Tonopah Air Force Base facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tonopah Air Force Base
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| Part of Fourth Air Force | |
| Nye County, near Tonopah, Nevada | |
1944 Tonopah AAFld after a $3,000,000 project was completed for runways, new aprons, new water storage tanks, additional quarters and barracks, a new post exchange, supply buildings, crash stations, warehouses, operations buildings, a hangar, a school building, and range facilities. Most construction was complete by the beginning of November 1943.
World War II newspaper: Desert Bomber |
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| Coordinates | 38°03′19″N 117°05′19″W / 38.05528°N 117.08861°W |
| Type | air base |
| Code | 2096585 (GNIS) NV99799F603300 (FFID) J09NV0969 (FUDS) |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | 413th Army Air Force Base Unit |
| Condition | municipal airport |
Tonopah Air Force Base was a very important military base in the Great Basin Desert of Nevada, USA. During World War II, it was known as Tonopah Army Air Field.
This base was used for training pilots and aircrews. It closed down shortly after becoming an Air Force Base in 1948. Today, parts of the old base are still used as the municipal Tonopah Airport. You can still see some of the original building foundations and three large hangars from World War II.
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Building the Tonopah Airfield
The area around Tonopah, Nevada was famous for silver mining in the early 1900s. In the late 1930s, military leaders started looking for places to build new airfields. They needed more space for training pilots.
After World War I, the Army Air Corps surveyed many places. They looked for good spots for planes to land. By 1925, they knew of thousands of landing spots.
In 1940, a special group found a large area near Tonopah. It was perfect for a military training range. The land was officially given to the War Department in October 1940.
The local community also wanted an airstrip. The Civil Aeronautics Administration helped build a new airfield. The Works Progress Administration also helped pay for it. This new airfield would become Tonopah Army Air Field.
Life and Training at the Base
The first military group arrived at Tonopah Army Air Field in July 1942. They were called the Bombing and Gunnery Range Detachment. The base quickly grew to include runways, living areas, and a hospital.
Tonopah was a sub-base of March Field (another important air base). Many different military units came and went from Tonopah. They helped get ready for the war.
By early 1943, there were many officers and enlisted men at the field. They trained with Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter planes. These planes were used for training.
Pilot Training Programs
Tonopah Army Air Field was a busy training center. By late 1943, it had helped train 8 bomber squadrons and 12 fighter squadrons. A squadron is a group of military aircraft and their crews.
The base had many training facilities, including:
- Rifle and pistol ranges
- Skeet ranges (for shooting clay targets)
- Turret trainers (to practice using gun turrets on bombers)
- Bomb trainers with special sights (like the Norden or Sperry sights)
- Flexible gunnery trainers (to practice shooting from different positions)
- Schools for gunners and radio operators
In September 1943, the base temporarily closed for a big expansion. They needed more space for training with Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. Many people moved to another airfield while construction happened.
A huge project costing $3,000,000 was completed. This added new runways, more living quarters, and many other buildings. Training restarted in November 1943.
The 458th Bombardment Group and later the 470th Bombardment Group came to Tonopah for training. They learned how to fly and fight with the B-24 bombers.
Testing New Technology
In the summer of 1944, a special team came to Tonopah. They were from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. They tested new kinds of guided bombs. These were early versions of "smart bombs."
The base also had a large bakery. It sold about 400 dozen doughnuts every day! This shows how many people were stationed there. By October 1944, there were over 6,500 military personnel and civilians at the base.
Sometimes, accidents happened during training. For example, a B-24 crashed during a training mission in August 1944. In 1945, some soldiers at Tonopah even invented a three-story tower trainer. It helped gunnery crews practice shooting at moving targets.
After the War: Tonopah's New Role
When World War II ended, Tonopah Army Air Field became less active. On August 23, 1945, all training classes stopped. Most planes left the airfield by mid-September.
The base was then made a sub-base of Hamilton Army Airfield in California. This meant it was managed by a larger base. The United States Department of War wanted to keep the Nevada airfields for future use.
In 1946, Tonopah was transferred to the Strategic Air Command. This was a very important part of the Air Force. By August 1946, only a few people were left at the airfield.
Becoming a Civilian Airport
In June 1947, Tonopah Army Air Field was declared "excess." This meant the military no longer needed it as much. Its three smaller auxiliary areas were also no longer needed.
In June 1948, the Tonopah Bombing and Gunnery Range was moved to a different command. Then, on August 21, the Tonopah Air Force Base was given to the United States Army Corps of Engineers. It was considered "surplus" property.
Later, the base was given to the town of Tonopah. It became the Tonopah Airport, which is still used today. Sometimes, planes from the United States Air Force or the United States Department of Energy still use the airport.
Cleaning Up the Old Base
In 1949, a special team worked to clear the land. They removed any old bombs or dangerous materials from the Tonopah Air Force Base Gunnery Range. This area is now known as a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS).
Besides the main base, other areas were also cleaned up. These included the Tonopah Rifle Range and several beacon sites. These sites had towers that helped guide planes. All these areas are now also designated as FUDS.
