Mitchel Air Force Base facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mitchel Air Force Base
Part of Air Defense Command
Located near: Uniondale, New York
Looking west in 1968, the airfield is mainly intact.
2006 USGS photo. The remains of runway 05/23 are visible in the center.
Mitchel AFB
Coordinates	40°43′32″N 73°35′42″W / 40.72556°N 73.59500°W / 40.72556; -73.59500
Site history
Built	1917
In use	1917–1961
Garrison information
Occupants
Mitchel Air Base and Flight Line
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location	Roughly Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Ellington Ave., East & West Rds., East Garden City, New York
Area	108 acres (44 ha)
NRHP reference No.	100002385
Added to NRHP	May 4, 2018

Mitchel Field
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Opened	1918 (1918)
Closed	June 25, 1961 (1961-06-25)
Elevation AMSL	85 ft / 26 m
Runway
Runway Length Surface ft m 5/23 6,700 1,737 Concrete 9/27 4,960 1,512 Concrete 12/30 5,142 1,567 Concrete 18/36 4,800 1,463 Concrete
Source: Airfields-Freeman.com

Mitchel Air Force Base, also known as Mitchel Field, was an important United States Air Force base. It was located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York. It started in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2. Later that year, it was renamed Mitchel Field. This was to honor John Purroy Mitchel, a former New York City Mayor. He died while training for the Air Service in Louisiana.

The base closed in 1961. Today, Mitchel Field is a busy area with many different uses. It is home to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Nassau Coliseum, and Mitchel Athletic Complex. Also, Nassau Community College, Hofstra University, and a Lockheed facility are there. In 2018, the remaining buildings and areas were recognized as a historic district. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

History of Mitchel Field

Early Beginnings

The area known as the Hempstead Plains has a long history. During the American Revolutionary War, it was an Army enlistment center. In the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War, it served as a training center for soldiers. During the American Civil War, it was called Camp Winfield Scott. Later, in 1898, for the Spanish–American War, the site was known as Camp Black.

World War I and Aviation Training

In 1917, Hazelhurst Field #2 was created. It was next to Hazelhurst Field. This new field was an extra training and storage base. It was part of a huge aviation training center. Curtiss JN-4 "Jennies" were common planes seen over Long Island. Hundreds of pilots learned to fly for the war at these training fields. They were two of the largest in the United States. Many new wooden buildings and tents were built in 1918. This helped with the rapid growth of the training program.

Between the World Wars: A Golden Age of Flight

Mitchel Field continued to grow after World War I. From 1929 to 1932, many new buildings were added. These turned the temporary wartime facilities into a permanent Army base. New barracks, warehouses, and hangars were constructed. Many of these buildings are still used today for other purposes.

In the 1920s and 1930s, different types of military planes were based there. These included observation, fighter, and bomber units. Mitchel Field became a major airport for both military and civilian flights. The 1920s were a "golden age" for air racing. On November 27, 1920, the Pulitzer Trophy Race was held at Mitchel Field. Pilots flew four laps of a 29 miles (47 km) course. Captain Corliss Moseley won, flying a Verville-Packard VCP-R racer at 156.54 miles per hour (251.93 km/h).

In October 1923, Mitchel Field hosted the first airplane jumping contest. That same year, two world speed records for airplanes were set there. In 1924, the airmail service began experimental flights from the airfield. In September 1929, Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle made the world's first "blind flight." This meant he flew only using instruments, without seeing outside.

In 1938, Mitchel was the starting point for the first nonstop flight across the United States by bombers. These were Army B-18 Bolo bombers. Mitchel Field also showed how far planes could fly for scouting missions. In May 1939, three B-17 bombers, with Lt. Curtis LeMay navigating, flew 620 miles (1,000 km) out to sea. They successfully found the Italian ocean liner SS Rex. This showed how powerful and accurate modern aviation was becoming. On September 21, 1938, the base was hit by a strong hurricane. Water was knee-deep, trees fell, and the control tower's glass broke.

World War II and Air Defense

In 1940, Mitchel Field became home to the Aerospace Defense Command. This group was in charge of protecting cities, factories, and military bases in the United States. Later, the First Air Force took over air defense planning for the East Coast. They set up plane patrols along the coast to watch for ships. In 1943, Mitchel AAF became a stop for Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers and their crews. They would stop there before being sent overseas.

Mitchel Field was also a key supply point for air bases in Newfoundland, Greenland, and Iceland. Plans for air defense in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were made there. In 1942, planes from Mitchel flew antisubmarine patrols along the Atlantic coast.

Under the First Air Force, Mitchel Army Airfield became a control center. It managed fighter and bomber commands. Fighter groups were formed at Mitchel. They trained at other bases before going to war zones. Thousands of Army Air Force personnel also passed through the base. They were processed for combat duty overseas. After World War II ended, soldiers returning home were processed at Mitchel to leave the military.

One notable event was a P-47 plane crash. It hit Hofstra University's Barnard Hall on March 23, 1943. In March 1946, the headquarters of Air Defense Command moved to Mitchel Army Airfield.

Mitchel Air Force Base: A New Era

In 1947, the United States Air Force became its own separate military branch. Mitchel AAF was then renamed Mitchel Air Force Base.

In December 1948, the Continental Air Command (ConAC) took over some duties. ConAC was also at Mitchel AFB. It was responsible for reorganizing the Air Force Reserve after World War II. In 1949, the reserve mission was given to the First Air Force, also based at Mitchel. The First Air Force oversaw the training of air reserves in 15 eastern states. By 1949, it became too noisy and unsafe to fly tactical aircraft in the city area. So, Mitchel AFB was no longer responsible for defending New York's airspace.

The Army Anti-Aircraft Command moved to Mitchel AFB on November 1, 1950. Air Defense Command headquarters moved to Colorado in 1951. On November 29, 1952, President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower flew from Mitchel Field. He was on his way to South Korea to keep a campaign promise. Colonel W. Millikan set a speed record in 1954. He flew a North American F-86 Sabre across the country in 4 hours, 8 minutes. His flight ended at Mitchel AFB.

In April 1961, flying stopped at the base. The 514th Troop Carrier Wing moved to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. After this unit moved, the base officially closed on June 25, 1961. The land was given to Nassau County for new development. Today, the area still has military housing and facilities for military families. A part of the Long Island Rail Road still ends in the northern part of Mitchel Field. It provides occasional freight service.

Images for kids

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  From 1949 to 1961, the Air Force Reserve's 514th Troop Carrier Wing was the main operational flying organization at Mitchel AFB (Curtiss C-46 Commando were replaced in 1954 with Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars.)

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  2d Fighter Squadron (All Weather) Northrop P-61Bs on parking apron at Mitchel AFB in October 1948