33°53′20″N 117°15′36″W / 33.889°N 117.260°W / 33.889; -117.260
85-533: March Air Reserve Base ( IATA : RIV , ICAO : KRIV , FAA LID : RIV ) ( March ARB ), previously known as March Air Force Base ( March AFB ), is located in Riverside County, California , between the cities of Riverside , Moreno Valley , and Perris . It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command 's Fourth Air Force (4 AF) Headquarters and the host of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing (452 AMW),
170-549: A "Super" wing. From March to October 1967 the 22d wing was reduced to a small "rear-echelon" non-tactical organization with all tactical resources and most support resources loaned to SAC organizations involved in combat operations in Southeast Asia from U-Tapao , Thailand and Andersen AFB , Guam . The wing continued to support SAC operations in the Far East and Southeast Asia through 1975, and from April 1972 to October 1973
255-446: A machine shop, post exchange, hospital, a supply depot, an aero repair building, bachelor officer's quarters and a residence for the commanding officer. Eventually March Field saw the construction of some 50 buildings. It covered over 700 acres and could accommodate up to 1,000 personnel. Dozens of wooden buildings served as headquarters, maintenance, and officers' quarters. Enlisted men had to bivouac in tents . The first flying squadron
340-608: A major Air Force reorganization resulted in the disestablishment of the Strategic Air Command . The 22d ARW was assigned to the new Air Mobility Command , and from the end of 1992 to 1994, the wing flew humanitarian airlift missions to Somalia . It also provided air refueling in support of deployments to Haiti in 1994. In March 1993, March was chosen for realignment under the Base Realignment and Closure [BRAC] III with an effective date of 31 March 1996. In August 1993,
425-423: A maximum of 300 students. In 1918, flight training occurred in two phases: primary and advanced. Primary training consisted of pilots learning basic flight skills under dual and solo instruction. After completion of their primary training at Mather, flight cadets were then transferred to another base for advanced training. Training units assigned to March were: On 2 August 1918, Standard J-1 , AS-1918 , crashed and
510-550: A new airport is built, replacing the old one, leaving the city's new "major" airport (or the only remaining airport) code to no longer correspond with the city's name. The original airport in Nashville, Tennessee, was built in 1936 as part of the Works Progress Administration and called Berry Field with the designation, BNA. A new facility known as Nashville International Airport was built in 1987 but still uses BNA. This
595-574: A permanently based U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air Unit, as well as a California Department of Forestry air unit that uses the base on an intermittent basis. Dragon Flight is a civilian formation flight demonstration team, based at March, sponsored by the March Field Aero Club. The team uses the T-34 Mentor , making numerous appearances throughout the southwest United States each year. The March Field Airfest, also known as Thunder Over
680-560: A small caretaker unit was assigned to the facility for administrative reasons. It was used by the aerial forestry patrol. It also was used intermittently to support small military units. March Field remained quiet for only a short time. In July 1926, Congress created the Army Air Corps and approved the Army's five-year plan which called for an expansion in pilot training and the activation of tactical units. Accordingly, funds were appropriated for
765-713: A way these codes are used. The assignment of these codes is governed by IATA Resolution 763, and it is administered by the IATA's headquarters in Montreal , Canada. The codes are published semi-annually in the IATA Airline Coding Directory. IATA provides codes for airport handling entities, and for certain railway stations. Alphabetical lists of airports sorted by IATA code are available. A list of railway station codes , shared in agreements between airlines and rail lines such as Amtrak , SNCF , and Deutsche Bahn ,
850-531: A wing to RAF Brize Norton , England, 5 June – 4 September 1954, and Andersen AFB , Guam , 5 October 1956 – 11 January 1957. The 320th was inactivated on 15 December 1960. Also during the Korean War, the Air Force Reserve 330th Bombardment Group was ordered to active duty on 1 May 1951 at March. The 330th flew borrowed B-29s from the 106th Bomb Group to train the reservists on the aircraft. The group
935-499: Is GSN and its IATA code is SPN, and some coincide with IATA codes of non-U.S. airports. Canada's unusual codes—which bear little to no similarity with any conventional abbreviation to the city's name—such as YUL in Montréal , and YYZ in Toronto , originated from the two-letter codes used to identify weather reporting stations in the 1930s. The letters preceding the two-letter code follow
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#17328447888481020-499: Is also operationally-gained by Air Combat Command. Prior to 2013, the 144 FW stationed F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, initially consisting of F-16C/D Block 25, then F-16C/D Block 32, on alert at March. Following the wing's transition to the F-15 Eagle , the 144 FW now stations contracted South Dakota ANG (114th FW) F-16C Block 30s at this operating location in support of USNORTHCOM and NORAD . Civilian agency flight activities include
1105-600: Is available. However, many railway administrations have their own list of codes for their stations, such as the list of Amtrak station codes . Airport codes arose out of the convenience that the practice brought pilots for location identification in the 1930s. Initially, pilots in the United States used the two-letter code from the National Weather Service (NWS) for identifying cities. This system became unmanageable for cities and towns without an NWS identifier, and
1190-518: Is different from the name in English, yet the airport code represents only the English name. Examples include: Due to scarcity of codes, some airports are given codes with letters not found in their names: The use of 'X' as a filler letter is a practice to create three-letter identifiers when more straightforward options were unavailable: Some airports in the United States retained their NWS ( National Weather Service ) codes and simply appended an X at
1275-513: Is in conjunction to rules aimed to avoid confusion that seem to apply in the United States, which state that "the first and second letters or second and third letters of an identifier may not be duplicated with less than 200 nautical miles separation." Thus, Washington, D.C. area's three airports all have radically different codes: IAD for Washington–Dulles , DCA for Washington–Reagan (District of Columbia Airport), and BWI for Baltimore (Baltimore–Washington International, formerly BAL). Since HOU
1360-532: Is not followed outside the United States: In addition, since three letter codes starting with Q are widely used in radio communication, cities whose name begins with "Q" also had to find alternate codes, as in the case of: IATA codes should not be confused with the FAA identifiers of U.S. airports. Most FAA identifiers agree with the corresponding IATA codes, but some do not, such as Saipan , whose FAA identifier
1445-416: Is used for William P. Hobby Airport , the new Houston–Intercontinental became IAH. The code BKK was originally assigned to Bangkok–Don Mueang and was later transferred to Suvarnabhumi Airport , while the former adopted DMK. The code ISK was originally assigned to Gandhinagar Airport (Nashik's old airport) and later on transferred to Ozar Airport (Nashik's current airport). Shanghai–Hongqiao retained
1530-533: The Air Defense Command (ADC). This move reflected an effort to concentrate all fighter forces deployed within the continental United States to strengthen the air defense of the North American continent. The creation of ConAC was largely an administrative convenience: the units assigned to ConAC were dual-trained and expected to revert to their primary strategic or tactical roles after the air defense battle
1615-561: The Canadian transcontinental railroads were built, each station was assigned its own two-letter Morse code : When the Canadian government established airports, it used the existing railway codes for them as well. If the airport had a weather station, authorities added a "Y" to the front of the code, meaning "Yes" to indicate it had a weather station or some other letter to indicate it did not. When international codes were created in cooperation with
1700-493: The Hobson Plan , prescribed a standard organizational setup for all Army Air Force bases worldwide. In 1947, the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (later Wing) was activated as part of a service-wide, wing-base test and assigned to March. When the wing was activated, only the 67th Reconnaissance Group was fully operational. The group was equipped with FA-26 Invaders (RB-26 after 1948) and Lockheed FP-80s (RF-80s after 1948) and
1785-594: The Korean War , the group flew 335 sorties with only fourteen aborts and dropped over 6,500 tons of bombs. It redeployed to the United States in late October and November 1950. On 2 January 1951, the 44th Bombardment Wing was activated and assigned to Fifteenth Air Force. It was equipped with refurbished B-29 and TB-29 bombers drawn from mothballed World War II storage at Pyote AFB in Texas and Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona . It
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#17328447888481870-464: The "Sabre Dancers", was composed of five members of the 27th Fighter Squadron. The Sabre Dancers made what was probably their most widely viewed flight on 22 April 1950, when they performed before an Armed Forces Day audience at Eglin AFB , Florida , that included President Harry S. Truman , most of his Cabinet, and numerous other political leaders. On 16 April 1950, the 1st Fighter Wing was redesignated as
1955-527: The 1st Bombardment Wing initiated a period where March Field became associated with the Air Corps' heaviest aircraft as well as an assortment of fighters. Aircraft on March's flightline in the 1930s included Keystone B-4 , Martin B-10 /B-12 and Douglas B-18 Bolo bombers; Boeing P-12 , P-26 Peashooter , and Curtiss P-36 Hawk pursuit aircraft; Northrop A-17 A dive bombers and Douglas O-38 observation aircraft. In
2040-661: The 1st Fighter Group deployed a sizable contingent of aircraft to participate in the filming of the RKO Pictures film Jet Pilot . The group claimed a final formation record on 4 January when it passed a twenty-four plane formation (consisting of eight aircraft from each squadron) "before the cameras." (Note: The film was not released to theaters until October 1957, by which time the F-86A was obsolete). The 1st Fighter Group formed its own aerial demonstration team in January 1950. The team, dubbed
2125-465: The 1st Fighter Wing was attached to it with both wings sharing the same commanding officer. The new F-86A fighter developed numerous teething troubles during its first months of service, but 1st Fighter Group mechanics gradually overcame these difficulties. When the squadrons found themselves able to launch large formations on schedule, they competed to establish various formation records. The purpose of this exercise became clear in early January 1950, when
2210-640: The 1st Fighter-Interceptor Wing. On 30 June 1950, the 1st Fighter-Interceptor Group was assigned to the 1st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, which was itself assigned to Fifteenth Air Force and SAC. On 1 July the wing was relieved from assignment to Fifteenth Air Force and SAC and assigned to the Fourth Air Force and ConAC. Two days later the wing issued orders establishing advanced parties of its headquarters and component organizations at Victorville (later George) AFB , California . The wing made its permanent change of station move to Victorville on 18 July. Detached from
2295-509: The 22d Bombardment Wing (22 BW) was reassigned to March from Smoky Hill Air Force Base , Kansas . The 22d was equipped with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress . The 1st Fighter Wing was subsequently attached to the 22 BW on 1 July as the 22d Wing's headquarters was initially non-operational and its operational components were detached so it shared a commander with the 1st Fighter Wing. The 22d Bomb Wing became operational on 1 May 1949 and
2380-441: The 445th Military Airlift Wing transferred to March from the closing Norton AFB in nearby San Bernardino . On 3 January 1994, the 22d Air Refueling Wing was reassigned without aircraft to McConnell AFB , Kansas , replacing the inactivating 384th Bomb Wing . The Air Mobility Command's 722d Air Refueling Wing stood up at March and absorbed the assets of the reassigned 22d. March's KC-10A aircraft assets would later be transferred to
2465-511: The 452d Troop Carrier Wing was activated at March. This established the presence of the Air Force Reserve on the base with their Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars . The wing was not tactically operational from 11 March to 15 September 1963, while the 2nd Bombardment Squadron converted to Boeing B-52B bombers and KC-135 jet tankers replaced the KC-97s. In 1966, the 2d Bomb Squadron converted to
2550-610: The 60th Airlift Wing, redesignated as the 60th Air Mobility Wing , at Travis AFB , California. IATA airport code An IATA airport code , also known as an IATA location identifier , IATA station code , or simply a location identifier , is a three-letter geocode designating many airports and metropolitan areas around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The characters prominently displayed on baggage tags attached at airport check-in desks are an example of
2635-604: The B-52D and gained a commitment to forward deploy to the Pacific and engage in combat during the Vietnam War . In 1966, the wing absorbed the B-52Ds and added the 486th Bombardment Squadron from the inactivating 340th Bombardment Wing at Bergstrom Air Force Base , Texas when Bergstrom converted to a TAC fighter/reconnaissance base. The addition of a second tanker and bomber squadron made the 22d
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2720-488: The C.C.C. program got under way, under Hap Arnold's direct oversight. The completion of the first phase of permanent buildings in 1934 added to the scenic quality of the base. The Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 quickly brought March Field back into the business of training aircrews. Throughout World War II , many soon-to-be-famous bombardment groups performed their final training at March before embarking for duty in
2805-755: The Empire, is a biennial air show held at March ARB. It is among the largest events in the Inland Empire and Riverside County . The show has featured such performers as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds , the F-22 Raptor and many other military and civilian demonstrations. 2010 saw the Patriots Jet Team as the highlight demonstration team of the show. Attendance for the 2010 show was estimated at over 150,000. The most recent event, renamed
2890-509: The KC-10A's cargo, passenger, and fuel load capacity to provide support during the evacuation of U.S. nationals as part of the invasion of Grenada in 1983. In December 1989, the wing's 22d Air Refueling Squadron inactivated and all its KC-135A Stratotankers were retired or transferred to other SAC bases. This left the KC-10-equipped 6th and 9th ARS as the wing's only flying squadrons. The base
2975-488: The P-80 a high accident rate, while parts shortages curtailed operational training. Even so, the 1st Fighter Group maintained a heavy schedule of demonstration flights that served to introduce the fighter to a curious public. On 15 August 1947, the 1st Fighter Wing was activated as part of AAF Regulation 20-15, "Reorganization of AAF Base Units and Installations," on 27 June 1947. This regulation, which laid out what became known as
3060-412: The Pacific. Known sub-bases and auxiliaries used for training were: On a lighter note, entertainer Bob Hope 's first USO show was held at March on 6 May 1941. He had been asked to do this show on location by his radio producer Albert Capstaff, whose brother was stationed there. Jack Benny later originated his own radio program from March Field on 11 January 1942. After the war, March was assigned to
3145-610: The Southern California Air Show, was held April 22–23, 2023. March is one of the oldest airfields operated by the United States military, being established as Alessandro Flying Training Field in February 1918. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the United States entry into World War I in April 1917. The airfield was renamed March Field the following month for 2nd Lieutenant Peyton C. March, Jr. ,
3230-500: The U.S. For example, several airports in Alaska have scheduled commercial service, such as Stebbins and Nanwalek , which use FAA codes instead of ICAO codes. Thus, neither system completely includes all airports with scheduled service. Some airports are identified in colloquial speech by their IATA code. Examples include LAX and JFK . Peyton C. March, Jr. Peyton Conway March Jr. (January 1, 1897 – February 13, 1918)
3315-694: The United States or Europe. In 1917, March enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps . He trained in Toronto and Austin, Texas . In 1918, March was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Signal Corps after completing flying tests and gunnery instruction. On February 12, 1918, he was seriously injured in an airplane accident at Hicks Field , near Fort Worth, Texas , and died of his injuries in
3400-481: The United States, because "Y" was seldom used in the United States, Canada simply used the weather station codes for its airports, changing the "Y" to a "Z" if it conflicted with an airport code already in use. The result is that most major Canadian airport codes start with "Y" followed by two letters in the city's name (for example, YOW for O tta w a , YWG for W innipe g , YYC for C algar y , or YVR for V ancouve r ), whereas other Canadian airports append
3485-440: The airport itself instead of the city it serves, while another code is reserved which refers to the city itself which can be used to search for flights to any of its airports. For instance: Or using a code for the city in one of the major airports and then assigning another code to another airport: When different cities with the same name each have an airport, they need to be assigned different codes. Examples include: Sometimes,
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3570-418: The airport's former name, such as Orlando International Airport 's MCO (for Mc C o y Air Force Base), or Chicago's O'Hare International Airport , which is coded ORD for its original name: Or char d Field. In rare cases, the code comes from the airport's unofficial name, such as Kahului Airport 's OGG (for local aviation pioneer Jimmy H ogg ). In large metropolitan areas, airport codes are often named after
3655-408: The base's basic mission changed. When Randolph Field began to function as a training site in 1931, March Field became an operational base. Before the end of the year, the 7th Bombardment Group, commanded by Major Carl A. Spaatz , brought its Curtiss B-2 Condor and Keystone B-3A bombers to the airfield. The activation of the 17th Pursuit Group and several subordinate units along with the arrival of
3740-566: The base. Also the separate training squadrons were consolidated into a single Flying School detachment, as many of the personnel assigned were being demobilized. The signing of the armistice in November 1918 did not halt training at March Field. Initially March was used by several Air Service squadrons that returned from France: On 13 December 1919, the United States House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill for $ 9.6 million for
3825-531: The building foundations, and on 1 March 1918, Alessandro Flying Training Field was opened. On 20 March 1918, Alessandro Flying Training Field became March Field , named in honor of Second Lieutenant Peyton C. March, Jr. , son of the Army Chief of Staff, who had been killed when his Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" crashed in Fort Worth, Texas the previous month. His crash occurred two weeks after he had been commissioned in
3910-491: The code SHA, while the newer Shanghai–Pudong adopted PVG. The opposite was true for Berlin : the airport Berlin–Tegel used the code TXL, while its smaller counterpart Berlin–Schönefeld used SXF; the Berlin Brandenburg Airport has the airport code BER, which is also part of its branding. The airports of Hamburg (HAM) and Hannover (HAJ) are less than 100 nautical miles (190 km) apart and therefore share
3995-668: The decade before World War II, March Field took on much of its current appearance and also began to gain prominence. Lieutenant Colonel Henry H. (Hap) Arnold , base commander from 1931 to 1936, began a series of well-publicized maneuvers to gain public attention. This resulted in a visit by Governor James Rolph in March 1932, numerous visits by Hollywood celebrities including Bebe Daniels , Wallace Beery , Rochelle Hudson and others, and visits by famous aviators including Amelia Earhart . Articles in Los Angeles newspapers also kept March Field in
4080-919: The end. Examples include: A lot of minor airfields without scheduled passenger traffic have ICAO codes but not IATA codes, since the four letter codes allow more number of codes, and IATA codes are mainly used for passenger services such as tickets, and ICAO codes by pilots. In the US, such airfields use FAA codes instead of ICAO. There are airports with scheduled service for which there are ICAO codes but not IATA codes, such as Nkhotakota Airport/Tangole Airport in Malawi or Chōfu Airport in Tokyo, Japan. There are also several minor airports in Russia (e.g., Omsukchan Airport ) which lack IATA codes and instead use internal Russian codes for booking. Flights to these airports cannot be booked through
4165-557: The first three letters of the city in which it is located, for instance: The code may also be a combination of the letters in its name, such as: Sometimes the airport code reflects pronunciation, rather than spelling, namely: For many reasons, some airport codes do not fit the normal scheme described above. Some airports, for example, cross several municipalities or regions, and therefore, use codes derived from some of their letters, resulting in: Other airports—particularly those serving cities with multiple airports—have codes derived from
4250-474: The following format: Most large airports in Canada have codes that begin with the letter "Y", although not all "Y" codes are Canadian (for example, YUM for Yuma, Arizona , and YNT for Yantai , China), and not all Canadian airports start with the letter "Y" (for example, ZBF for Bathurst, New Brunswick ). Many Canadian airports have a code that starts with W, X or Z, but none of these are major airports. When
4335-593: The form of " YYZ ", a song by the rock band Rush , which utilizes the Morse code signal as a musical motif. Some airports have started using their IATA codes as brand names , such as Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Numerous New Zealand airports use codes that contain the letter Z, to distinguish them from similar airport names in other countries. Examples include HLZ for Hamilton , ZQN for Queenstown , and WSZ for Westport . Predominantly, airport codes are named after
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#17328447888484420-600: The group's three squadrons (the 27th, 71st, and 94th Fighter Squadrons) flew Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (after 11 June 1948 F-80), America's first operational jet fighter. Few members of the 1st Fighter Group foresaw subsequent difficulties in the summer of 1946 as they trained with their new jet fighters. The 412th had reported in the summer of 1945 that the P-80 would be well suited for bomber escort, counterair, and ground support. The 1st Fighter Group trained for these and other possible strategic and tactical missions. Pilot inexperience and mechanical difficulties combined to give
4505-664: The host unit at March remains the 452 AMW, which in addition to its operational flying mission, also provides host base support for numerous tenant units. March JARB is also the home to Headquarters, Fourth Air Force (4 AF) of the Air Force Reserve Command and multiple units of the California Air National Guard . Since 1995, March ARB has hosted alert site operations of the California Air National Guard 's 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW), which
4590-482: The international air booking systems or have international luggage transferred there, and thus, they are booked instead through the airline or a domestic booking system. Several heliports in Greenland have 3-letter codes used internally which might be IATA codes for airports in faraway countries. There are several airports with scheduled service that have not been assigned ICAO codes that do have IATA codes, especially in
4675-403: The job of base commander and commandant of the flying school. Classes began shortly after his arrival. The 13th School Group and its 47th and 53rd School Squadrons provided primary and basic flying training for future Air Force leaders such as Hoyt Vandenberg , Nathan Twining , Thomas Power and Curtis LeMay . As March Field began to take on the appearance of a permanent military installation,
4760-593: The largest air mobility wing of the Fourth Air Force. In addition to multiple units of the Air Force Reserve Command supporting Air Mobility Command , Air Combat Command and Pacific Air Forces , March ARB is also home to units from the Army Reserve , Navy Reserve , Marine Corps Reserve , California Air National Guard and the California Army National Guard . For almost 50 years, March AFB
4845-612: The name of the airport itself, for instance: This is also true with some cities with a single airport (even if there is more than one airport in the metropolitan area of said city), such as BDL for Hartford, Connecticut 's B ra dl ey International Airport or Baltimore's BWI, for B altimore/ W ashington I nternational Airport ; however, the latter also serves Washington, D.C. , alongside Dulles International Airport (IAD, for I nternational A irport D ulles) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA, for D istrict of C olumbia A irport). The code also sometimes comes from
4930-460: The new Tactical Air Command (TAC) as part of the postwar reorganization of the Army Air Force. March was allocated to TAC's Twelfth Air Force . The first TAC unit to be assigned was the 1st Fighter Group , under the command of Colonel Frank S. Perego, being reactivated at March on 3 July 1946, replacing and absorbing the assets of the wartime 412th Fighter Group . At the time of its activation,
5015-417: The new air field. Sergeant Charles E. Garlick, who had landed at Alessandro Field in a Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" in November 1917, was selected to lead the advance contingent of four men to the new base from Rockwell Field. On 26 February 1918, Garlick and his crew and a group of muleskinners from nearby Colton , known to be experts in clearing land as well as for their colorful syntax, began the task of excavating
5100-487: The news and brought to it considerable public attention. Beginning in April 1933, hundreds of Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) recruits began arriving at March Field every day. They totaled over 7000 by July of that year. They were housed in tent camps while waiting for permanent facilities to be constructed. That summer, at the direction of Malin Craig , Air Corps activities at the field were essentially placed on hold while
5185-416: The one they are located in: Other airport codes are of obscure origin, and each has its own peculiarities: In Asia, codes that do not correspond with their city's names include Niigata 's KIJ , Nanchang 's KHN and Pyongyang 's FNJ . EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg , which serves three countries, has three airport codes: BSL, MLH, EAP. Some cities have a name in their respective language which
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#17328447888485270-827: The plans of General George O. Squier , the Army's chief signal officer, to "put the Yankee punch into the war by building an army in the air". At the same time, the War Department announced its intentions to build several new military installations. Efforts by Frank Miller , then owner of the Mission Inn in Riverside, California , Hiram Johnson and others, succeeded in gaining War Department approval to construct an airfield at Alessandro Field located near Riverside, an airstrip used by aviators from Rockwell Field on cross-country flights from San Diego . The Army quickly set about establishing
5355-401: The purchase of additional land at military camps "which are to be made part of the permanent military establishment." March Field was allocated $ 64,000 of this amount. However, by 1921, the decision had been made to phase down all activities at the base in accordance with sharply reduced military budgets. By the spring of 1923, March Field was deactivated as an active duty airfield, however, and
5440-503: The recently deceased son of then-Army Chief of Staff Peyton C. March , who was killed in an air crash in Texas just fifteen days after being commissioned. The establishment of March Air Force Base began in the early 20th century at a time when the United States was rushing to build up its military forces in anticipation of an entry into World War I . In 1917, in response to news from the front lines, Congressional appropriations attempted to back
5525-658: The regular United States Army Air Service . By late April 1918, enough progress had been made in the construction of the new field to allow the arrival of the first troops. The commander of the 818th Aero Squadron detachment, Captain William Carruthers, took over as the field's first commander and for a time operated out of an office in the Mission Inn. Within a record 60 days, the grain stubble-covered plain of Moreno Valley had been partially transformed to include twelve hangars, six barracks equipped for 150 men each, mess halls,
5610-592: The reopening of March Field in March 1927. Colonel William C. Gardenhire, assigned to direct the refurbishment of the base, had just directed his crews to replace underpinnings of many of the previous buildings when he received word the future construction would be in Spanish Mission architectural design . In time, March Field would receive permanent structures. The rehabilitation effort was nearly complete in August 1927, when Major Millard F. Harmon reported in to take over
5695-448: The retirement of the B-52D in 1982, the 22d Bombardment Wing was renamed the 22d Air Refueling Wing and re-equipped with new KC-10A Extenders (based on the DC-10 airliner), making the 22d the third Air Force unit to operate the giant new tankers, behind Barksdale and Seymour Johnson AFBs. Two months later, the wing lost its bomber mission and became the 22d Air Refueling Wing. The 22d used
5780-501: The same first and middle letters, indicating that this rule might be followed only in Germany. Many cities retain historical names in their airport codes, even after having undergone an official name/spelling/transliteration change: Some airport codes are based on previous names associated with a present airport, often with a military heritage. These include: Some airports are named for an administrative division or nearby city, rather than
5865-497: The station code of Malton, Mississauga , where it is located). YUL is used for Montréal–Trudeau (UL was the ID code for the beacon in the city of Kirkland , now the location of Montréal–Trudeau). While these codes make it difficult for the public to associate them with a particular Canadian city, some codes have become popular in usage despite their cryptic nature, particularly at the largest airports. Toronto's code has entered pop culture in
5950-603: The sudden end of World War I on 11 November 1918, the future operational status of March Field was unknown. Many local officials speculated that the U.S. government would keep the field open because of the outstanding combat record established by March-trained pilots in Europe. Locals also pointed to the optimal weather conditions in the Riverside area for flight training. Cadets in flight training on 11 November 1918 were allowed to complete their training, however no new cadets were assigned to
6035-401: The two-letter code of the radio beacons that were the closest to the actual airport, such as YQX in Gander or YXS in Prince George . Four of the ten provincial capital airports in Canada have ended up with codes beginning with YY, including: Canada's largest airport is YYZ for Toronto Pearson (as YTZ was already allocated to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , the airport was given
6120-529: The use of two letters allowed only a few hundred combinations; a three-letter system of airport codes was implemented. This system allowed for 17,576 permutations, assuming all letters can be used in conjunction with each other. Since the U.S. Navy reserved "N" codes, and to prevent confusion with Federal Communications Commission broadcast call signs , which begin with "W" or "K", the airports of certain U.S. cities whose name begins with one of these letters had to adopt "irregular" airport codes: This practice
6205-432: The wing again had all its bomber resources loaned to other organizations for combat and contingency operations. Its KC-135 resources were also on loan from April to September 1972; afterwards, a few tankers returned to wing control. The 22d maintained a strategic bombardment alert posture from 1973 to 1982, but in 1978 it added conventional warfare missions, including mine-laying and sea reconnaissance/surveillance. After
6290-516: The wing retired its B-29 fleet and replaced them with the jet-powered Boeing B-47 Stratojet . In 1957, 22d Wing aircrews flew the longest non-stop mass flight in history: 5,840 miles (9,400 km) from England to California. General Archie Old, the Fifteenth Air Force commander, led a flight of three B-52 Stratofortresses in a flight around the world. The wing deployed to RAF Upper Heyford , England from December 1953 to March 1954. In 1960,
6375-536: The wing, the 22d Bombardment Group deployed its B-29s in early July 1950 to Kadena AB , Okinawa , where it came under control of FEAF Bomber Command (Provisional) . On 13 July, the group flew its first mission, against the marshaling yards and oil refinery at Wonsan , North Korea . By 21 October, it had amassed fifty-seven missions against the enemy, attacking bridges, factories, industrial targets, troop concentrations, airfields, marshaling yards, communications centers, and port facilities. During four months of combat in
6460-478: Was a Strategic Air Command base during the Cold War . The facility covers 2,075 acres (840 hectares) of land. On 1 January 1994, the 722d Air Refueling Wing was activated at then-March AFB to replace the 22d Air Refueling Wing , which was moving to McConnell AFB, KS, w/o/p/e. The wing was inactivated On 1 April 1996, and base responsibilities transferred to Air Force Reserve 452d Air Mobility Wing (452 AMW). Today
6545-541: Was an officer of the United States Army and military aviator. March was the son of Peyton C. and Josephine Smith ( née Cunningham) March and was born at Fort Monroe , Virginia , where his father was stationed. He attended Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania , where his grandfather, Francis March a professor. March was the first to hold the title of "Professor of English Language and Literature" anywhere in
6630-451: Was inactivated on 16 June and its personnel were sent to bases in Japan and Okinawa as replacements for active-duty personnel with B-29 groups. Following the return of the 22d Bombardment Group from Korea, the wing trained for proficiency in global strategic bombardment, and in 1952, the wing took delivery of Boeing KC-97 tankers, adding aerial refueling to its mission. The following year,
6715-414: Was integrated with the 1st Fighter Wing, performing a wide array of day and night photographic missions in southern California. Budget constraints, though, resulted in the wing's inactivation in March 1949. In December 1948, Twelfth Air Force and March AFB were assigned from Tactical Air Command to Continental Air Command (ConAC), established on 1 December 1948. ConAC assumed jurisdiction over both TAC and
6800-519: Was listed on the National Priorities List as a Superfund site on 21 November 1989. In July 1990, the 163d Tactical Fighter Group changed missions and was re-designated the 163rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, equipped with RF-4C Phantom II aircraft. The 22 ARW supported F-117 deployments to Saudi Arabia and contributed aircraft and personnel to logistics efforts in support of the liberation of Kuwait from 1990 to 1991. On 1 June 1992,
6885-460: Was reassigned to the 12th Air Division of Fifteenth Air Force on 10 February 1951, and then the 21st Air Division within Fifteenth Air Force on 4 August 1951. The Wing moved to Lake Charles Air Force Station , Louisiana , on 1 August 1951. On 28 March 1951, the California Air National Guard 106th Bombardment Group was activated to federal service at March and put on active duty. The group was initially equipped with refurbished B-29s and its mission
6970-507: Was the 215th Aero Squadron, which was transferred from Rockwell Field, North Island, California. Later the 68th and the 289th were also transferred up from Rockwell. Only a few U.S. Army Air Service aircraft arrived with squadrons, most of the Curtiss JN-4 Jennys to be used for flight training were shipped in wooden crates by railcar. March Field served as a base for primary flight training with an eight-week course. It could accommodate
7055-531: Was to train reservists to backfill rotating B-29 combat crews serving in Korea. While the reservists were undergoing training they were paid on the lesser reserve pay scale. The group was redesignated as the 320th Bombardment Wing replacing the 106th in December 1952. At March, the wing conducted global bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC commitments. Trained B-47 cadre for 96th Bombardment Wing, Medium, December 1953 – January 1955. Deployed as
7140-499: Was won. The 1st Fighter Wing was subsequently transferred from Twelfth Air Force/TAC to Fourth Air Force / ConAC on 20 December 1948. The first F-86 As, assigned to the 94th Fighter Squadron, arrived on 15 February 1949. By the end of June the wing had received seventy-nine of its eighty-three authorized F-86s. On 1 May 1949, March became a part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) and the Fifteenth Air Force (15AF). On 10 May,
7225-496: Was written off at March Field. "By Associated Press to The Sun Riverside, Aug. 2. – William L. Ash, flying cadet at March field [ sic ], fell 1,000 feet in a tail spin today and was seriously injured. He suffered a fractured leg and arm and puncture of the side. It is expected he will recover. Ash lived in Pittsburg , Kansas. It was the first serious accident at March field. Ash was making his second solo flight when he fell." With
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