In use 1942-1990 | Year built 1942 | |
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Van Nuys Air National Guard Base is a former United States Air Force base, located at Van Nuys Airport, California. It was originally opened in 1942 during World War II. The Air Force closed its facilities at Van Nuys in 1990.
Contents
History
The airport was established sometime in the 1920s and 1930s as Van Nuys Metropolitan Airport. It was utilized by Timm Aircraft Corp. which built military trainer planes and cargo gliders.
World War II
In 1942, the War Department acquired the airport, purchasing the facility for $302,287.00. In addition to the airport, an additional 163 acres purchased on the west side for a support base. The support base consisted of more than one hundred buildings, all intended to be temporary. Station buildings and streets were also constructed, the buildings consisting primarily of wood, tar paper, and non-masonry siding. The use of concrete and steel was limited because of the critical need elsewhere. Most buildings were hot and dusty in the summer and very cold in the winter. Water, sewer and electrical services were also constructed. Initially there was no paving to the streets, compressed earth served immediate needs. Known sub-bases and auxiliaries during World War II were:
The Van Nuys Army Airfield was placed under the jurisdiction of the IV Fighter Command with a mission to conduct P-38 Lightning operational unit training. On 12 August 1943, 364th Fighter Group was activated at the new base. The 441st Army Air Force Base Unit was established in 1944 to manage the ground facilities. P-38 pilot training was discontinued in May 1945, and the 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group at Hammer Field, California assumed jurisdiction of the field. It was occasionally used as an auxiliary for P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter training.
At the end of the war the AAF Base Unit was inactivated on 31 October 1945 and the airfield was returned to civil use.
Air National Guard Use
By March 1946, Lockheed had moved its P-80 Shooting Star production flight test from the Lockheed Air Terminal, Burbank, CA, to the vacant Army Air Force Base Unit facilities at Van Nuys, and in September 1946 Lockheed moved its P-80 production flight test to the northeast corner of the airfield.
On September 16, 1946, the 62d Fighter Wing, 146th Fighter Group and 115th Bombardment Squadron (the former 115th Observation Squadron) were given Federal recognition, and flew their first missions out of the former Army Air Forces Base Unit facilities. In 1948, several units of the new wing moved to Burbank Airport, only to return to Van Nuys a short time later, after too little ramp space at Burbank proved a hindrance to accomplishing the wing’s missions.
In 1949, the City of Los Angeles purchased the airport from the War Assets Administration for $1.00 and a provision for a California Air National Guard facility for 40 years. Airport Renamed to San Fernando Valley Airport. Air National Guard was equipped with two squadrons of P-51s.
In February 1951, the 146th Fighter Wing was re-equipped with the F-86A Sabre. By July 1955 the transition from the F-51H Mustang to the Sabre was complete. The wing was re-designated a Fighter Interceptor Wing with an air defense mission for the Los Angeles area.
From 1946 through 1954 the 115th Fighter Squadron and the 195th Squadron, both part of the 146th Fighter Wing, flew P-51 Mustangs. The 115th Bombardment Squadron (Light) flew A-26 Invader light bombers from 1946 to 1952. The 115th was stationed at Van Nuys but during part of this period was assigned to the 126th Bombardment Wing at Chicago's O'Hare field. In 1955, the Air National Guard moved into a new Air National Guard base was completed just west of the old Army Air Forces Base Unit facilities.
In 1957 the airport was renamed Van Nuys Airport and the runway extended from 6,000 ft to 8,000 feet with Sherman Way underpass. 1970 brought a new name - the 146th Tactical Airlift Wing; a new command, Tactical Air Command; and a new aircraft - the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
By March 1990, all but a small remnant of wing personnel had transferred operations to Channel Islands Air National Guard Station at Naval Air Station Point Mugu. Shortly thereafter, the old Van Nuys facility was closed and turned over to the City of Los Angeles. On April 30, 1990, the flag at Van Nuys ANG Base was lowered for the last time during a special ceremony.