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74-601: Naval Air Station Glenview or NAS Glenview was an operational U.S. Naval Air Station from 1937 to 1995. Located in Glenview, Illinois , a suburb of Chicago, the air base primarily operated training aircraft as well as seaplanes on nearby Lake Michigan during World War II. Reconfigured as a Naval Air Reserve base following World War II, NAS Glenview supported Naval Air Reserve , Marine Air Reserve / 4th Marine Aircraft Wing , and U.S. Army Reserve 244th Aviation Group as well as an active duty Coast Guard Air Station. The base

148-488: A Sperry gyro compass and log, a Haynes automatic sounding machine along with high powered searchlights at each end of the ship. The ship was also equipped with twelve 60-person capacity lifeboats along with an assortment of life rafts and floats . When completed, Greater Buffalo was 518.7 ft (158.1 m) in length, a beam of 58 ft (18 m), height of 21.3 ft (6.5 m) and measured 7,739 gross register tons . She had nine boilers installed and

222-452: A business park with an area used as a "prairie reserve", and a new railroad station. Since the existing air base infrastructure had to be demolished to make room for a new supporting infrastructure, it was important for the LRA to develop the base in systematic stages. Removed were 1 million cubic yards of concrete, 1.5 miles of runways and 108 former Department of Defense buildings. In their place

296-469: A crew of 300 officers and enlisted with their cabins stationed on the lowest deck fore and aft of the ship's machinery. The final cost for construction was $ 3,500,000.00. Following a period of company growth during World War I, the Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company was able to order a pair of new ships for their Great Lakes routes. Greater Buffalo , along with her sister ship Greater Detroit ,

370-537: A number of former Naval Air Stations that have been realigned as part of larger Naval Stations (NAVSTA) or redesignated to other functions in the Navy. This includes the former NAS Norfolk , Virginia (now part of NAVSTA Norfolk ), the former NAF Mayport , Florida (now part of NAVSTA Mayport ), the former NAS Guantanamo Bay , Cuba (now part of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base ); and the former NAS Lakehurst , New Jersey (redesignated as Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst ). In

444-575: A result, naval planners opted to transfer primary flight training to multiple Naval Reserve Air Bases around the country and use NAS Pensacola for advanced training. NRAB Chicago was selected to be the first base in this program as a proof of concept. A subsequent construction program of 121 work days resulted in 1,300,000 square feet (120,000 m) of new concrete being poured for runways, taxiways and ramps, while new hangars and other administrative and support buildings were also constructed and completed by late November 1942. On 1 January 1943, NRAB Chicago

518-683: A similar role as Naval Air Stations and Naval Air Facilities for the United States Marine Corps . Marine aviation units are also assigned on occasion as permanently based units to Naval Air Stations, Naval Air Facilities and, in rare cases, to Air Force Bases and Air National Guard Bases as well. Like the Navy, the Marine Corps also operates a number of austere unstaffed or minimally staffed airfields known as Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Fields (MCALF), Marine Corps Outlying Landing Fields (MCOLF), or more simply Outlying Fields (OLF). Since

592-415: A sprinkler system throughout the ship and fire safety walls. Her hull was all steel with eleven watertight compartments and a double bottom divided into sixteen watertight compartments. Hydraulically controlled watertight doors could be remotely operated from the engine room. A full-time watchman was on duty to add an extra layer of protection for the ship and passengers. Navigation equipment included

666-525: Is RNAS Predannack . The Italy has three Marina Militare NAS: MARISTAELI Catania , MARISTAELI La Spezia Luni and MARISTAER Grottaglie . In the United States , a "Naval Air Station" (NAS) is an air base of the United States Navy. When located in foreign countries, they are more specifically named US Naval Air Stations (USNAS), to avoid confusion with naval air stations used by the navies of

740-550: Is The Glen , a 1,121 acre mixed-use district, with new homes, offices, and retail space, although the control tower and Hangar 1 have been preserved as a historic building. Hangar 1, including the control tower, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as building #98001357. However, according to the Glenview Hangar One Foundation, 85% of Hangar One was dismantled even following efforts by

814-454: Is also part of U.S. Naval Aviation and operates its own Coast Guard Air Stations and Coast Guard Air Facilities, either as stand alone installations on joint civil-military airports or Coast Guard-controlled facilities, or collocated at Naval Air Stations, Air Force Bases, Air National Guard Bases and Army Air Fields. Since the Coast Guard has no aviation facilities located in foreign countries,

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888-676: The A-4B Skyhawk , the squadron later transitioned to the A-4L Skyhawk . From 1967 to 1972, part of VA-725- cum -VA-209 also operated as the Air Barons , a Naval Air Reserve precision flight demonstration team that augmented the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels , and the U.S. Air Force's demonstration squadron, the Thunderbirds , at air show locations other than those where

962-501: The Battle of the Coral Sea . Sable was commissioned on 8 May 1943. The completed Sable departed Buffalo on 22 May 1943 and arrived at her assigned homeport of Chicago , Illinois, on 26 May 1943 and were docked at Navy Pier joining her sister ship USS Wolverine in what was casually referred to as the "Corn Belt Fleet". Sable along with her sister ship, Wolverine , were assigned to

1036-625: The Blue Angels or Thunderbirds were performing on a given weekend during the air show season. Both VA-209 and the Air Barons were disestablished in 1972. During the latter half of the Cold War from 1970 until 1990, and continuing on from the post-Cold War period until 1995, NAS Glenview was primarily the home of two Naval Air Reserve patrol squadrons, Patrol Squadron SIXTY (VP-60) and Patrol Squadron NINETY (VP-90). Initially equipped with

1110-679: The CH-34 D. In 1972, the squadron was redesignated for the last time to Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 776 (HML-776) and changed aircraft to the UH-1E which was eventually upgraded to the UH-1 N. This unit was deployed in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm and returned to NAS Glenview 10 months later. HML-776 was deactivated in 1994. NAS Glenview was also home to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing 's Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 ( VMGR-234 and its KC-130F and KC-130T Hercules aircraft until 1994, when

1184-603: The Great Depression Greater Buffalo along with her sister ship were taken out of service from 1930 through 1935. This, along with union disputes and worker strikes , caused continuing losses for her owners. In 1934, she had been allocated the Code Letters WSBH. In 1936 Greater Buffalo was docked at Cleveland and used as a "floating hotel" for attendees of the Republican Convention . The ship

1258-690: The Korean War and the Berlin Crisis . Each base also had an assigned Naval Air Reserve Training Unit (NARTU), which until a reorganization of the Naval Air Reserve in 1970, actually "owned" all assigned aircraft. One of the better units based at NAS Glenview in the post-World War II period was Attack Squadron 725 (VA-725), part of NARTU Glenview until 1970, when it was redesignated as Attack Squadron 209 (VA-209) and became part of Carrier Air Wing Reserve TWENTY (CVWR-20) from 1970 to 1972. Initially flying

1332-631: The P-2 Neptune , both later transitioned to the P-3A Orion , followed by another transition the P-3B Orion maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. These aircraft were home based at NAS Glenview and manned by a combination of full-time active duty Training and Administration of the Reserve (TAR) personnel and part-time Selected Naval Reservists (SELRES). Training activities were conducted from NAS Glenview and

1406-747: The U.S. Coast Guard are known as Coast Guard Air Stations . The Argentine Naval Aviation operates four Base Aeronaval (BAN): from BAN Punta Indio (BAPI) in Buenos Aires Province through BAN Comandante Espora (BACE) and BAN Almirante Zar (BAAZ) in Patagonia to BAN Almirante Quijada (BARD) at Tierra del Fuego . Runways also serve domestic airlines at almost all Argentine military air bases. The Navy operates Estacion Aeronaval (EAN) (stations) which have smaller crews and are not normally assigned aircraft. These include Ezeiza , Rio Gallegos and Ushuaia . The Argentine Naval Prefecture , serving as

1480-422: The U.S. Navy was to establish a series of Naval Reserve Air Bases (NRABs), the third one of which was established near Chicago adjacent to the then- Naval Training Station Great Lakes . Reservists initially flew and maintained seaplanes from shore facilities on Lake Michigan and a small field at Naval Training Station Great Lakes. These facilities eventually became inadequate for newer and larger aircraft entering

1554-472: The promenade deck at the stern of the ship was a smoking room with a line of windows that arced from one side of the ship to the other. Each room had a telephone connected by a central switch board located in the ship's lobby. The highest priced staterooms offered a private bathroom, couch and balcony. Her dining room could seat 375 with amenities including distilled water and what was advertised as "washed and cooled air" . Foot lights were incorporated into

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1628-760: The 1980s and between the US and multiple bases in Southwest Asia during Operations DESERT SHIELD / DESERT STORM in the 1990s. Through the mid-1990s, NAS Glenview was also home to twenty-seven Naval Air Reserve reinforcing/sustaining augmentation units, to include two patrol squadron augmentation units containing additional P-3 flight crews in an active flying status that also routinely flew VP-60 and VP-90 aircraft, as well as oversight of Naval Air Reserve training programs and associated reinforcing/sustaining units at Naval Air Reserve Center (formerly Naval Air Station) Twin Cities, Minnesota,

1702-489: The 9th Naval District Carrier Qualification Training Unit (CQTU) and were tasked with qualifying pilots for carrier operations. With the flight deck shorter and lower to the water it was felt that if a pilot could master take offs and landings they would have less trouble when they were stationed on a standard size carrier. Pilot training was conducted seven days a week with the fifty-nine pilots becoming qualified within nine hours of her first day of service. One issue that arose

1776-618: The Coast Guard, also operates air stations at Posadas , Buenos Aires , Mar del Plata , and Comodoro Rivadavia . Aircraft operating out of these bases are heavily involved in air/sea rescues. In Australia , there is one Naval air station, HMAS Albatross in Nowra , and the formal Naval Aircraft Repair Yard and apprentice training establishment at HMAS Nirimba in Nirimba Fields , Sydney . HMAS Albatross, commissioned in August 1948, serves as

1850-472: The Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company. Guests were entertained by an orchestra for dancing in the main dining room following dinner service as well as radio programming provided in the main salon . Along with passenger service Greater Buffalo , as well as other Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company ships, offered their customers the option of transportation for 125 automobiles on their voyage. During

1924-564: The Fleet in the 1930s, and it was recommended that the NRAB be relocated to Curtiss-Reynolds Airport/Curtiss Field. This recommendation was approved and military construction at Curtiss Field began on 4 January 1937, followed by an official dedication as NRAB Chicago on 28 August 1937. For the next three years, the air station's primary role was elimination training for students seeking appointments as Naval Aviation Cadets (NAVCADs). Those students meeting

1998-629: The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, or retired and mothballed. VR-51 was also disestablished concurrent with VP-60 and VP-90, with its C-9B aircraft similarly distributed to other VR squadrons or mothballed. In November 1997 a new squadron using the designation VR-51 was established as a Naval Air Reserve squadron at MCAS Kaneohe Bay , Hawaii, where it currently operates C-20G Gulfstream IV aircraft. The majority of NAS Glenview's Naval Reserve reinforcing/sustaining units were also disestablished, with their reserve personnel either retiring from

2072-544: The Marines' flight training is combined with the Navy and the Coast Guard, those fields dedicated to training of student aviators in the southeastern United States remain under Navy control. As a result, the Marine Corps' auxiliary fields support operational Fleet Marine Force (FMF) units for readiness purposes, such as field carrier landing practice (FCLP) for fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft embarking on aircraft carriers or amphibious assault ships. The United States Coast Guard

2146-565: The Navy or transferring to other Regular Navy or Naval Reserve commands/units at other bases. The air station was also home to Marine Corps aircraft. In 1959, the Marine Corps Reserve established the Marine Helicopter Transportation Squadron 776 (HMR-776) at NAS Glenview with HUP-2 helicopters. The squadron was redesignated as Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 776 (HMM-776) in 1962 and changed aircraft to

2220-629: The Navy transferred the last segment of the closed Naval Air Station Glenview (BRAC 1993) from Navy ownership to private ownership, with the Village of Glenview, Illinois and the Local Reuse Authority (LRA) taking possession of over 90% of the closed and transferring portion of the base. The first transfer occurred in September 1997, with the remaining 10% transferred in October 1999. This last 10% contained

2294-673: The Royal Navy's Sea Harriers, which were based upon the three Invincible -class aircraft carriers . However, upon the withdrawal of the BAe Sea Harrier in that year, no strike aircraft have operated from there. It is believed that all of their successors will be based at RAF Lossiemouth . The site also contains the Fleet Air Arm Museum , that showcases a variety of aircraft from the Royal Naval Air Service (1914–1918) until

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2368-639: The U.S. Air Force's Misawa AB in Japan; and NAF Mildenhall at the U.S. Air Force's RAF Mildenhall installation in the United Kingdom . Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) actions have resulted in closure of Naval Air Facilities such as NAF Detroit at Selfridge ANGB , Michigan; NAF Lajes at the U.S. Air Force's Lajes AB facility in the Azores ; NAF Kadena at the U.S. Air Force's Kadena AB , Japan; NAF Adak, Alaska ; and NAF Midway northwest of Hawaii. There are also

2442-574: The United States, a "Marine Corps Air Station" is an air base of the United States Marine Corps . When located in foreign countries, they are often identified as US Marine Corps Air Stations (USMCAS), following their US Navy counterparts (the Marine Corps falling as a service under the Department of the Navy ) as that term is used by the navies of other countries. As part of Naval Aviation, Marine Corps Air Stations and Marine Corps Air Facilities fill

2516-886: The airfield and Hangar One was $ 3 million in 1930. By adjusting the price for inflation, the relative cost in 2017 would equate to about $ 44.8 million. It was widely believed to be one of the Midwest's finest airports. In 1930, the National Air Races took place at Curtiss-Reynolds Airport/Curtiss Field and in 1933 the International Air Races took place there in conjunction with the Century of Progress . Such aviation luminaries as Charles Lindbergh , Wiley Post , Jimmy Doolittle and Art Chester attended. In 1934, Post tried to set an aviation altitude record from Curtiss. By 1938, civilian and military operations both operated from

2590-656: The busy search and rescue season from April through mid-November. However, CGAF Glenview subsequently ceased operations on 15 November 1996 and its operations eventually relocated to the current Coast Guard Air Facility Waukegan, Illinois. Towards the end and following the end of the Cold War , BRAC Commissions were established to shed what the Department of Defense and the U.S. Congress considered to be excess military units and infrastructure. The 1993 BRAC identified NAS Glenview for closure no later than 30 September 1995, along with corresponding inactivation or transfer of its assigned squadrons and other units. On 29 June 1998,

2664-498: The case of NAS Memphis , Tennessee (redesignated as Naval Support Activity Mid-South ), the airfield and flight line was turned over to local civilian authorities, while the Navy retained the remainder of the installation. There are also larger facilities that are similar to Naval Air Stations and possess large airfield facilities, but were actually constructed as part of much larger facilities or were dedicated to research and development activities. This includes NAVSTA Rota, Spain ;

2738-501: The closure of Fort Sheridan, IL in 1991. Coast Guard Air Station Chicago was commissioned as a tenant activity on the northwest corner of NAS Glenview in March 1969 and equipped with HH-52 Seaguard helicopters. Primarily a search and rescue (SAR) activity for the Great Lakes, Air Station Chicago was the primary U.S. Coast Guard aerial SAR unit for southern Lake Michigan, responsible for

2812-499: The distinction of being the only freshwater, coal-fired, side paddle-wheel aircraft carriers used by the United States Navy. Formerly named Greater Buffalo , Sable was built in 1924 by the American Ship Building Company of Lorain, Ohio, as a sidewheel excursion steamer designed by marine architect Frank E. Kirby . Her hull number was 00786 and the official number assigned to her was 223663. The interior of

2886-610: The field, but in 1940 it was sold to the United States Navy . Reduced military budgets between World War I and World War II forced the War Department and the Navy Department to place increased emphasis on Reserve and National Guard manpower, with many of the facilities for the personnel of these organizations located in major metropolitan areas, given their status as centers of civilian employment. One course pursued by

2960-569: The foundation and the U.S. Navy to preserve historical buildings. Naval Air Station The term "Naval Air Station" is used by many countries' navies, such as the United States Navy , the Royal Australian Navy , the Royal Navy , and the Indian Navy . In the case of the U.S. Navy, similar facilities in the U.S. Marine Corps are known as Marine Corps Air Stations and facilities in

3034-413: The hallways and staircases so that the main lights could be turned off for the passengers sleeping comfort. Greater Buffalo could transport up to 103 vehicles on her main deck and 1,000 tons of freight. At the time she was given the nickname "Majestic of the Great Lakes". To protect against a shipboard fire, safety features that were included in her construction included an automatic fire alarm system,

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3108-655: The home of the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet Air Arm, supporting various aircraft squadrons and housing the Fleet Air Arm Museum. HMAS Nirimba, operational from 1953 to 1994, played a crucial role in technical training for naval apprentices and aircraft maintenance. In 2017, the French Naval Aviation has four naval air stations (BAN), all located in metropolitan territory. In 2011, the BAN Tontouta

3182-579: The host countries. A slightly lower level of air base in the U.S. Navy is the Naval Air Facility. These facilities normally support smaller numbers of naval aircraft. Permanently based naval aircraft are usually minimal, with the principal focus being on supporting naval aircraft deployed from other installations. Examples are NAF Atsugi , Japan; NAF Diego Garcia , British Indian Ocean Territory; NAF El Centro , California; NAF Washington at Andrews AFB , Maryland; NAF Souda Bay, Crete; NAF Misawa at

3256-541: The land and facilities seeing extensive demolition and redevelopment. The importance of the redevelopment effort was significant. NAS Glenview was located in the geographic center of the Village of Glenview and contained 15% of the landmass. Once redevelopment planners decided not to use the existing infrastructure as an airfield, alternate plans were developed. The resulting plan called for a "mixed use" scenario providing open space and public land, senior and residential housing, recreational and sports areas, mixed retail areas,

3330-547: The latter facility now part of Minneapolis-Saint Paul Joint Air Reserve Station . Before its closure due to a 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision, the base was also used as a staging area and departure point for aircraft participating in the annual Chicago Air & Water Show . Following the 1993 BRAC decision, VP-60 and VP-90 were also slated for disestablishment and their respective P-3B aircraft either distributed to other Reserve patrol squadrons, identified for transfer to NATO and Allied military forces under

3404-406: The length of an Independence -class aircraft carrier and it was felt by the navy that if pilots could master takeoffs and landings on the shorter deck they would have less problems transitioning to a standard length carrier. Other benefits of using her for training were that an active duty combat ship would not have to be used for training and with her location on the Great Lakes she would be out of

3478-548: The newly formed Naval Air Reserve Training Command (NAVAIRESTRACOM) in 1946. NAVAIRESTRACOM's primary responsibility was the oversight of numerous reserve naval air stations throughout the US where experienced Naval Aviators , enlisted Naval Aircrewmen, and maintenance personnel from World War II could affiliate as Naval Reservists and maintain their aviation proficiency should their skills be needed for future conflicts. These skills were readily proven when squadrons and personnel were mobilized and recalled back to active duty during

3552-827: The patrol squadrons routinely deployed overseas for anti-submarine warfare operations against Soviet submarines and surface ships in the Atlantic and Mediterranean or for other operations in the Caribbean. Another Naval Air Reserve squadron at NAS Glenview was Fleet Logistics Support Squadron FIFTY-ONE (VR-51), operating the C-118 aircraft and later C-9B Skytrain II aircraft, providing operational support airlift and transport of military personnel and cargo worldwide. VR-51's noteworthy service included support of US military operations in Lebanon and Grenada during

3626-428: The pilots qualified on Sable was a 20-year-old Lieutenant, junior grade , future president George H. W. Bush . Of the estimated 135–300 aircraft lost during training, 35 have been salvaged and the search for more is underway. Both USS Sable and USS Wolverine hold the distinction of being the only freshwater, coal-driven, side paddle-wheel aircraft carriers used by the United States Navy. USS Sable earned both

3700-663: The present day. RNAS Yeovilton also has RNAS Merryfield as its training and satellite station. RNAS Culdrose serves a variety of helicopter and fixed-wing squadrons, such as the Sea King and the Jetstream respectively. Among the features at RNAS Culdrose is the "Dummy deck" which is used to train pilots to land on ships, the Merlin training facility, and the Fleet Requirements Air Direction Unit. Its satellite airfield

3774-485: The reach of enemy submarines and mines. Greater Buffalo was acquired by the Navy on 7 August 1942 by the War Shipping Administration to be converted into a training aircraft carrier and renamed Sable on 19 September 1942. When leaving her port in Detroit for the last time heading for her refit, it was reported that Greater Buffalo was "saluted" by those on board the other vessels in the area. Sable

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3848-429: The recently closed NAVSTA Roosevelt Roads , Puerto Rico; the still active Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake , California; and the recently closed Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster , Pennsylvania. The Navy also operates a number of austere unstaffed or minimally staffed airfields known as Naval Auxiliary Landing Fields (NALF), Naval Outlying Landing Fields (NOLF), or more simply Outlying Fields (OLF). In

3922-403: The remaining sites that required some form of remedial environmental action. The 90% milestone was because the operational closure of the base occurred in September 1995, just two years after the base was selected for closure during BRAC 1993 (aka "BRAC III"). Since then, much of the base property had been idle. The new use plan for the base was different from the previous airfield use, with much of

3996-515: The required standards were later transferred to NAS Pensacola , Florida for further flight training. By 1941, with the United States' entry into World War II appearing imminent, it was apparent to the naval leadership in Washington DC that the primary flight training facilities concentrated at and around NAS Pensacola would not be able to accommodate the needed expansion in Naval Aviation . As

4070-404: The service tends not use the term "U.S. Coast Guard Air Station" (USCGAS), but will use the term Coast Guard Air Station (CGAS) or more simply, "AIRSTA." The Coast Guard also operates a number of smaller Coast Guard Air Facilities, most of which are limited to rotary-wing operations only and support a limited number of aircraft and personnel. USS Sable (IX-81) USS Sable (IX-81)

4144-478: The ship was designed by W & J Sloane & Company of New York City in what was referred to as "an adaptation of the Renaissance style". The ship's saloon was on two decks, and there were 650 staterooms and more than 1,500 berths for passengers. A 22-foot (6.7 m)-long transportation-themed mural, painted by New York City artists Francklyn Paris and Frederick Wiley, was created on board Greater Buffalo . On

4218-735: The squadron was permanently relocated to NAS JRB Fort Worth , Texas as part of the BRAC -mandated closure of NAS Glenview. The Fort Sheridan, IL Flight Detachment (FSFD) relocated its C-12, U-21 and UH-1 aircraft from Fort Sheridan's Haley Army Airfield near Highwood, IL to NAS Glenview in 1978. Operating from NAS Glenview's Hangar 1, the active duty Army Flight Detachment provided U.S wide executive transport flight operations to U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Military Enlistment Processing Command, Fourth U.S. Army, USARMR V and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Chicago District which were all headquartered at Fort Sheridan. The Fort Sheridan Flight Detachment operated until

4292-483: The testing a variety of non-skid coatings applied to the flight deck. The deck of Sable was equipped with eight sets of arresting cables as well. A bridge island or superstructure was constructed on the starboard side of the ship along with outriggers forward of the island for storing damaged aircraft . On the main deck a lecture room, along with projection equipment, was constructed that could accommodate more than forty aviators with bunks for twenty one aviators. She

4366-549: The war, NAS Glenview also hosted advanced training in Fleet combat aircraft, primarily for carrier qualification in Lake Michigan aboard the Chicago-homeported training aircraft carriers USS Sable (IX-81) and USS Wolverine (IX-64) of the 9th Naval District Carrier Qualification Training Unit (CQTU). Following the end of World War II, NAS Glenview discontinued its role as a primary training base and became headquarters for

4440-532: The waters from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Muskegon, Michigan and south to Gary, Indiana. In April 1995, Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City gained operational responsibility for what was CGAS Chicago. Renamed Coast Guard Air Facility Glenview , the station remained on the base during NAS Glenview's BRAC closure process and consisted of a multipurpose hangar, office facility and public works building. Air Facility Glenview staged one of Air Station Traverse City's HH-65 A Dolphin helicopters with two full crews during

4514-640: Was a United States Navy training ship during World War II, originally built as the passenger ship Greater Buffalo , a sidewheel excursion steamboat. She was purchased by the Navy in 1942 and converted to a training aircraft carrier to be used on the Great Lakes . She lacked a hangar deck, elevators, or armament and was not a true warship, but she provided advanced training of naval aviators in carrier takeoffs and landings. On her first day of service, 59 pilots became qualified within nine hours of operations, with each making eight takeoffs and landings. Pilot training

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4588-476: Was also equipped with a sick bay, operating room, laundry, tailor shop, crew quarters, a cafeteria style galley for the crew, a mess hall for the officers, storerooms and a refrigerator. Sable lacked a hangar deck, elevators or armament, as her role was for the training of pilots for carrier take-offs and landings. A number of crew members assigned to Sable prior to her commissioning were survivors of USS  Lexington , which had been lost earlier during

4662-488: Was among the largest side-wheel paddle ships on the Great Lakes when she entered service in 1924. Her port of registry was Detroit , Michigan. On her maiden voyage to Buffalo, New York , on 13 May 1925 Greater Buffalo carried a capacity number of passengers including T.V. O'Connor, who was president of the shipping board at the time. Greater Buffalo was used as a palatial overnight service boat transporting up to 1,500 passengers from Buffalo to Detroit , Michigan, for

4736-498: Was conducted seven days a week in all types of weather conditions. George H. W. Bush , later president of the United States, was one of the aviators who trained on Sable . Sable was decommissioned on 7 November 1945. She was sold for scrapping on 7 July 1948 to the H. H. Buncher Company. She and her sister ship USS Wolverine  – which together were used for the training of over 17,000 pilots, landing signal officers , and other navy personnel  – hold

4810-458: Was converted at the Erie Plant of American Shipbuilding Company at Buffalo, New York. The cabins and superstructure of the ship were removed leaving the main deck. Along with additional supports, a steel flight deck was installed instead of the originally planned Douglas-fir wooden deck similar to what was installed on USS  Wolverine . The steel deck also allowed Sable to be used for

4884-520: Was cut down prior to her journey to the ship breaking yard at Hamilton, Ontario . It was reported that 28 feet (8.5 m) of her beam along with 50 feet (15 m) of her stern flight deck were removed prior to her being moved by tugboats. Even with the modifications Sable only had 5 feet (1.5 m) of clearance on each side while passing through the canal locks. Together, Sable and Wolverine trained 17,820 pilots in 116,000 carrier landings. Of these, 51,000 landings were on Sable alone. One of

4958-443: Was erected which allowed for airfield activity in the dark. A system of carefully designed sliding doors created dividers for storage and zone heating. Glassed-in galleries allowed passengers the opportunity to watch the mechanics at work on the ground floor. A passenger-friendly restaurant and lounge were opened in the upper levels. A loudspeaker system informed the passengers of the flight arrivals and departures. The final cost for

5032-472: Was originally built by the Curtiss Flying Service and intended to be the hub of Chicago's air service. When the field was dedicated as Curtiss Field on 20 October 1929, it was home to the largest hangar built to that time, Hangar One. Hangar One, one of the most advanced hangars at the time, included many innovations which were considered state-of-the-art in its time. A one gigacandela electric light

5106-436: Was powered by a three-cylinder inclined compound steam engine . The engine, built by American Shipbuilding, had one cylinder of 66 inches (170 cm) diameter and two of 96 inches (240 cm) diameter by 108 inches (270 cm) stroke. It was rated at 1,915 NHP . She was seven decks high, carried three funnels along her top and was equipped with rudders at both ends of the ship for improved maneuverability. She carried

5180-578: Was reassigned the French Air Force ;; the BAN Nîmes-Garons is now assigned primarily to the civil aviation (air transport) and on a secondary basis to the Ministry of Interior for Civil Security. The United Kingdom has two active Royal Naval Air Stations (RNAS), RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron ) and RNAS Culdrose (HMS Seahawk ) . Until 2006, the former served as the main operating base for

5254-411: Was redesignated as NAS Chicago . By 1944, "Chicago" was deleted from the air station's title and the installation renamed NAS Glenview . Nearly 9,000 aviation cadets for the U.S. Navy , U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard received their primary flight training at NAS Glenview during World War II, which represented over 800,000 flight hours and over 2 million takeoffs and landings. Later during

5328-531: Was reported to have broken free of her moorings and drifted out into the harbor during a storm but was brought back by harbor tugs . During the 1938 season Greater Buffalo along with Greater Detroit were removed from service only to be returned to service the following year. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 there was a need for large vessels that could be converted into training aircraft carriers for pilot training. Greater Buffalo ' s length, following conversion, would be roughly two-thirds

5402-522: Was that because of the lower top speed and height of Sable there wasn't enough "wind over deck" needed in order to launch certain types of aircraft or even carry out training on calm days. In August 1943 Sable was used as a base for testing the experimental TDN-1 torpedo drone aircraft. Following the end of World War II, Sable was decommissioned on 7 November 1945 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 November 1945. Before she

5476-649: Was to be auctioned off a proposal was made by the Great Lakes Historical society to have Sable become a museum for Great Lakes history at Put-in-Bay, Ohio near the Commodore Perry monument . When that proposal failed she was sold by the Maritime Commission to H. H. Buncher Company on 7 July 1948 and was reported as "disposed of" on 27 July 1948. In order to fit through the Welland Canal , Sable

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