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Alliance Airport
Airport Directory » United States » Alliance » Alliance AirportAirport information for Alliance AirportCountry: United StatesLocation: Alliance Coordinates: 42.04.00N / 102.48.00W IATA Code: AIA Timezone: GMT -7 Direct flights form Alliance Airport Direct flights to Alliance Airport Find connecting flights to Alliance Airport Find connecting flights from Alliance Airport |
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Coordinates: 42°03′12″N 102°48′14″W / 42.05333°N 102.80389°W / 42.05333; -102.80389
Alliance Municipal Airport (IATA: AIA, ICAO: KAIA, FAA LID: AIA) is a city-owned public-use airport turn up 3 land mile (five kilometre) southeastward of the central downtown of Alliance, a town in Box Butte County, Nebraska, United States. It is assisted by 1 commercial air hose, with service subsidised by the Essential Air Service programme.
History
Alliance Municipal Airport was made during World War II by the United States Army Air Force. It was 1 of 11 United States Army Air Force grooming fields in Nebraska during World War II. On 14 April 1942, the Secretary of War clear the organization of the field. It was build between the summertime of 1942 and August 1943. The 4,205 acre location is ring by low turning over sandhills to the east, and a broad bush on the northward, westward and southward. Snake Creek flows through the southern subdivision of the belonging.
During the building of the field over 5,000 workers come up from all over the land,doing a housing deficit. The population of Alliance duplicate well-nigh overnight. Workers moved into garages, shop appartment, basements, garrets, and even their own laggards in constituted parklands. Many of the workers were Sioux Indians from the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations, Mexicans from the Southwest, and inkinesses from Wichita and Kansas City.
The camp housing area of the field covered 1,088 acres, and back up 775 constructions and other building, including depots, chapels, storage warehouses, barracks, mess hall, service constructions, and latrines. Some were made of brick and steel, such as aircraft depots. However most were of frame building, sit down on top of poured concrete foundations. Tar paper and plyboard were mostly used for walls and flooring, as the constructions were see impermanent at most good, only to be used for a few yr. In addition, the field used a railway goad, influence constitute, waterworks, and sewage works, as good as a aggregative of 35,503 additive human foot of landing track. The field had been be after as a preparation installation for paratroops and air rangers, which take long landing track for C-47 Skytrains to towage sailplanes.
On August 22, 1943, a huge crowd of 65,000 mortals pulled together for the dedication of the new build Alliance Army Airfield. The missionary station of the field was to supply a preparation installation for Army paratroops and air crews. Between the opening of the field and the springtime of 1944, the I Troop Carrier Command, 434th Troop Carrier Group commanded the field. The 411th Army Air Force Base Unit commanded the back up components at Alliance as division of Air Technical Service Command. In addition to the C-47s, the unit fixed B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator aircraft from other fields.
Alliance AAF was split up into air functioning, quartermaster, troop camp, and gunnery bushes. The field was place to as many as 14,000 paratroops in the area , using C-47 Skytrains as influenced troop carrier, and CG-3/CG-4 Waco sailplane troop carrier for their grooming aircraft. The sandhills were considered to supply a softer districting than wooded area for spring paratroops. Known units that developed at Alliance AAF were:
- 403d Troop Carrier Group (18 December 1942 - three May 1943)
- The group finally travel to the South Pacific as division of Thirteenth Air Force.
- 434th Troop Carrier Group (nine February 1943 - five September)
- The group finally travel to England as division of Ninth Air Force.
- 436th Troop Carrier Group (two May - one August 1943)
- The group finally travel to England as division of Ninth Air Force.
- 439th Troop Carrier Group (one June - 16 December 1943)
- The group finally travel to England as division of Ninth Air Force.
- 440th Troop Carrier Group (seven September 1943 - four January 1944)
- The group finally travel to England as division of Ninth Air Force.
- 442d Troop Carrier Group (December 1943 - January 1944)
- The group finally travel to England as division of Ninth Air Force.
- 349th Troop Carrier Group (19 January - eight March 1944)
- The group finally travel to England as division of Ninth Air Force.
- 443d Troop Carrier Group (19 January - 15 February 1944)
- The group finally travel to the China-Burma-India Theater.
- tenth Troop Carrier Group (eight March - 14 April 1944)
- The group prepared cells for troop transport grouping and prepared replacing crews. It was demobilized in location.
In addition to the USAAF units, the Army 326th Glider Infantry, 507th Parachute Infantry, and 878th Airborne Engineers developed at Alliance before deployment to the European Theater present the para how to spring.
As para inundated into Alliance, housing was at a critical deficit. In say to alleviate the housing emphasis, a federal public housing was build at the east finish of Alliance, dwelling of flat composites with bush stucco walls, coal heating energy kitchen range, and rows of chimneys alongside the rooflines, hence enlivening the name "Chimney Town."
After the paratroops go forth Alliance, Second Air Force temporarily used the Alliance field in the fall of 1944 for the preparation of B-29 Superfortress crews. Training included learning the B-29 air crews how to drop bombs and read navigational, aeronautic and bombsight equipment.
Finally, in the summertime of 1945, the first Troop Carrier Command returned to the field to railroad train for the advised invasion of Japan. That necessity finished when Japan give up on September 6. On 31 October 31, 1945, the Army Air Force "temporarily" deactivated the Alliance Army Airfield. Control of the field was portioned to Air Technical Service Command at Ogdon Army Airbase, Utah.
Though hypothesis was that the Army would do the huge Alliance field a lasting installment, by 20 November 20 the Troop Carrier Command closed the installation for good and get down to do programmes to sell the excess belonging.
By. December 1945 the installation was declared excess belonging. Nonetheless, its position stay in oblivion. The town of Alliance demoed involvement in getting the installation. However, in the fall of 1946 Nebraska representative A. L. Miller say that the field shall be pulled away from the excess listing to be reactivated for Troop Carrier Command grooming, in response to reached relations with the Soviet Union. This did not take place, nevertheless, and the U. S. Government talked terms a temperament understanding for the installation.
Due to challenges between the U.S. authority and the town of Alliance, the final temperament of the field did not take place for many yr, and in the meanwhile, the authority take the railroad landing tracks and auctioneer 240 constructions, including lavs, guard houses and barracks. Finally, on July 16, 1953, the town of Alliance and the federal authority nail down the transport for the district and constructions which were to turn the Alliance Municipal Airport.
Today a large figure of World War II-era constructions stay in use.
Facilities and aircraft
Alliance Municipal Airport covers an area of 3,500 acres (1,416 ha) which incorporates 3 asphalt paved landing track: 12/30 measure out 9,202 x 150 foot. (2,805 x 46 m), 17/35 at 6,311 x 75 foot. (1,924 x 23 m), and 8/26 at 6,200 x 75 foot. (1,890 x 23 m).
For the 12-month time period finish May 31, 2007, the airport had 15,000 aircraft functioning, an mean of 41 per solar day: 80% civil aviation, 15% scheduled commercial, 3% air cab and 2% armed forces. At that clip there were 47 aircraft ground at this airport: 89% single-engine, 4% multi-engine and 6% sailplane.
Original article.

