flight Training 1907-1945, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
The City of Stamford responded by buying a section of land that was once part of Swante Magnus Swenson's SMS Ranch to be used for an air field. It was named for Stamford businessman Roy Wade Arledge, who headed the committee to purchase the site in December 1940. Construction of Arledge Field facilities began in early spring of 1941 under agreement with the first training contractor, the Lou Foote Flying Service of Grand Prairie, Texas. Arledge Field History
/ref> Opened on 1 April 1941, the school was known as Arledge Field or Stamford-Arledge Field, and it was assigned to United States Army Air Forces Gulf Coast Training Center (later
Stamford, Texas
Stamford is a city on the border of Jones and Haskell Counties in west-central Texas. The population was 3,124 at the 2010 census, down from 3,636 at the 2000 census. Henry McHarg, president of the Texas Central Railroad, named the site in 1900 f ...
. Owned by the city of Stamford, it provides general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation service ...
service. Approximately 80 aircraft use the airport on a weekly basis.
History
In preparation for the eventual U.S. entry into World War II, the United States Army Air Corps sought to expand the nation's combat air forces by asking civilian flight schools to provide the primary phase of training for air cadets. Consequently, it contracted with nine civilian flying schools to provide primary flying training, with the graduates being moved on to basic and advanced training at regular military training airfields.Cameron, Rebecca Hancock, 1999, Training to Fly. Military Flight Training 1907-1945, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
The City of Stamford responded by buying a section of land that was once part of Swante Magnus Swenson's SMS Ranch to be used for an air field. It was named for Stamford businessman Roy Wade Arledge, who headed the committee to purchase the site in December 1940. Construction of Arledge Field facilities began in early spring of 1941 under agreement with the first training contractor, the Lou Foote Flying Service of Grand Prairie, Texas. Arledge Field History/ref> Opened on 1 April 1941, the school was known as Arledge Field or Stamford-Arledge Field, and it was assigned to United States Army Air Forces Gulf Coast Training Center (later
Central Flying Training Command
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
) 31st Flying Training Wing as a primary (level 1) pilot training airfield. Military personnel from the 308th Army Air Forces Training Detachment provided a military garrison.
The airfield had four hard surface runways for landings and takeoffs. In addition to the main airfield, Arledge Field also had four auxiliary airfields in the Stamford area for emergency landings and overflows. Various facilities to serve as barracks, recreation dayrooms, dining facilities, classrooms, exercise fields and other buildings would be constructed and used for military training and indoctrination, commanded by an Air Corps officer and staff.
Air Cadets were trained on PT-17 Stearman
The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely know ...
and Fairchild PT-19
The Fairchild PT-19 (company designation Fairchild M62) is an American monoplane primary trainer aircraft that served with the United States Army Air Forces, RAF and RCAF during World War II. Designed by Fairchild Aircraft, it was a contempora ...
aircraft. The training provided by civilian flying schools included 65 hours of flying instruction in addition to the standard ground school curriculum provided by the Air Corps.
Arledge Field was inactivated on 8 September 1944 with the drawdown of AAFTC's pilot training program, and the final cadet class at Arledge Field graduated on September 30, 1944. With its closure, the facility was declared surplus and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers on 30 September 1945. It was turned over to the War Assets Administration (WAA), and in 1947 was transferred to the city of Stamford for use as a civil airport.
Today, Arledge Field retains much of its military past. There are two World War II double hangars and a large wartime single hangar that remain in use. The Army Air Force parade ground remains, with a USAAF star visible on the grounds. In addition, numerous concrete foundations of wartime buildings remain visible in aerial photography.
See also
*Texas World War II Army Airfields
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established numerous airfields in Texas for training pilots and aircrews. The amount of available land and the temperate climate made Texas a prime location for year-round military training. By ...
* 31st Flying Training Wing (World War II)
The 31st Flying Training Wing was a training formation of the U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II.
The wing's mission was to train personnel of the U.S. Army Air Forces Training Command. Headquartered at Enid Field, Oklahoma, for ...
References
* Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas * Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), ''Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy'', Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC.External links
* * {{USAAF Training Bases World War II 1941 establishments in Texas USAAF Contract Flying School Airfields Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Texas Buildings and structures in Jones County, Texas Transportation in Jones County, Texas Airports established in 1941 USAAF Central Flying Training Command American Theater of World War II