Selfridge Air National Guard Base

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Selfridge Air National Guard Base
Selfridge Air National Guard Base MI-28 Mar 1999.jpg
Characteristics
ICAO code KMTC
IATA code MTC
Coordinates

42 ° 36 '30 "  N , 82 ° 50' 8"  W Coordinates: 42 ° 36 '30 "  N , 82 ° 50' 8"  W.
Height above MSL 177 m (581  ft )
Transport links
Distance from the city center 4 km northeast of Mount Clemens
Street I-94
Basic data
opening 1917
operator Michigan Air National Guard
surface 1242 ha
Start-and runway
01/19 2743 m × 46 m

i1 i3 i5

i7 i10 i12 i14

The Selfridge Air National Guard Base (short: Selfridge ANGB) is a military airfield of the Air National Guard near Mount Clemens in the state of Michigan , USA . The base is also used by the Army , Navy , Marine Corps , Coast Guard and reserve units. The Selfridge Air Museum is also on the premises.

history

In 1916, the Packard Motor Car Company had an airfield built on Lake St. Clair near Mount Clemens in order to test aircraft engines. It was named Joy Aviation Field , after the President of Packard, Henry B. Joy. After the USA entered the First World War in April 1917, the Air Force Department of the US Army decided to use the field as a military airfield. It was expanded and opened on July 1, 1917 as Selfridge Field , named after Thomas E. Selfridge , the first casualty in motorized aviation. Selfridge Field became the home base of the 1st Pursuit Group and was used for the training of pilots, mechanics and gunners. In 1922 the first air race for the John Mitchell Trophy took place here. During the Second World War, the Tuskegee Airmen and French pilots practiced here . Among the famous people who trained in Selfridge, include Charles Lindbergh , the flying ace of World War I. Edward Rickenbacker and the first Chief of Staff of the US Air Force Carl A. Spaatz . Since many later generals were temporarily stationed here, Selfridge was also known as the Home of Generals .

With the establishment of the United States Air Force (USAF) as an independent military force in September 1947, Selfridge Field was renamed Selfridge Air Force Base and initially belonged to the Strategic Air Command . Because of its location on the northern border of the United States, it was assigned to the Air Defense Command in the 1950s . The aircraft types used here included the F-84 , F-101 and F-106 . In July 1971, the USAF handed the base over to the Michigan Air National Guard (ANG) and it is now called Selfridge Air National Guard Base . Since 1996 the home base of the 127th Wing of the ANG with F-16 Fighting Falcon and C-130 Hercules has been here . In addition, Selfridge ANGB was since 1963 base of the 927th Air Refueling Squadron (927th ARW) of the Air Force Reserve Command with KC-135 Stratotankers . Due to planned restructuring, the 127th Wing lost its C-130 in September 2007 and instead received the KC-135 of the 927th ARW, which was relocated on April 27, 2008 from Selfridge to MacDill Air Force Base , Florida . The F-16 will be replaced by A-10 Thunderbolt II in the next few years .

Web links