Luke Air Force Base

Luke Air Force Base Part of Air Education and Training Command (AETC)
Aerial image - 1979
Location of LAFB in Maricopa County, Arizona.
IATA: LUF ICAO: KLUF FAA LID: LUF
Summary
Airport type	Military: Air Force Base
Owner	U.S. Air Force
Location	Glendale, Arizona
Built	1941
Commander	Brig. Gen. Kurt F. Neubauer
Occupants	56th Fighter Wing
Elevation AMSL	1,085 ft / 331 m
Coordinates	33°32′06″N 112°22′59″W
Website	www.luke.af.mil
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 3L/21R 10,012 3,052 Asphalt 3R/21L 9,904 3,019 Concrete
Sources: official web site and FAA

Luke Air Force Base (IATA: LUF, ICAO: KLUF, FAA LID: LUF) is a United States Air Force base located seven miles (11 km) west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about 15 miles (24 km) west of Phoenix, Arizona. The base is named after World War I Medal of Honor recipient and former Phoenix native, Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr. Luke AFB is a major training base of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC), training pilots in the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Overview

The base is named for the first U.S. aviator to receive the Medal of Honor, Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr. Born in Phoenix in 1897, the “Arizona Balloon Buster” scored 18 aerial victories during World War I (14 of these German observation balloons) in the skies over France before being killed, at age 21, on September 29, 1918.

The 56th Fighter Wing (56 FW) of the AETC is the host wing at Luke. The wing is composed of four groups of 27 squadrons, including eight fighter squadrons. There are several tenant units on base, including the 944th Fighter Wing (944 FW), assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's 10th Air Force (10 AF) and operationally-gained by AETC.

The base population includes about 7,000 military and civilian members and 15,000 family members. With about 80,000 retired military members living in greater Phoenix, the base services a total population of more than 100,000

Units

The 56th Operations Group has operational control and responsibility for the entire fighter-training mission at Luke. The tail code of the assigned F-16 aircraft to the 56 OG is "LF". Squadrons and aircraft tail markings are:

• • 21st Fighter Squadron "Gamblers" (White)
  • 62d Fighter Squadron "Spikes" (White)
  • 308th Fighter Squadron "Emerald Knights" (Green/white checker)
  • 309th Fighter Squadron "Wild Ducks" (Blue)
  • 310th Fighter Squadron "Tophats" (Green)
  • 425th Fighter Squadron "Black Widows" (Red/black)
  • 56th Operations Support Squadron "Wizards"
  • 56th Training Squadron

The 21st FS is a USAF squadron that trains pilots of the Taiwanese Air Force, and the 425th FS does the same for the Singaporean Air Force.

The 56th Maintenance Group (MXG) provides aircraft maintenance on more than 180 F-16s for the Air Force's only active duty F-16 training wing. It is composed of 5 squadrons, incorporating both on and off equipment aircraft maintenance and munitions maintenance.

• • 756th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • 56th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
  • 56th Component Maintenance Squadron
  • 56th Maintenance Operations Squadron

The 56th Mission Support Group (MSG) sustains the F-16 Fighting Falcon, provides for the community, and delivers responsive combat support.

• • 56th Force Support Squadron

The 56th Medical Group (MDG) operates an outpatient only Medical Treatment Facility, which serves more than 84,000 beneficiaries in the Phoenix area.

944th Fighter Wing

• 
  Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D-3-CV Corsair II (68-6226) of the 310th TFTS, May 1971.
• 
  McDonnell F-4C-21-MC Phantom (63-7675) of the 550th TFS, 18 March 1972.
• 
  McDonnell Douglas F-15A-8-MC Eagle (73-0092) of the 555th TFTS, July 1975. Aircraft retired to AMARC 8 July 1991.
• 
  An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 61st Fighter Squadron taxis prior to a mission during Red Flag-Alaska 07-1 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.

History

Frank Luke, Jr.

Second Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr.

Luke Air Force Base is named in honor of Second Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr. (1897-1918). Lt Luke is a posthumous Medal of Honor recipient and the number two United States ace in World War I.

Lieutenant Luke was shot down near Petain, France, on 29 Sep 1918, after he had destroyed three enemy balloons. Surviving the crash of his Spad, Lieutenant Luke drew two pistols and fired on German soldiers, killing several of them before he was killed.

Luke Field, Oahu, Hawaii Territory (now the Naval Air Station Ford Island) was previously named in his honor.

World War II

In 1940, the U.S. Army sent a representative to Arizona to choose a site for an Army Air Corps training field for advanced training in conventional fighter aircraft. The city of Phoenix bought 1,440 acres (5.8 km²) of land which they leased to the government at $1 a year effective March 24, 1941. On March 29, 1941, the Del. E. Webb Construction Co. began excavation for the first building at what was known then as Litchfield Park Air Base. Another base known as Luke Field, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, released its name so the Arizona base could be called Luke Field. Advanced flight training in the AT-6 began at Luke in June that same year. The first class of 45 students, Class 41 F, arrived June 6, 1941 to begin advanced flight training in the AT-6, although a few essential buildings had been completed. Flying out of Sky Harbor Airport until the Luke runways were ready, pilots received 10 weeks of instruction and the first class graduated August 15, 1941. Then-Captain Barry Goldwater served as director of ground training the following year.

During World War II, Luke was the largest fighter training base in the Army Air Forces, graduating more than 12,000 fighter pilots from advanced and operational courses in the AT-6, P-40, P-51 and P-38, earning the nickname, “Home of the Fighter Pilot.” By February 7, 1944, pilots at Luke had achieved a million hours of flying time. A WWII film "A Guy Named Joe" included some footage filmed at Luke. By 1946, however, the number of pilots trained dropped to 299 and the base was deactivated November 30 that year.

Training base

58th TTW aircraft in 1979: F-5E, a German F-104G, F-4C, and F-15A.

Soon after combat developed in Korea, Luke field was reactivated on February 1, 1951 as Luke Air Force Base, part of the Air Training Command (ATC) under the reorganized U.S. Air Force. Students progressed from the P-51 Mustang to the F-84 until 1964, then the F-104 Starfighter. Flying training at Luke changed to the F-100, and on July 1, 1958, the base was transferred from Air Training Command to Tactical Air Command (TAC). During the 1960s, thousands of American fighter pilots left Luke to carve their niche in the annals of Air Force history in the skies over Vietnam.

In July 1971, the base received the F-4 Phantom II and assumed its role as the main provider of fighter pilots for Tactical Air Command and other fighter forces worldwide. In November 1974, the Air Force’s newest air superiority fighter, the F-15 Eagle, came to Luke. It was joined in December 1982 by the first F-16 Fighting Falcon, which officially began training fighter pilots February 2, 1983. Luke units continued to set the pace for the Air Force. The 58th TTW had two squadrons – the 312th and 314th Tactical Fighter Training Squadrons – conducting training in the newest C and D models of the Fighting Falcon. The 405th TTW received the first E model of the F-15 Eagle in 1988 and two of its squadrons – the 461st and 550th – began training in this dual-role fighter.

In July 1987, the Reserve function at Luke changed when the 302nd Special Operations Squadron deactivated its helicopter function and the then-Air Force Reserve's 944th Tactical Fighter Group (944 TFG) was activated to fly the F-16C/D.

The early 1990s brought significant changes to the base. As a result of defense realignments, the 312th, 426th and 550th TFTSs were inactivated as were the 832nd Air Division and the 405th TTW. The F-15A and B models were transferred out, and the 58th TTW, being the senior wing at Luke, was re-designated the 58th Fighter Wing and once again became the host unit at Luke. The Tactical Air Command was replaced by the Air Combat Command (ACC), the Air Force Reserve by the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and the 944 TFG redesignated the 944th Fighter Wing (944 FW).

In April 1994, after 24 years at Luke, the 58th Fighter Wing was replaced by the 56th Fighter Wing (56 FW) as part of the Air Force Heritage Program and the relocation of the 56 FW and the F-16 training mission from MacDill AFB, Florida as part of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Air Force officials established the Air Force Heritage Program to preserve the Air Force legacy and its history during the defense draw down of the early and mid 1990s. The 56 FW is one of the most highly decorated units in Air Force history and its units flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon include the 21st, 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 308th, 309th, 310th, and 425th Fighter Squadrons.

Since 1998, there have been 17 crashes, most recently March 14, 2008, when an F-16 crashed during a combat training sortie northwest of the base.

Germans at Luke AFB

A German TF-104G of the 69th TFTS in 1982 at Luke AFB.

From 1957 to 1965 830 pilots from the German Luftwaffe (air force) were trained on the F-84 at Luke AFB. Further 1,868 F-104G Starfighter-pilots, flying more than 235,000 hours, were stationed on the base during training from 1964 to 1983. Since Northern European weather and operational restrictions placed severe limitations on the amount of training, Luke AFB was chosen, where flying conditions were ideal for most of the time. The F-104Gs and TF-104Gs were assigned to the 4512th, 4518th, and 4443rd Combat Crew Training Squadrons and the 69th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron of the USAF. The German unit was named "2. Deutsche Luftwaffen-Ausbildungsstaffel F-104 USA (2. DtLwAusbStff F-104 USA)" (2nd German Air Force Training Squadron F-104 USA). Although remaining German property, the Starfighters carried USAF insignia and were assigned USAF serial numbers.

Air Defense Command

In 1959 a Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-21) was established at Luke AFB. The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. It was initially under the Phoenix Air Defense Sector (PhADS), established on 15 June 1959. PhADS was inactivated on 1 April 1966, and re-designated as the 27th Air Division. DC-21 with its AN/FSQ-7 computer remained under the 27th AD until 19 November 1969 it was inactivated and its assets absorbed by the 26th Air Division. DC-21 was inactivated on 9 December 1983 when technology advances made SAGE obsolete.

Previous names

• Litchfield Park Air Base, c. 15 February 1941
• Luke Field, 6 June 1941
• Luke Air Force Base, 10 June 1949

Major Commands to which assigned

• West Coast Air Corps Training Center, 3 July 1941 - 23 January 1942
• Air Corps Flying Training Command, 23 January 1942 - 15 March 1942
• AAF Flying Training Command, 15 March 1942 - 31 July 1943
• AAF Training Command, 31 July 1943 - 1 July 1946
• Air Training Command, 1 July 1946 -December 1946, 1 January 1951 - 1 July 1958
• Tactical Air Command, 1 July 1958- 1 June 1992
• Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992 - 1 July 1993
• Air Education and Training Command, 1 July 1993–present

The facility was placed on temporary reduced activity status, 6 July 1946; temporarily inactivated, 31 October 1946. It became a sub-installation of Williams Field, Arizona, 3 Dec 1946-5 Mar 1951. It was removed from inactive status, placed on active status, 1 January 1951.

Major units assigned

• Air Corps Advanced Flying School

Re-designated Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School

Re-designated Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced Single-Engine), 20 May 1941-6 July 1946

• 90th Air Base Group, 1 August 1941-19 May 1942
• 3003d Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 May 1944-31 October 1945
• 3028th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 May 1944-30 November 1946
• 408th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 October 1946-1 March 1947

• 127th Fighter (later Training) Group, 23 February 1951-1 November 1952
• USAF Air Crew School

Re-designated USAF Combat Crew Training School, 1 March 1951-1 November 1943

• 4510th Combat Support Group, 1 November 1952-15 October 1969

• 4510th Combat Crew Training Group, 1 November 1952-1 August 1963
• 4510th Combat Crew Training Wing, 1 November 1952-15 October 1969
• 3600th Air Demonstration Flight, 25 May 1953-23 June 1956
• 58th Tactical Training Wing, 15 October 1969-1 April 1994
• 405th Tactical Training Wing, 29 August 1979-1 October 1991
• 832d Air Division, 1 December 1980-1 October 1991
• 56th Fighter Wing, 1 April 1994–present

• Phoenix Air Defense Sector, 15 June 1959

Re-designated: 27th Air Division, 1 April 1966

Re-designated: 26th Air Division, 19 November 1969-31 August 1983

4629th Air Defense Squadron (SAGE)*, 1 July 1972

Re-designated 26th Air Defense Squadron (SAGE)*, 1 January 1975-9 December 1983

Note: * Operated DC-21 ADCOM/ADTAC SAGE blockhouse

See also

• Arizona World War II Army Airfields

Other sources

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
• Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
• 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
• Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0887405134.
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to present
• Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
• Luke AFB, Arizona at GlobalSecurity.org (source of history)

External links

• Luke AFB Home Page
• Luke AFB Services Squadron
• Luke Field in World War II
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective May 16, 2024
• FAA Terminal Procedures for LUF, effective May 16, 2024
• Resources for this U.S. military airport:
  • FAA airport information for LUF
  • AirNav airport information for KLUF
  • ASN accident history for LUF
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KLUF