Dyess Air Force Base

Dyess Air Force Base
Characteristics
ICAO code	KDYS
IATA code	DYS
Coordinates	32 ° 25 ′ 15 ″ N , 99 ° 51 ′ 17 ″ W Coordinates: 32 ° 25 ′ 15 ″ N , 99 ° 51 ′ 17 ″ W
Height above MSL	545 m (1788 ft )
Transport links
Street	US 83 / US 277 / TX 3438
Runways
16/34	4115 m × 91 m
16C / 34C	1067 m × 18 m grass
16R / 34L	1067 m × 18 m asphalt

The Dyess Air Force Base (short: Dyess AFB ) is located in Texas , west of the city of Abilene and covers approx. 26 km² in area. Construction began on September 24, 1953 , then under the name Abilene Air Force Base, and the name was changed on December 6, 1953.

history

The AFB is named after Lt. Col. William E. Dyess of Albany, Texas . He was a pilot in World War II . While flying a Lockheed P-38 during training over the United States, his aircraft suddenly caught fire; However, Dyess did not get out and did not crash his plane into the densely populated area, but flew the plane into the open field and died in the process. For this he was nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor , but received "only" two Distinguished Service Crosses , the second highest award after the CMH.

On November 4, 1958, a Boeing B-47 with a nuclear weapon on board caught fire shortly after taking off from the base and crashed from a height of 450 meters. The explosive charge explodes and the nuclear material has been safely recovered.

While the space shuttle was in operation, Dyess Air Force Base was a possible emergency landing site in the event of an unscheduled landing.

Todays use

The Dyess AFB is subordinate to the Air Combat Command and is home to two airborne units.

7th Bomb Wing, equipped with Rockwell B-1 B "Lancer" bombers
317th Airlift Group, equipped with Lockheed C-130 "Hercules" transport aircraft

The AFB's Linear Air Park features 30 aircraft from World War II to the present day, which line up Arnold Blvd. are set up.

future

In a few years' time it will be the second base of the Northrop Grumman B-21 .

Individual evidence

^ Justine Whitman: Space Shuttle Abort Modes. Aerospaceweb.org, June 25, 2006, accessed October 7, 2011 .

Web links

Commons : Dyess Air Force Base - Collection of Pictures, Videos, and Audio Files

Homepage of Dyess AFB

Aerial view from the 1940s

[1] Justine Whitman: Space Shuttle Abort Modes. Aerospaceweb.org, June 25, 2006, accessed October 7, 2011 .