Alliance Municipal Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Alliance Municipal Airport


image-width = 150
caption = FAA airport diagram
IATA = AIA
ICAO = KAIA
FAA = AIA
type = Public
owner = City of Alliance
operator =
city-served = Alliance, Nebraska
location =
elevation-f = 3,931
elevation-m = 1,198
website = [http://www.destinationalliance.com/ www.DestinationAlliance.com]
r1-number = 12/30
r1-length-f = 9,202
r1-length-m = 2,805
r1-surface = Asphalt
r2-number = 17/35
r2-length-f = 6,311
r2-length-m = 1,924
r2-surface = Asphalt
r3-number = 8/26
r3-length-f = 6,200
r3-length-m = 1,890
r3-surface = Asphalt
stat-year = 2007
stat1-header = Aircraft operations
stat1-data = 15,000
stat2-header = Based aircraft
stat2-data = 47
footnotes = Source: Federal Aviation AdministrationFAA-airport|ID=AIA|use=PU|own=PU|site=12597.*A, effective 2007-12-20]

Alliance Municipal Airport airport codes|AIA|KAIA|AIA is a city-owned public-use airport located three miles (5 km) southeast of the central business district of Alliance, a city in Box Butte County, Nebraska, United States. It is served by one commercial airline, with service subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

History

Alliance Municipal Airport was built during World War II by the United States Army Air Force as Alliance Army Airfield. It was one of eleven United States Army Air Force training bases in Nebraska during World War II. The base was under the command of Second Air Force Headquarters, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The convert|31489|acre|ha|0|sing=on field's primary mission was to train aircrews of C-47 and C-53 transports and CG-4 gliders, along with the airborne troops they would carry into battle. The field contained some 775 buildings and housed 12,500 military personnel at its September 1943 peak.

Known units that trained at Alliance AAF were:

* 403d Troop Carrier Group (18 December 1942 - 3 May 1943)
The group eventually moved to the South Pacific as part of Thirteenth Air Force.
* 434th Troop Carrier Group (9 February 1943 - 5 September)
The group eventually moved to England as part of Ninth Air Force.
* 436th Troop Carrier Group (2 May - 1 August 1943)
The group eventually moved to England as part of Ninth Air Force.
* 439th Troop Carrier Group (1 June - 16 December 1943)
The group eventually moved to England as part of Ninth Air Force.
* 440th Troop Carrier Group (7 September 1943 - 4 January 1944)
The group eventually moved to England as part of Ninth Air Force.
* 442d Troop Carrier Group (December 1943 - January 1944)
The group eventually moved to England as part of Ninth Air Force.
* 349th Troop Carrier Group (19 January - 8 March 1944)
The group eventually moved to England as part of Ninth Air Force.
* 443d Troop Carrier Group (19 January - 15 February 1944)
The group eventually moved to the China-Burma-India Theater.
* 10th Troop Carrier Group (8 March - 14 April 1944)
The group trained cadres for troop carrier groups and trained replacement crews. It was inactivated in place.

The 411th Army Air Force Base Unit commanded the support elements at Alliance as part of Air Technical Service Command.

In addition to the USAAF units, the Army 326th Glider Infantry, 507th Parachute Infantry, and 878th Airborne Engineers trained there before deployment to the European Theater. In June 1945 veteran Army troops arrived to train for the expected invasion of Japan.

The base closed on 31 December 1945 and most buildings were sold. In 1946 part of the airfield was transferred to Alliance for use as an airport.

Facilities and aircraft

Alliance Municipal Airport covers an area of convert|3500|acre|ha|0|lk=on which contains three asphalt paved runways: 12/30 measuring 9,202 x 150 ft. (2,805 x 46 m), 17/35 at 6,311 x 75 ft. (1,924 x 23 m), and 8/26 at 6,200 x 75 ft. (1,890 x 23 m).

For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2007, the airport had 15,000 aircraft operations, an average of 41 per day: 80% general aviation, 15% scheduled commercial, 3% air taxi and 2% military. At that time there were 47 aircraft based at this airport: 89% single-engine, 4% multi-engine and 6% glider.

Airline and destinations

* Great Lakes Airlines (Chadron, Denver)

See also

* Second Air Force
* United States Army Air Force
* Nebraska World War II Army Airfields
* List of airports in Nebraska

References

* [http://www.allianceairport.com/ Alliance Municipal Airport] , official web site
* [http://armyairforces.com/ ArmyAirForces.com]
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.

External links

*FAA-diagram|00016
*WikiMapia|42.048145|-102.801819|13|Satellite image
*US-airport-ga|AIA