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== History ==
== History ==
Stuttgart Municipal Airport dates to 1942 when it was built by the the [[United States Army Air Forces]]. It was activated on 15 August 1942 and used by the [[Army Air Forces Training Command]]. Initially it was used as a glider pilot training school using [[Waco CG-4]]A gliders.<ref name="p00178774">[http://airforcehistoryindex.org/data/000/178/774.xml AFHRA Document 00178774, STUTTGART ARMY AIRFIELD AR]</ref><ref name="StuAR">[http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?search=1&entryID=4176 Stuttgart Army Air Field, Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture]</ref>. In 1943 the airfield was transferred to Southeast Training Command as an advanced twin-engine flying school and glider training ceased on 19 May 1943.<ref name="ATC"> 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</ref> Initially designated as '''Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School''', it was re-designated as '''Stuttgart Army Airfield''' on 2 January 1943.<ref name="p00178774"/> Twin engine training was conducted by the using the [[Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita]]], the host unit being the 34th Two Engine Flying Training Group and the 891st through 896th Two Engine Flying Training Squadrons<ref name="StuAR"/>. With a reorganization of Training Command's training unit designation system in the spring of 1944, the 34th and its squadrons were disbanded on 1 April 1944; the school being operated by the 2141st Army Air Force Base Unit<ref name="StuAR"/>, it's training squadrons being re-designated "A" through "F" in sequence.
The airport was opened in September 1942 as '''Stuttgart Army Air Field ''' by the [[United States Army Air Forces]] and was used as an advanced twin engine aircraft training school during [[World War II]]. Stuttgart AAF was administered by the 426th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron and flying training was conducted by the 34th Two Engine Flying Training Group and the 891st through 896th Two Engine Flying Training Squadrons until April 1944, then by the 2141st Army Air Force Base Unit, assigned to the AAF Southeast Training Center (later the AAF Eastern Flying Training Command). In 1945, the base transferred to the II Tactical Air Division of Third Air Force and was home to the 69th and 74th Reconnaissance Groups and the 369th Fighter Group. The last tactical unit of the AAF, the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron left the field in February 1946.


Twin engine training continued until 31 January 1945, when the airfield was transferred to [[Third Air Force]].<ref name="ATC"/> It became a Replacement Training School under its 2d Tactical Air Division<ref name="p00201274">[http://airforcehistoryindex.org/data/000/201/274.xml AFHRA Document, 2d Tactial Air Division]</ref> and began training replacement reconnaissance pilots under the [[74th Tactical Reconnaissance Group]]<ref name="p00099376">[http://airforcehistoryindex.org/data/000/099/376.xml AFHRA Document 74th Tactical Reconnaissance Group]</ref> and fighter pilots under the [[369th Fighter Group]]<ref name="Maurer">Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.</ref>
Improvements to the site included an airport with four {{convert|5000|ft|m|abbr=on}}. runways and facilities for 6,000 personnel. The USAAF trained pilots in the use of gliders from October 1942 to May 1943 and twin-engine airplanes from May 1943 to December 1944.


With the end of World War II, the airfield was placed on standby status in early 1946, and turned over to [[Air Technical Service Command]] (ATSC). ATSC's mission was to remove all useable military equipment from the property and dispose of items which no longer had a useful need. Like many other surplus airfields around the country, public sales were held to offer the material to the public. Stuttgart Army Airfield was declared excess and closed on 5 August 1946.<ref name="StuAR"/> It was conveyed though the [[War Assets Administration]] (WAA) to the City of Stuttgart to establish a municipal airport.<ref name="StuAR"/>
At the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the War Department on 5 August 1946, {{convert|2635.7|acre|km2}} were assumed by the War Assets Administration (WAA). Custody of the remaining {{convert|46.2|acre|m2}}, which contained the housing units and the water and sewage facilities, was transferred to the Housing and Home Finance Agency, Public Housing Administration, on 31 January 1947.

In 1949, the WAA land and improvements were deeded to the City of Stuttgart, Arkansas, to establish the municipal airport. The city subsequently obtained the remaining {{convert|46.2|acre|m2}} from the Public Housing Administration and now owns the entire {{convert|2681.9|acre|km2}} used in connection with the former Stuttgart AAF. The transfer included a recapture clause by which the Government reserved specific rights of use and possession during a national emergency.
<ref>{{AFHRA}}</ref>
<ref>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.</ref>
<ref>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</ref>
<ref>Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Publisher: Pictorial Histories Pub, ISBN 1-57510-051-7</ref>


== Facilities and aircraft ==
== Facilities and aircraft ==

Revision as of 19:20, 6 August 2013

Stuttgart Municipal Airport

Stuttgart Army Air Field
2006 USGS aerial image
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Stuttgart
ServesStuttgart, Arkansas
LocationRoc Roe Township, Prairie County
Elevation AMSL224 ft / 68 m
Coordinates34°35′58″N 091°34′30″W / 34.59944°N 91.57500°W / 34.59944; -91.57500
Map
KSGT is located in Arkansas
KSGT
KSGT
Location of Stuttgart Municipal Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
9/27 5,002 1,525 Concrete
18/36 6,015 1,833 Asphalt
Statistics (2008)
Aircraft operations40,200
Based aircraft34

Stuttgart Municipal Airport (IATA: SGT, ICAO: KSGT, FAA LID: SGT) is a public-use airport located in Prairie County, Arkansas, United States.[1] It is seven nautical miles (13 km) north of the central business district of Stuttgart, which owns the airport[1] and is the county seat of Arkansas County. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013, it is categorized as a general aviation facility.[2]

History

Stuttgart Municipal Airport dates to 1942 when it was built by the the United States Army Air Forces. It was activated on 15 August 1942 and used by the Army Air Forces Training Command. Initially it was used as a glider pilot training school using Waco CG-4A gliders.[3][4]. In 1943 the airfield was transferred to Southeast Training Command as an advanced twin-engine flying school and glider training ceased on 19 May 1943.[5] Initially designated as Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School, it was re-designated as Stuttgart Army Airfield on 2 January 1943.[3] Twin engine training was conducted by the using the Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita], the host unit being the 34th Two Engine Flying Training Group and the 891st through 896th Two Engine Flying Training Squadrons[4]. With a reorganization of Training Command's training unit designation system in the spring of 1944, the 34th and its squadrons were disbanded on 1 April 1944; the school being operated by the 2141st Army Air Force Base Unit[4], it's training squadrons being re-designated "A" through "F" in sequence.

Twin engine training continued until 31 January 1945, when the airfield was transferred to Third Air Force.[5] It became a Replacement Training School under its 2d Tactical Air Division[6] and began training replacement reconnaissance pilots under the 74th Tactical Reconnaissance Group[7] and fighter pilots under the 369th Fighter Group[8]

With the end of World War II, the airfield was placed on standby status in early 1946, and turned over to Air Technical Service Command (ATSC). ATSC's mission was to remove all useable military equipment from the property and dispose of items which no longer had a useful need. Like many other surplus airfields around the country, public sales were held to offer the material to the public. Stuttgart Army Airfield was declared excess and closed on 5 August 1946.[4] It was conveyed though the War Assets Administration (WAA) to the City of Stuttgart to establish a municipal airport.[4]

Facilities and aircraft

Stuttgart Municipal Airport covers an area of 2,560 acres (1,040 ha) at an elevation of 224 feet (68 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 9/27 is 5,002 by 150 feet (1,525 x 46 m) with a concrete surface; 18/36 is 6,015 by 100 feet (1,833 x 30 m) with an asphalt surface.[1]

For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008, the airport had 40,200 aircraft operations, an average of 110 per day: 87% general aviation, 7.5% military, and 5.5% air taxi. At that time there were 34 aircraft based at this airport: 82% single-engine, 12% multi-engine, 3% jet and 3% helicopter.[1]

Motorsports

A 3-mile (4.8 km) SCCA road course was designed using the runways, with the first race in 1959. The last sports car race was held in 1978. A drag strip also existed from 1970 to 1972, operating as Stuttgart Dragway.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e FAA Airport Form 5010 for SGT PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 3 June 2010.
  2. ^ National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013: Appendix A: Part 1 (PDF, 1.33 MB). Federal Aviation Administration. Updated 15 October 2008.
  3. ^ a b AFHRA Document 00178774, STUTTGART ARMY AIRFIELD AR
  4. ^ a b c d e Stuttgart Army Air Field, Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
  5. ^ a b 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
  6. ^ AFHRA Document, 2d Tactial Air Division
  7. ^ AFHRA Document 74th Tactical Reconnaissance Group
  8. ^ Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  9. ^ NA Motorsports: Stuttgart AFB

External links


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