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Show Page HILL TOP TIMES 18 AFLC'S SOTH ANNIVERSARY Aircraft People Importanf ut Bases, Too, Are Necessary Brig. Gen. Hubert O. Johnson Jr. Deputy Chief of Staff, Civil Engineering, AFLC HQ AFLC Aviation history is the story of people, men who conceived and built the aircraft and pilots who flew them. But aviation history also is the story of flying fields, hangars, shops. Most of the early flight facilities have been torn down hidden in or now are by Editor's Note: This is another in the series of articles commemorating AFLC's fiftieth - While 1932 marked the first official use of the word runway, we do know that a runway (of sorts) was built at Kelly AFB, Tex., as early as 1925. Originally of gravel, it was 15 feet wide and 1700 feet long. One year later it was overlaid with rock asphalt, and in 1928 its width was increased to 30 feet and the some length to 3,790 feet contrast to the 11,550 foot long and 300 foot wide runway that exists at Kelly AFB today. As airfields grew to ac- form a crown in the center for drainage. Extra drainage could be provided by a system of with trenches back-fille- d coarse stone and covered with a few inches of top soil and sod. The system worked fairly well at least until rain structures that came later, carried soil into the space structures that have become between the stones! as complex as the modern larger and The old turf flying fields commodate heavier itself. aircraft, so did airplane were used for both military World War II The The early airman, however, and commercial airposts hangars. steel with its gambrel needed only a couple of acres until well into the hangar, early 1940s, (double-pitchewas 66 roof of upland pasture to land or and no one really knows when take off in his fragile craft. the first runway was con- feet wide - more than adequate to house the Curtiss Later, he added a streamer to structed. JN-- 4 "Jennie." tell him which way the wind The word "runway" was But new and bigger aircraft, was blowing. Next came a mentioned for the first time in the Whitman Lewis like shelter that was little more an annual of the Chief report Co. NBL-- 1 "Barling Aircraft a than small barn. in 1932. It of The Air needed more space, Home for the military pilot was not untilCorps Bomber", 1934, however, so special hangars had to be was an unused corner of an that the Air Corps decided to Army post. In time, these build "all fields with landing built. Until about 1932, "corners" gave way to an mats and hangar doors were 110 feet runways hereafter." wide. Another 10 feet were allover field that was graded added to house the 7 and and in 1942 the 9 the a wide door. required As aircraft grew more complicated, flight facilities changed to meet new all requirements. to rur! Tiljie ;cess In 1933, an instrument landing system was tested. Night lighting systems were installed on runways to keep pace with the new technical developments. tiai tew.... technical new But ifb developments also meant more complex repairs. The was where and how question YEARS AGO make those repairs and where to store the spare parts that were needed to accomplish them. The answer was air depots -at San Antonio (Duncan Field), Middletown (Olmsted to Field) in tests, he made the world's first flipht nnrinOo thp vpnrcj in A Pennsylvania, Field a new an d) -- B-1- B-2- 4, classic and unusual, at the same time: B-2- How to be 150-fo- f o w o ot mm- o -- During World War II, when the number of in the inventory skyrocketed from 13 to 10,000, air depots were built in Mobile, Alabama B-1- 7s (Brookley Field), Washington (Fairchild NEED A e I HOME AWAY FROM HOME? 9 A" reinforced concrete to a tl the old Barling Bomber hurippf is allocated rJ modernization-fa- r hangar was used to build the radar shops, for a n measuring j All words unknown to nanlt fieldanacaiieoBKC: 825:0277 from WEST YELLOWSTONE includes life time membership In Lodge ond Country Club $2000.00 all utilities for free weekend which In eludes meals drink and lodging. Call Collect or write Included 59 because necessary! I ..TIIK Joseph P. Kenny L tor Any r MODEL Hl wk AMrkr4 Hmt CWf r W& Umi ! CHAMPA .."How highlit, i u anted to kilo. FINANCE CORP. .."A Utttt hundred tui .."hal' t record?" 1970 Buick Riviero Custom Straddle Knotch Power Windows Power Seat Bock i"' Vinyl Top- - Factory Chrom Factory Air Power Door locks' Control Many Other Extras - Worro 3777 Total Price 00 1876 South Main St. Salt Lake City, Utah 84115 Wiltrtnson WW m W ' 530 So. 3th West 293-348- 7 f bases, if (AFltf in bed with cold M he had a trmpfratr Woctfcy Fwrpow Wall Avt. (K Mart OCDtN.H-4t- International, Inc. . th erown with aiata 22 Mi! p.m. .: lighter-than-aircrsf- and concepts FAIRWAY LOTS Island Park, Idaho o.rn. to 7 p.m. r nilnl vho Services. Leisure to andcr the Wednesday Most Plorsheim styles $19.95 !o $29.95 Most Imperial ify'ei $39.95 Opn Doily 10 fr6of 10 o.rn. equipces: a jet engine test celt projects for the to Lavoid Robertson Residence Pastor Church 801-486-92- at i Mot Absolutely authentic styles get a new outlook on life with the masculine richness of genuine calfskin suede. Versatile, too, since you'll wear them with suit or slacks. Wore: Rorsheim quality means longer wear that lowers cost. Center tresses were converted to tune - and in is a neve other uses. The base head chi AFLC's for job quarters building at Kelly, for eers. example, is one of the original Modernization is bombsight repair buildings. and 80 per cent of i At Wright-Patterso- n AFB, in 1944, the structural steel of mand's FY 1972 can Manager Calfskin Suede new ant Keeping support lac for- come worship with us Sunday & 825-551- 2 Florsheim required iacmties. & cordial invitation to YOU maintenance, bombsight requirement lasted only as Metrology long as the war, and these Ohio. Clearfield, Utah Woiship Seriice 10:55 a.m. I 7:00 p.m. extend 11 into Field), Rome N.Y. (Griffiss Field) and Oklahoma City (Tinker Field). An additional depot was built in Miami at the 36th Street Airport, but this facility was limited to engine We CHURCH at: tiv engineers co moaitied runwaw lavuuies 10 Support; aircraft. Missilessnrf j Spokane, wji un. technology built within 100 feet of a Kobins have missis bombsight repair structure evolved along with jet; and these buildings were and rockets. Reouim-surrounded by chain link maintaining inertialp fences at distances of 50 feet. systems Drought the AerosDaceGuiiii! But the i First Southern Baptist Church 564 South 800 East Sunday School 9:45 " l repair, calibration and testing Today AFLC of the Norden bombsight. Oeden. Okbi, No other building could be Sacramento, San Antd Ogden, amornia (Norton Field), war-tim- e for storage, Utah (Hill Field), Robins, Georgia (Robins Field), San Bernardino, f i b. mH hoc ii i .5 mccu a tlaniastic the bases and runways to accom ofa thro new and support requirements. An example? Buildings had to be constructed at bases and depots too, in California. ) v.J Myer craft. change aircraft has also been necessary. overhaul, test facilities and ,lcw ana stui exis assorted warehouses. World War II brought with it .Af the jet age Fairfield (Patterson Field) in Ohio and Sacramento (Mc-Clell- - Orville Wright circles Fort BuM 1.; |