Eareckson Air Station

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eareckson Air Station
Shemya.png
Characteristics
ICAO code PASY
IATA code SYA
Coordinates

52 ° 42 '44 "  N , 174 ° 6' 49"  E Coordinates: 52 ° 42 '44 "  N , 174 ° 6' 49"  E
Height above MSL 30 m (98  ft )
Basic data
opening June 1943
operator United States Air Force
Start-and runway
10/28 3048 m × 46 m asphalt



i7

i11 i13

Tower of Eareckson Air Station

The Eareckson Air Station (short: Eareckson AS) is an air base of the US Air Force on to Alaska belonging Aleutian -Insel Shemya . It also serves as a radar station and missile launch site and has a runway that is 3,045 meters long. The civil use is limited to the function as an alternative and emergency landing site for flights over the North Pacific.

history

Image of the first landing on Shemya on June 24, 1943

In May 1943, the US forces began building a military airfield in the southern part of Shemya, and in June of the same year it was opened under the name Shemya Army Air Base . During the Second World War , the square served mainly as a bomber base for attacks against Japan.

On March 26, 1948, the name changed to Shemya Air Force Base , on November 3, 1954 to Shemya Airport , on January 1, 1959 to Shemya Air Force Station and on June 21, 1968 again to Shemya Air Force Base . From July 1950 to November 1970, the airfield was organizationally an external facility of Elmendorf Air Force Base , before Shemya regained independent status on December 1, 1970. At its peak in the 1960s, 1500 people were employed on the island.

During the Cold War , Shemya served as a base for reconnaissance aircraft and missile surveillance flights , especially for various variants of the Boeing RC-135 . Because of the often unfavorable weather conditions with strong wind, fog and snowfall, the Air Force only used its most experienced pilots here. Even so, there were several plane accidents with fatalities.

Shemya was an important outpost during the Cold War. As part of the Bluegrass project, the White Alice Communications System , it provided a troposcatter communications link with the mainland from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. Its two 36 m parabolic antennas and the 50 kW transmission power bridged the 600 km gap to Adak .

Noteworthy on the island is the Cobra Dane radar system (AN / FPS-108). It was built in 1976 and has been working since 1977 primarily to monitor the SALT II agreement .

In the summer of 1988 here one started sounding rocket of the type Aries .

On May 19, 1993, the base was renamed Eareckson Air Force Station in honor of USAF Colonel William O. Eareckson , who led bomber operations during the Battle of the Aleutian Islands in World War II. Since another renaming on January 24, 1994, the space has finally been given its current name Eareckson Air Station . The base still works as a radar station and aircraft refueling station with around 300 people. According to the 2000 census, there were officially 27 people on the island.

Web links

Commons : Shemya Island  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files