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Grand Island Airport
Airport Directory » United States » Grand Island » Grand Island AirportAirport information for Grand Island AirportCountry: United StatesLocation: Grand Island Coordinates: 40.58.00N / 098.19.00W IATA Code: GRI Timezone: GMT -6 Direct flights form Grand Island Airport Direct flights to Grand Island Airport Find connecting flights to Grand Island Airport Find connecting flights from Grand Island Airport |
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Central Nebraska Regional Airport (IATA: GRI, ICAO: KGRI) is a public airport turn up 3 land mile (5 kilometre) nor'-east of the central downtown (CBD) of Grand Island, a town in Hall County, Nebraska, USA. The airport covers 2,435 acres (985 ha) and has 2 landing track. It is assisted by 1 commercial air hose, with service subsidised by the Essential Air Service programme.
Air Midwest , functioning as US Airways Express, set about service on October 29, 2006, with 2 daily voyages to Omaha Eppley Airfield and 1 daily voyage to Kansas City International Airport. Air Midwest finished service in May 2008, and Island Air be after to take over service, but then back out. Allegiant Air set about commercial air service out of Grand Island to Las Vegas on September 4th, 2008, alongside with Great Lakes' service to Kansas City.
Central Nebraska Regional Airport was pick out to be the location of a new Chinook Helicopter Base. The Nebraska National Guard has been on location since 2004, with dry land scheduled to be broken in 2006 and the ground opening in 2008.
History
Central Nebraska Regional Airport was build as a armed forces field by the United States Army Air Force in 1942. Grand Island Army Airfield as the installation was known while in armed forces use, was 1 of 11 USAAF grooming ground in Nebraska during World War II. A component part of the 2,125 acre location was a former national defence airport. The location is bordered on all sides by farm land. The Army Airfield was build, in division, over the pre-existing Grand Island Arrasmith Airport. To change over the being airport into a armed forces field, 173 constructions and building were build at Grand Island Army Airfield.
The field was set off on one April 1943, under the bid of Second Air Force Headquarters, Colorado Springs Army Air Base, Colorado. It was used in the early division of the conflict to railroad train bomber air crews. Later in the conflict, the field was a level area for bomber aircrew preparing for duty assignment in Guam and Tinian in the Pacific Theater of Operations. It was also a Strategic Air Command ground in 1946. Major engine and airframe fix installations were available for B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 Superfortress bombers. One onslaught grooming wing (Second Air Force), and 3 onslaught grouping (Twentieth Air Force) were attached to Grand Island during the conflict.
The 242nd (Operational Training Unit, Very Heavy) of the 17th Bombardment Training Wing commanded the back up components at Grand Island AAF as division of Air Technical Service Command.
Known B-29 Superfortress units that developed at Grand Island AAF were:
- sixth Bombardment Group (18 May - 19 November 1944)
- 24th, 39th and 40th Bombardment Squadrons
- Deployed to Twentieth Air Force, Tinian
- 502d Bombardment Group (26 September 1944 - seven April 1945)
- 402nd, 411th, and 430th Bombardment Squadrons
- Deployed to Twentieth Air Force, Guam
- 376th Bombardment Group (25 June - ten November 1945)
- 512th, 513th, 514th, and 515th Bombardment Squadrons
- Inactivated ten November 1945
- 449th Bombardment Group (eight September 1945 - four August 1946)
- 716th, 717th, 718th, and 719th Bombardment Squadrons
- Assigned to Strategic Air Command at Grand Island AAF
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Inactivated four August 1946
- 28th Bombardment Group (four August 1946 - six October 1946)
- 77th, 717th, and 718th Bombardment Squadrons
- Assigned force and equipment from demobilized 449th Bombardment Group, transferred to Elmendorf AAF Alaska.
With the going away of the B-29 units the USAAF closed Grand Island Army Airfield on 31 October 1946. The installation was turned over to the City of Grand Island for use as a municipal airport and industrial parkland.
However the armed forces use of the ground did not stop all. During the 1960s, Grand Island Regional Airport was used by Convair F-106 Delta Darts of the 328th Fighter Wing, 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (Air Defense) of Air Defense Command as a diffusion ground. These aircraft were deployed from Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base outside of Kansas City, Missouri. These diffusion voyages finished in 1968.
Today, approximately a dozen armed forces constructions still be at Central Nebraska Regional Airport including several aircraft depots, some former storage warehouses being used for commercial storage and several depots alongside with the old chute construction.
Original article.