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Decatur County Industrial Air Park: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 30°58′18″N 084°38′15″W / 30.97167°N 84.63750°W / 30.97167; -84.63750
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Flight training continued until the airfield was placed on temporary inactive status on 15 December 1945. It remained inactive as a military airfield throughout the rest of the 1940s, returning to civil use as Bainbridge Airport.
Flight training continued until the airfield was placed on temporary inactive status on 15 December 1945. It remained inactive as a military airfield throughout the rest of the 1940s, returning to civil use as Bainbridge Airport.


As a result of the [[Cold War]] and the expansion of the [[United States Air Force]], '''Bainbridge Air Force Base''' was reopened and activated 11 July 1951 by the USAF [[Air Training Command]], as a contract flying training school. The base had deteriorated badly over its six idle years and a major renovation project was required to return it to acceptable standards.
As a result of the [[Cold War]] and the expansion of the [[United States Air Force]], '''Bainbridge Air Force Base''' was reopened and activated 11 July 1951 by the USAF [[Air Training Command]], as a contract flying training school. The base had deteriorated badly over its six idle years and a major renovation project was required to return it to acceptable standards. The 3306th Pilot Training Group (Contract Flying) was the Operational Training Unit, with ground and flight training being conducted by Southern Airways Company.


The base conducted flying training and contract flying training initially with [[T-6 Texan|T-6G Texans]] and [[Piper PA-18]] Super Cub trainers, later being upgraded to Beechcraft [[T-34 Mentor]] and North American [[T-28 Trojan]]s in early 1954. The base received Cessna [[T-37 Tweet]] jet trainers starting in December 1959.
The base conducted flying training and contract flying training initially with [[T-6 Texan|T-6G Texans]] and [[Piper PA-18]] Super Cub trainers, later being upgraded to Beechcraft [[T-34 Mentor]] and North American [[T-28 Trojan]]s in early 1954. The base received Cessna [[T-37 Tweet]] jet trainers starting in December 1959.
Line 52: Line 52:
In 1960, ATC began looking at a new training concept--combining preflight, primary, and basic instruction into consolidated pilot training (CPT). Secretary of the Air Force Dudley C. Sharp approved the idea in March 1960, and Air Training Command intended to have the training program in operation by March 1961. At the same time, Secretary Sharp approved initiation of a consolidated pilot training program, ATC decided to replace all civilian flying instructors with military officers and to phase out all contract primary schools.
In 1960, ATC began looking at a new training concept--combining preflight, primary, and basic instruction into consolidated pilot training (CPT). Secretary of the Air Force Dudley C. Sharp approved the idea in March 1960, and Air Training Command intended to have the training program in operation by March 1961. At the same time, Secretary Sharp approved initiation of a consolidated pilot training program, ATC decided to replace all civilian flying instructors with military officers and to phase out all contract primary schools.


Bainbridge AFB ended contract primary training in early December, with the transfer of the T-37 aircraft being completed by 23 December 1960. The base was inactivated and returned to civilian control on 31 March 1961.
Bainbridge AFB ended contract primary training in early December, with the transfer of the T-37 aircraft being completed by 23 December 1960. The base was inactivated and returned to civilian control on 31 March 1961.

Through the years a lot of material has been gathered about the Southern Airways School and Bainbridge Air Force Base. The information is located at the Decatur County Museum.


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 16:38, 6 April 2009

30°58′18″N 084°38′15″W / 30.97167°N 84.63750°W / 30.97167; -84.63750

Decatur County Industrial Air Park
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerDecatur County
ServesDecatur County
LocationBainbridge, Georgia
Elevation AMSL141 ft / 43 m
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
9/27 5,502 1,677 Asphalt
14/32 5,003 1,525 Asphalt
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations13,250
Based aircraft36

Decatur County Industrial Air Park (IATA: BGE, ICAO: KBGE, FAA LID: BGE) is a county-owned public-use airport located six nautical miles (11 km) northwest of the central business district of Bainbridge, a city in Decatur County, Georgia, United States.[1]

Facilities and aircraft

Decatur County Industrial Air Park Airport covers an area of 940 acres (380 ha) at an elevation of 141 feet (43 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 9/27 is 5,502 by 150 feet (1,677 x 46 m); 14/32 is 5,003 by 100 feet (1,525 x 30 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending April 7, 2006, the airport had 13,250 aircraft operations, an average of 36 per day: 98% general aviation and 2% military. At that time there were 36 aircraft based at this airport: 83% single-engine and 17% multi-engine.[1]

History

Bainbridge Army Airfield was built in 1942 by the United States Army Air Force and activated on 7 August. The immediate construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three concrete runways, several taxiways and a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper.

It was used by the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, Southeast Training Center (later Eastern Flying Training Command) for advanced single-engine flight training, both by military and contract civilian air instructors. The Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced Single-Engine) was the Operational Training Unit. The North American AT-6 Texan was the primary aircraft operated by the school.

The airfield was inactivated on 15 December 1945, and placed on standy reserve status.

Flight training continued until the airfield was placed on temporary inactive status on 15 December 1945. It remained inactive as a military airfield throughout the rest of the 1940s, returning to civil use as Bainbridge Airport.

As a result of the Cold War and the expansion of the United States Air Force, Bainbridge Air Force Base was reopened and activated 11 July 1951 by the USAF Air Training Command, as a contract flying training school. The base had deteriorated badly over its six idle years and a major renovation project was required to return it to acceptable standards. The 3306th Pilot Training Group (Contract Flying) was the Operational Training Unit, with ground and flight training being conducted by Southern Airways Company.

The base conducted flying training and contract flying training initially with T-6G Texans and Piper PA-18 Super Cub trainers, later being upgraded to Beechcraft T-34 Mentor and North American T-28 Trojans in early 1954. The base received Cessna T-37 Tweet jet trainers starting in December 1959.

In 1960, ATC began looking at a new training concept--combining preflight, primary, and basic instruction into consolidated pilot training (CPT). Secretary of the Air Force Dudley C. Sharp approved the idea in March 1960, and Air Training Command intended to have the training program in operation by March 1961. At the same time, Secretary Sharp approved initiation of a consolidated pilot training program, ATC decided to replace all civilian flying instructors with military officers and to phase out all contract primary schools.

Bainbridge AFB ended contract primary training in early December, with the transfer of the T-37 aircraft being completed by 23 December 1960. The base was inactivated and returned to civilian control on 31 March 1961.

Through the years a lot of material has been gathered about the Southern Airways School and Bainbridge Air Force Base. The information is located at the Decatur County Museum.

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  • Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942-2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for BGE PDF, effective 2007-07-31

External links


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