Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field
Part of Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range
Gila Bend, Arizona in the United States of America
A US Geological Survey aerial image from 2006
Gila Bend AFAF Location in the United States
Coordinates	32°53′15″N 112°43′12″W / 32.88750°N 112.72000°W / 32.88750; -112.72000
Type	US Air Force auxiliary airfield
Site information
Owner	Department of Defense
Operator	US Air Force
Controlled by	Air Education and Training Command (AETC)
Condition	Operational
Site history
Built	1942 (1942)
In use	1942 – present
Garrison information
Garrison	56th Range Management Office
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: KGXF, FAA LID: GXF, WMO: 747240
Elevation	269.1 metres (883 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 17/35 2,591.4 metres (8,502 ft) asphalt

Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field (ICAO: KGXF, FAA LID: GXF) is a special airfield used by the United States Air Force. It acts as an emergency landing spot for planes from Luke Air Force Base and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. It's also used by aircraft from other nearby bases that train in the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. This airfield is located about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the town of Gila Bend in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.

Even though many U.S. airports use the same three-letter code for the FAA and IATA, this facility is only given the code GXF by the FAA. It does not have an IATA designation.

History of Gila Bend Airfield

Early Days and World War II Use

The Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field first opened in July 1942. At that time, it was part of the Gila Bend Gunnery Range. During World War II, it was an important base. It was managed by a unit called the 492d Army Air Force Base Unit.

The airfield served as the main office for a huge bombing and gunnery range. This range is now known as the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. The base also helped with keeping the range and its targets in good condition.

Changes Over Time

Gila Bend remained an active Air Force facility with military staff until about 1995. It was always used as an extra landing field for planes. Today, private companies help manage this role. They use parts of the facility for these operations.

Airfield Facilities

Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field has one main runway. A runway is a long, flat strip of land where planes take off and land. This runway is called Rwy 17/35. It has a surface made of asphalt. The runway is about 8,500 feet (2,591 meters) long and 150 feet (46 meters) wide.