Graham Air Base was a United States Air Force base located in Marianna, Florida . After it was closed in 1960, it was reused as Marianna Municipal Airport .
54-600: Download coordinates as: The federal government acquired the airport at the city of Marianna in 1942 and added 1,915 acres (7.7 km) additional in order to construct the Marianna Army Air Field for the U.S. Army Air Forces . The airfield opened on 8 August 1942 and eventually had six hard surface runways averaging 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in length and was a training base for the Southeast Army Air Force Training Command. In addition to
108-465: A .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun on the right nose cowl, right wing, and in the rear cockpit, and could carry a light bomb rack. The aircraft was powered by the 600 hp (450 kW) R-1340-AN-1 engine. The USAAC received 400. The NA-88 design was used to build 2970 AT-6Cs (747 of which went to the British Commonwealth as Harvard IIas), 2401 SNJ-4s, 2604 AT-6Ds (537 of which went to
162-531: A 140 US gal (530 L; 120 imp gal) fuel capacity, while previous models had a 110 US gal (420 L; 92 imp gal) capacity. The rear cockpit also had the same instruments as the front cockpit. Then, in 1951, the USAF placed an order for 824 T-6Gs, designated T-6G-1-NH, for the Air Training Command. The Canada Car and Foundry built 285 Harvard 4s, designated NA-186 under
216-945: A 20 US gal (76 L; 17 imp gal) centerline drop tank . From 1942, Canada's Noorduyn built 2557 R-1340-AN-1-powered Harvard IIs under license, paid for by USAAF Lend-Lease funds as the AT-16, but designated as the Harvard II.B. After WWII, many remained in service with the RCAF. The NA-168 series consisted of remanufactured AT-6s and SNJs for the USAF , starting in 1949. The Air Training Command received 641 aircraft, designated T-6G-NT, of which 416 eventually were sent to U.S. Military Assistance Program countries. U.S. National Guard units received an additional 50 aircraft, of which 28 eventually were sent to France. An additional 59 aircraft were Liaison/Trainer aircraft, designated LT-6G-NA, for
270-495: A brief break in 1944 and 1945 for service during World War II. He served during a long period in which Florida was effectively a one-party state dominated by Democrats, as the Republican Party had been weakened by the disfranchisement of African Americans by racist policies and Jim Crow laws . The Republican Party began a resurgence in the 1970s. In 1975 Sikes was accused by Common Cause of financial misconduct and
324-653: A hundred T-6Gs, also in the counterinsurgency role, during the Portuguese Colonial War . During this war, almost all the Portuguese Air Force bases and air fields in Angola , Mozambique , and Portuguese Guinea had a detachment of T-6Gs. On 16 June 1955, rebel Argentine Navy SNJ-4s bombed Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina; one was shot down by a loyalist Gloster Meteor . Navy SNJ-4s were later used by
378-537: A manufacturing license. The first CAC Wirraway , based on the NA-33, flew on 27 March 1939, of which 755 were built. In August 1937, Mitsubishi Jukogyo K.K. purchased a single NA-16 , NA-16-4R (NA-37), powered by the 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985-9CG, including manufacturing rights. A second N-16, NA-16-4RW (NA-47), powered by a smaller Wright engine, was ordered in December 1937. After being evaluated by
432-603: Is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy , Royal Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1970s. Designed by North American Aviation , the T-6 is known by a variety of designations depending on
486-816: The Gulf Coast Congressional Report on WKRG-TV in Mobile, Alabama (the CBS affiliate for most of his district) in 1973. He left the program in 1979 upon his retirement. In 1975, Common Cause , a public-affairs lobbying group, accused Sikes of using his office for personal gain. He owned stock in First Navy Bank at Naval Air Station Pensacola , a bank that had been established by government officials at his urging, as well as in military contractor Fairchild Industries , which benefited from government contracts. He failed to disclose his interest in both these companies in
540-729: The 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 . Sikes was a colleague of representatives Courtney W. Campbell , a fellow Democrat, and William C. Cramer of St. Petersburg , who defeated Campbell in 1954 to become the first Republican elected in Florida to the House delegation since 1880 after Reconstruction. Sikes's district, which was renumbered as the 1st District in 1963, began moving away from its Yellow Dog Democratic roots after World War II. The district's voters began splitting their tickets as early as
594-710: The 79th and sixteen succeeding Congresses. After the war, Sikes was selected as a delegate to the Interparliamentary Conference in Warsaw , Poland , in 1959. Sikes was a signatory to the 1956 Southern Manifesto that opposed the desegregation of public schools ordered by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education . Sikes voted against the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 , 1960 , 1964 , and 1968 as well as
SECTION 10
#1733085370425648-849: The Imperial Japanese Navy , Kyusu and K.K. Watanabe Tekkosho chose to ignore the NAA design almost entirely, and built 176 of the somewhat similar K10W1 from 1941 to 1942 which the Allies gave the code name Oak . After WWII , the Japanese Air Self Defense Force operated 195 Texans (9 T-6Ds, 11 T-6Fs, and 175 T-6Gs) and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force operated 62 (10 SNJ-4s, 41 SNJ-5s, and 11 SNJ-6s) According to Dan Hagedorn, "the BC-1A series may be regarded as
702-645: The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 as a night ground-support aircraft, hitting soft transport vehicles of the Indian army. In the early hours of 5 December, during a convoy interdiction mission in the same area, Squadron Leader Israr Quresh's T-6G Harvard was hit by Indian antiaircraft ground fire and a shell fractured the pilot's right arm. Profusely bleeding, the pilot flew the aircraft back with his left hand and landed safely. The World War II-vintage propellered trainers were pressed into service and performed satisfactorily in
756-454: The Korean War . These aircraft could be deployed with 2 detachable .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun pods, and 4 HVARs , or 4 100 lb (45 kg) bombs, plus a 55 US gal (210 L; 46 imp gal) auxiliary drop tank. Alternatively, they could carry the gun pods and 12 2.25 in (57 mm) SCA markings rockets, or 6 100 lb (45 kg) bombs. The T-6G-NAs had
810-623: The Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP) and an additional 270 directly for the RCAF. In April 1951, the USAF ordered an additional 107 T-6Gs for the MDAP, designated NA-188. They placed an order for 11 training aircraft in March 1952, designated NA-195, and then a final batch of 110 aircraft in June for MDAP, designated NA-197. The aircraft was mainly used for training, but in many cases it
864-607: The Shorts Tucano 's higher stall speed was ill-suited). The T-6G was also used in a light attack or counterinsurgency role by France during the Algerian War in special Escadrilles d'Aviation Légère d'Appui (EALA), armed with machine guns, bombs and rockets. At its peak, 38 EALAs were active. The largest unit was the Groupe d'Aviation Légère d'Appui 72, which consisted of up to 21 EALAs. From 1961 to 1975, Portugal used more than
918-733: The T-33 Shooting Star . Although its instructor cadre was primarily civilian, Graham AB was still an Air Force installation with an overall military cadre in command and operated under constant military supervision. Students were a combination of both commissioned USAF officers and non-commissioned USAF aviation cadets, the latter who would receive their commissions upon completion of flight training. New bachelor officer quarters, cadet barracks and other facilities were built. The air base employed 700 civilians in addition to assigned USAF military cadre and student personnel. Notable graduates of initial pilot training at Graham AB include former Chief of
972-542: The United States Army during World War II. He was commissioned as a major. As a Congressman, Sikes had pressed for development in the state, including of Eglin Field as a test facility of the United States Army Air Forces , and later, the U.S. Air Force . When President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered all legislators on active duty to return to Washington, Sikes ran for his old seat in 1944 and won. He served in
1026-609: The colorado rebels in the 1963 Argentine Navy Revolt , launching attacks on the 8th Tank Regiment columns on 2 and 3 April, knocking out several M4 Sherman tanks, and losing one SNJ to anti-aircraft fire. In 1957–58, the Spanish Air Force used T-6s as counterinsurgency aircraft in the Ifni War , armed with machine guns, iron bombs, and rockets, achieving an excellent reputation due to its reliability, safety record, and resistance to damage. The Pakistan Air Force used T-6Gs in
1080-483: The 1950s, and voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 1964 onward, except when the segregationist third-party candidacy of George Wallace won a majority in 1968 . However, Sikes remained very popular at home. He never won less than 80 percent of the vote, and usually faced " sacrificial lamb " Republican challengers on the occasions he faced any opposition at all. In 1964, for instance, Sikes
1134-520: The 1st and 2nd fighter squadrons of the Syrian Air Force in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War , providing ground support for Syrian troops, and launching airstrikes against Israeli airfields, ships, and columns, losing one aircraft to antiaircraft fire. They also engaged in air-to-air combat on a number of occasions, with a rear gunner shooting down an Israeli Avia S-199 fighter. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) bought 17 Harvards, and operated nine of them in
SECTION 20
#17330853704251188-722: The 83 built could be equipped with a .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun on the nose, and a flexible gun in the rear cockpit. The US Navy received 40 NA-28 aircraft based on the BT-9, which it designated the NJ-1, as well as 16 NA-52s, designated the SNJ-1, 36 NA-65 as SNJ-2s, and 25 NA-79 also as SNJ-2s. In March 1937, the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation of Australia purchased an NA-32 (NA-16-1A, with fixed undercarriage) and an NA-33 (NA-16-2K with retractible undercarriage) along with
1242-468: The British Commonwealth as Harvard IIIs), and 1357 SNJ-5s. The first AT-6C aircraft was delivered on 12 February 1942. The 12-volt electrical system was changed to a 24-volt system in the AT-6D, for standardization amongst the service. The AT-6D, which was also armament capable, and early versions included a wing gun camera, and a high-pressure oxygen system . The AT-6D used two toggle starter switches, rather than
1296-685: The City of Marianna in 1947. In 1953, the old Marianna Army Air Field was reactivated as a United States Air Force installation under the Air Training Command (ATC) in response to increased demands for pilots as a result of the Cold War and the associated increase in number of Air Force combat flying wings, especially within the Strategic Air Command . The facility was activated on 27 January 1953 and renamed Graham Air Base for William J. Graham,
1350-660: The Congo [REDACTED] Cuba [REDACTED] Denmark [REDACTED] Dominican Republic [REDACTED] El Salvador Robert L. F. Sikes Robert Lee Fulton Sikes (June 3, 1906 – September 28, 1994) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who represented the Florida Panhandle in the United States House of Representatives from 1941 to 1979, with
1404-648: The Greek army during the Battle of Gramos. Communist guerillas called these aircraft Ο Γαλατάς , O Galatas , 'The Milkman', because they saw them flying very early in the morning. After the "Milkmen", the guerillas waited for the armed Spitfires and Helldivers . During the Korean War and, to a lesser extent, the Vietnam War , T-6s were pressed into service as forward air control aircraft. These aircraft were designated T-6 "Mosquitos" . No. 1340 Flight RAF used
1458-579: The Harvard in Kenya against the Mau Mau in the 1950s, where they operated with 20 lb (9.1 kg) bombs and machine guns against the rebels. Some operations took place at altitudes around 20,000 ft (6,100 m) above mean sea level . A Harvard was the longest-serving RAF aircraft, with an example, taken on strength in 1945, still serving in the 1990s (as a chase plane for helicopter test flights—a role for which
1512-643: The Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero . A total of 15,495 T-6s of all variants were built. The Texan's ancestry goes back to the North American NA-16 prototype which was first flown on 1 April 1935. In 1935, NAA submitted this design for the U.S. Army Air Corps Basic Trainer Competition. NAA also targeted the export market. Modified as the NA-26, it was submitted as an entry for a USAAC "Basic Combat Trainer" aircraft competition in March 1937. Based on
1566-522: The Middle East in 1942. Record cards for 154 Squadron show the squadron Harvard being flown by Flying Officer DC Dunn from Minnigh (Syria) to Ramat David (Palestine) on 12 February 1944. Peru used its seven T-6 fighter bombers in the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War equipped with two 7.65 mm (0.30 in) guns, while carrying up to four 116 lb (53 kg) bombs. Twenty AT-6s were employed by
1620-759: The NA-18, but with a foot longer wingspan, it was the first of the NA-16 series with retractable gear. It was similar to the BT-9 , but with a larger engine, the 550 hp (410 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp , and could accommodate two .30 in (7.62 mm) guns. With minor alterations, 177 unarmed NA-36s would enter service as the BC-1 with a R-1340-47 engine from 9 June 1937. Roughly 30 were modified as BC-1-I instrument trainers. The BC-1A (NA-55-1) followed as an armed version, primarily for Air Corps Reserve and National Guard units, and
1674-583: The National Guard Bureau , Lieutenant General Russell C. Davis and former Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force , General Michael P. C. Carns , who was also a member of the first graduating class of the USAF Academy in 1959. In June 1958, the Air Force began replacing their prop-driven T-28s with the first T-37 Tweet jet trainers and, by 1960, the Air Force was fully committed to transitioning to
Graham Air Base - Misplaced Pages Continue
1728-594: The South African Border war. The T-6 remained in service until 1995 as a basic trainer, mainly as a result of the United Nations arms embargo against South Africa 's apartheid policies. They were replaced by Pilatus PC-7 MkII turboprop trainers. The Harvard 4 has been used in Canada as a testbed aircraft for evaluating cockpit attitude displays . Its aerobatic capability permits the instructor pilot to maneuver
1782-543: The Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) concept at selected Air Training Command installations with longer runways which would eventually host T-37 Tweet and T-38 Talon jet trainers. Facilities like Graham AB, with civilian contractor instructors and short runways became obsolete and were eventually closed in the early 1960s. The Air Force closed Graham AB in late 1960, despite efforts of influential Florida Congressman Robert L. F. Sikes to keep it running. As
1836-628: The aircraft into unusual attitudes, then turn the craft over to an evaluator pilot in the "blind" rear cockpit to recover, based on one of several digitally generated attitude displays. [REDACTED] Argentina [REDACTED] Austria [REDACTED] Belgium [REDACTED] Biafra [REDACTED] Bolivia [REDACTED] Brazil [REDACTED] Cambodia [REDACTED] Canada [REDACTED] Republic of China (Taiwan) [REDACTED] Chile [REDACTED] Colombia [REDACTED] Republic of
1890-548: The assigned role of convoy escorts at night. The South African Air Force received their first T-6s in October 1942 to be used by the Joint Air Training Scheme. By July 1944, 633 Harvard Mk IIA T-6s and IIIs had been shipped to South Africa with another 555 (379 MkIIAs and 176 Mk IIIs) to arrive by October 1945. Another 65 (AT-6Ds and 30 T-6Gs) were ordered between 1952 and 1956. The aircraft also saw some action during
1944-550: The base was inactivated as a military installation and turned over to civil control. Today the airport is known as Marianna Municipal Airport . In addition to its civilian general aviation traffic, the airport continues to see significant use by military aircraft, with one third of the airport's daily operations normally consisting of transient military training flights, primarily Army helicopters from Fort Novosel and Navy helicopters from Naval Air Station Whiting Field . AT-6 Texan The North American Aviation T-6 Texan
1998-532: The command of the 137th Army Air Forces Base Unit. With the reassignment to Third Air Force, the mission of the base was changed from the training of pilots for single-engine pursuit fighter aircraft to training of combat crews for the A-26 Invader light bomber aircraft. After the war ended, the airfield was closed on 15 February 1946 and the Federal Government returned control of 2,010 acres (8.1 km) to
2052-664: The final stages of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, against the Egyptian ground forces, with no losses. In the Sinai Campaign , IAF Harvards attacked Egyptian ground forces in Sinai Peninsula with two losses. The Royal Hellenic Air Force employed three squadrons of British- and American-supplied T-6D and G Texans for close air support, observation, and artillery spotting duties during the Greek Civil War , providing extensive support to
2106-531: The first of eventually 1275 Harvard Mark IIs (NA-66, NA-75, NA-76, and NA-81) for the Royal Air Force and RCAF. On 23 April 1939, NAA received a contract for 251 BT-14s and 94 AT-6s. The BT-14 (NA-58) was a fixed gear aircraft with a metal skinned fuselage 14 inches longer than the BT-9. In 1941, 27 BT-14s were refitted with the 400 hp (300 kW) R-985-11, and designated as BT-14A-NAs. In June 1939, NAA received an order for 94 AT-6-NAs (NA-59), powered by
2160-560: The foot pedal starter, and the first AT-6D was delivered on 22 July 1943. The Navy received an additional 630 AT-6Ds direct from the USAAF, redesignating them SNJ-5s, for a total of 1987. Similarly, the NA-121 design was used to build the final wartime Texans, and included 800 AT-6Ds (of which 211 went to the Navy as SNJ-5s), and 956 AT-6Fs (of which 411 went to the Navy as SNJ-6s). They were capable of carrying
2214-480: The installation was being scaled down as a military facility, the industrial committee of the Junior Chamber of Commerce worked to adapt the air base into a combination industrial park and civilian airport. The 3300th Training Squadron was inactivated on 1 February 1961 and the base's air traffic control tower permanently closed. ATC wanted to close the base in March, but an Air Force imposed freeze on shipping property delayed its final closure. However, on 31 August 1961
Graham Air Base - Misplaced Pages Continue
2268-488: The main airfield, Marianna AAF also had the following known sub-bases and auxiliaries The Army Air Forces Pilot School (Advanced-Single Engine) was activated on 1 September 1942, with the 17th Single Engine Flying Training Group being the Operational Training Unit. Aircraft used during training were P-40 Warhawks and AT-6 Texans . Marianna AAF was transferred from the jurisdiction of Eastern Flying Training Command to Third Air Force on 12 October 1944. The station came under
2322-498: The mission, with predominantly civilian instructors providing training in USAF PA-18 Super Cub and AT-6 Texan, and subsequently T-34 Mentor and T-28 Trojan aircraft, graduating a group of USAF student pilots from primary training every six weeks. Because its short runways could not readily accommodate the USAF jet trainers of the period, student pilots completing primary training were then assigned to other air force bases with longer runways for more advanced training in aircraft such as
2376-556: The model and operating air force. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and USAAF designated it as the AT-6 , the United States Navy the SNJ , and British Commonwealth air forces the Harvard , the name by which it is best known outside the US. Starting in 1948, the new United States Air Force (USAF) designated it the T-6 , with the USN following in 1962. The T-6 Texan remains a popular warbird used for airshow demonstrations and static displays. It has also been used many times to simulate various historical aircraft, including
2430-417: The nickname "the He-Coon". Sikes said the nickname was derived from a Panhandle legend about a male raccoon that not only knew where food and water were, but also fended off his enemies and looked after his territory. As Sikes put it, a he-coon was expected to "look after those around him." Along with Republican congressmen Jack Edwards of Alabama and Trent Lott of Mississippi , Sikes helped originate
2484-422: The school head and senior civilian instructor who provided flight training to pilots. Graham AB replaced Greenville Air Force Base , Mississippi as a contract pilot training school as Greenville AFB became an ATC basic single engine and jet pilot training school. The 3300th Pilot Training Group (Contract Primary) and the 3300th Pilot Training Squadron was reassigned from Greenville AFB to Graham AB to support
2538-432: The true beginning of the modern AT-6 series". In December 1938, the British Commonwealth started receiving the first of 400 Harvard Mark Is (NA-49), for use in the Central Flying School . They were powered by the 600 hp (450 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-S3H1 Wasp. In May 1939, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) ordered 30 Harvard Mark Is (NA-61). Then in November 1939, the British Purchasing Commission ordered
2592-422: The turn of the century, the Democratic-dominated legislature had passed a new constitution and laws that disenfranchised most African Americans, crippling the Republican Party, of which they had been the majority. Sikes was elected in 1936 to the Florida House of Representatives , during the Great Depression and a landslide year for the Democrats, aligned with the popular President Franklin D. Roosevelt . Sikes
2646-431: The wright R-1340-47 and able to mount two .30 in (7.62 mm) machines guns. The USAAC AT-6A, and the U.S. Navy SNJ-3, were based on the NA-77 and NA-78 designs. Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 Wasp radial engine powered the USAAC aircraft, while R-1340-38s powered the Navy aircraft. The USAAC received 1847 AT-6As, and the Navy received 270 SNJ-3s. The AT-6B (NA-84) was built for armament training, and could mount
2700-518: Was also repurposed into combat roles. The aircraft served in a great many air forces around the world in the mid to late 20th century. After serving in air forces, it also went on to be displayed at air shows and museums as a warbird . The British used Harvards during World War II in North Africa, but not in a combat role. They were used extensively for preparing pilots in theatre for flying US aircraft types, whose handling and controls differed from British aircraft. No. 74 Operational Training Unit (OTU)
2754-432: Was formed at RAF Aqir in Palestine from 'C' Flight of 71 OTU who made various moves to Rayak in July 1942, Muqeibila in November 1942, and back to Aqir in February 1943. The RAF later handed over control to No. 203 Group RAF in May 1943. The unit disbanded in July 1945. Harvard AJ841 "Wacky Wabbit" saw service with No. 154 Squadron RAF . Originally 154 Squadron were based just at RAF Fowlmere before they were deployed to
SECTION 50
#17330853704252808-417: Was investigated and censured by the House in 1976. He did not seek re-election in 1978. Sikes entered the publishing business in Crestview , in the Florida Panhandle near Destin and Fort Walton Beach , working in that field from 1933 to 1946. He soon became active in politics, joining the Democratic Party , which was effectively the only party for whites in the state in the early part of his career. At
2862-470: Was re-elected, serving until 1940. Sikes was elected in 1940 to the Seventy-seventh Congress from what was then the 3rd District, and was re-elected to a second term in the Seventy-eighth Congress. His victory followed a bitter Democratic primary campaign. As Florida was then essentially a one-party state, most races were effectively decided in the Democratic primary. Sikes served from January 3, 1941, until his resignation on October 19, 1944, to enter
2916-415: Was reelected unopposed even as Barry Goldwater won the district by such a large margin it almost pushed Florida into the Republican column. In Congress, Sikes became one of the most powerful men in Washington; he was often called "Florida's third Senator". He used his seniority to help build fourteen military bases in the Panhandle. He also had a reputation for strong constituent service, which garnered him
#424575