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98-779: NAS Fort Worth JRB is the successor to the former Naval Air Station Dallas and incorporates other Reserve commands and activities, primarily those of the Air Force Reserve , that were present on site when the installation was known as Carswell Air Force Base , a former Strategic Air Command (SAC) facility later transferred to the Air Combat Command (ACC). Several United States Navy headquarters and operational units are based at NAS Fort Worth JRB, including Naval Air Reserve air wings and aviation squadrons , intelligence commands and Seabees . The Air Force Reserve Command 's Tenth Air Force (10 AF) headquarters and

196-606: A dollar a year. The field became the Air Corps Reserve Base in the Eighth Corps Area. At the beginning of World War II , the Army extended their lease to 40 years. In March 1941, the U.S. Navy began maintaining operations at the base and shortly afterward established a Naval Air Reserve Base on 160 acres (0.7 km ) adjacent to Hensley Field. In December 1941, Hensley Field became headquarters of

294-515: A flight of eight B-29s of the 492nd Bomb Squadron deployed from Fort Worth AAF to Yokota AB , Japan. Shortly after this the detachment received orders to redeploy to Fort Worth AAF via Washington, D.C. The aircraft left Yokota AB on 2 August, flew over the Aleutian Islands , then into Anchorage , Alaska . From Anchorage the flight flew over Edmonton , Alberta, Canada, turned south and flew over Minnesota and Wisconsin . The bombers flew

392-600: A low-level flight between The Pentagon and Washington Monument in the Capital on 3 August. Completing this aerial demonstration, they headed for Fort Worth, landing 31 hours after launch from Japan and covering 7,086 miles. On 12 September, the group deployed 30 B-29s to Giebelstadt Army Airfield , near Würzburg , West Germany. This flight was the largest bomber formation flown from Fort Worth AAF overseas to date, landing in Germany on 13 September. During their ten-day stay,

490-473: A lucky combination, because the two wings continued to share Carswell Air Force Base until 13 December 1957, when the 11th moved to Altus Air Force Base , Oklahoma and began receiving Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses . During January 1958, the wing began transferring its B-36 bombers to various SAC wings. On 20 January, the wing transferred all B-52 equipment and property on hand to the 4123rd Strategic Wing in order to facilitate that organization's conversion, which

588-883: A new independent body, the Federal Aviation Agency . The act transferred safety rulemaking from CAB to the new FAA (the CAB continued), and also made the FAA responsible for a common civil-military system of air navigation and air traffic control . The FAA's first administrator, Elwood R. Quesada , was a former U.S. Air Force Lt. General who commanded the early tactical air forces of the Ninth Air Force in Europe in World War II, and served as an advisor to President Dwight D. Eisenhower . The same year witnessed

686-539: A permanent airfield, and, in 1946, constructed an 8,200 ft north–south extra heavy-duty runway for future use. The number of completed B-32s at the Consolidated plant had reached 74 production aircraft, along with the TB-32 trainers, many of which were parked at the field. These were ordered flown from Fort Worth directly to storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Kingman Fields , Arizona for disposal, and,

784-592: A pilot and bombardier. In addition, the 9000th WAC Company of the Women's Army Corps was used in the control tower as well as in the communications office of the base. In late 1944, the B-24 training was phased out at Fort Worth AAF, being replaced with a B-32 Dominator Flight Crew Conversion Training School. Training Command instructor pilots were flown to the Consolidated manufacturing plant in San Diego to learn about

882-547: A plan for a single world airline. After World War II began in Europe, the CAA launched the Civilian Pilot Training Program to provide new pilots. On the eve of America's entry into the conflict, the agency began to take over operation of airport control towers , a role that eventually became permanent. During the war, the CAA also greatly enlarged its en route air traffic control system. In 1944,

980-574: A proposal to Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings and Dallas City Council members to use part of the city-owned AFRC facility as an encampment for homeless people who were being evicted from a large tent city under Interstate 45 near downtown Dallas in response to persistent complaints from Cedars residents about an over-concentration of homeless in the neighborhood. The proposed encampment—to be called Camp Dignity—would include an open-air tent camping area, tiny homes , boarding houses , fruit and vegetable gardens, and on-site work opportunities to give residents

1078-461: A shortage of equipment meant the B-32 training at Fort Worth was never fully realized, and, after V-J Day , officials eliminated the B-32 training program. In November 1945, jurisdiction of Fort Worth AAF was transferred to Second Air Force , which established its 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing at the base, equipped with B-29A Superfortresses. The Air Force had decided to keep Fort Worth as

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1176-486: A stand down of all nuclear-alert duties. In January 1960, the USAF announced its intention to activate the first Convair B-58 Hustler wing. This was to be the 43d Bombardment Wing , (BW) at that time based at Davis-Monthan AFB , Arizona. The 43rd Bomb Wing would be moved to Carswell starting on 1 March. The 3958th Operational Test and Evaluation Group (then functioning as an integral unit at Carswell) would be transferred to

1274-719: Is a former United States Navy Naval Air Station located on Mountain Creek Lake in southwest Dallas . The installation was established as an Army aviation center, and eventually became home to aviation assets from all the military services. In December 1998, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action decommissioned the naval air station ; transferred Carswell AFB to the U.S. Navy and renamed it Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth   / Carswell Field; and sent Grand Prairie's Naval Air Reserve, Marine Air Reserve and Texas Air National Guard flying units (wings, groups, squadrons) to Carswell. The former NAS Dallas

1372-546: The 1975 film The Great Waldo Pepper . At the urging of the aviation industry, that believed the airplane could not reach its full commercial potential without federal action to improve and maintain safety standards, President Calvin Coolidge appointed a board to investigate the issue. The board's report favored federal safety regulation. To that end, the Air Commerce Act became law on May 20, 1926. The act

1470-803: The 301st Fighter Wing and its flying squadron the 457th Fighter Squadron continue to be based at the installation. The Wing is currently (2024) converting to the F-35 Lightning II after operating the F-16 for 32 years. The 136th Airlift Wing of the Texas Air National Guard and its flying component, the 181st Airlift Squadron, fly new stretch versions of the C-130J airlifter. MAG-41, a Marine Aircraft Group, with VMFA-112 (F-18C), VMGR-234 (KC-130J), VMR-1 (C-40A), and various ground units are also located at NAS Fort Worth JRB. VR-59 flies

1568-667: The F-4 Phantom II in both of its two Naval Reserve fighter squadrons and its single Marine Reserve fighter/attack squadron in the 1970s. The mid-1980s brought to the installation some of the Navy's most sophisticated aircraft, including the F-14 Tomcat and the C-9 Skytrain II . By 1990, there were 2,057 active duty personnel on the base, with an additional 6,789 part-time Reservists and Air National Guardsmen assigned to

1666-471: The Palmyra Atoll , where beginning in 1948, nearly 100 men, women, and children were sent to live and work. They occupied the facilities of what had been a Navy refueling base during World War II , manning its radio station and maintaining the 6,000-foot runway. Strangely, this community was dispersed in 1949, and while the exact reasons why are unclear, it was likely because the benefits of operating

1764-638: The United States Department of Transportation was created. In response to the September 11 attacks , the federal government launched the Transportation Security Administration with broad powers to protect air travel and other transportation modes against criminal activity. European enthusiasm for air power was sparked by an arms race and then by the outbreak of World War I in 1914. During

1862-572: The 1000 kilometer (km) course with a 2000 kilogram (kg), 1000 kg, and 0 kg payload—averaging 1,200.194 miles per hour (mph) in each category. The crew managed an average speed of 1,061.88 mph (1,708.93 km/h) in each of the same payload categories over the 2000 km course. This flight set the pace for the 43rd with the B-58. Naval Air Station Dallas The Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex or Grand Prairie AFRC (formerly Naval Air Station Dallas or Hensley Field )

1960-612: The 11th Bombardment Wing was activated and the 11th Bombardment Group was assigned to it, although all group resources were transferred to the wing until the group was inactivated in June 1952. The wing deployed to Nouasseur Air Base , French Morocco from 4 May until 2 July 1955. The wing won the SAC Bombing Competition and the Fairchild Trophy in 1954, 1956 and 1960. The phrase "7–11" must have been considered

2058-704: The 1980s, the 7th received several new weapons systems, including modified B-52H aircraft. In 1983, B-52 crews began training with a new weapon system, the SRAM (Short Range Attack Missile) and later, in 1985, the ALCM (Air Launched Cruise Missile ). Also, the wing flew numerous atmospheric sampling missions during 1986 and 1987 in response to the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident; four B-52H aircraft (s/n 60-0024, 60-0033, 60-0051 and 60-0052) were modified to carry atmospheric sampling pods code-named "Giant Fish." These aircraft flew

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2156-402: The 4123d Strategic Wing took possession of the first Boeing B-52 Stratofortress on Carswell. At the arrival ceremony on base, the bomber was named "The City of Fort Worth." It was subsequently assigned to the 98th Bombardment Squadron of the wing. Shortly following the arrival of B-52 bombers to the 4123rd Strategic Wing, the unit was moved to new facilities at Clinton-Sherman AFB , Oklahoma. With

2254-500: The 43d was to operate a school to evaluate the new supersonic jet bomber. On 12 January 1961, Major Henry J. Deutschendorf (singer John Denver 's father) commanded a B-58 crew from the 43rd that set out to break six flight records; five of which the Soviet Union held. The Hustler flew two laps around a course with Edwards AFB , California, at one end and MCAS Yuma , Arizona at the other. The bomber set three speed records over

2352-416: The 43rd Bomb Wing upon its arrival. On 1 August 1960, the USAF finally formally assumed B-58 operations responsibility and began testing. 59-2436, the first fully operational Hustler equipped with all tactical systems, was delivered to the 43rd. Two weeks later, the first TB-58A was delivered to Carswell. After July 1961, the wing continued further B-58 evaluations until June 1962. One of the first duties of

2450-523: The 7th and 11th Wings at Carswell. On the same date, the 7th Group became a "paper organization," with all other flying squadrons reassigned directly to the 7th Bombardment Wing as part of the Tri-Deputate organization plan adopted by the wing. The 7th Bomb Group was inactivated on 16 June 1952. The 7th Bombardment Group was activated at Fort Worth Army Air Field on October 1, 1946 and transferred into SAC as part of 2nd Air Force. On November 3, 1947,

2548-753: The Aeronautics Branch was renamed the Bureau of Air Commerce , to reflect the growing importance of commercial flying. It was subsequently divided into two authorities: the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), concerned with air traffic control , and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), concerned with safety regulations and accident investigation. Under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 ,

2646-585: The Air Force abandoned the old Group organization of World War II and introduced the Wing Organization. This resulted in all bomb groups being redesignated as wings. Thus the 7th Bomb Group became the 7th Bomb Wing, Very Heavy. The "very heavy," indicating it flew B-29s and B-50s. During this time, its home was renamed Carswell Air Force Base. The unit was equipped with B-29s and was responsible for global bombardment training. The wing's mission

2744-617: The Airmail Act of 1925 authorized the Post Office to contract with private airlines to transport mail. The Airmail Act created American commercial aviation and several of today's airlines were formed to carry airmail in the late 1920s (including Trans World Airlines , Northwest Airlines , and United Airlines ). Aviation in the United States was not regulated during the early 20th century. A succession of accidents during

2842-693: The B-24 Liberator. The school was officially opened on 12 October 1942 and was under the jurisdiction of the 34th Flying Training Wing at San Angelo Army Air Field , Texas. The school was initially equipped with B-24Ds that were assembled across the runway at Consolidated; later it was upgraded to B-24Es that were manufactured at Consolidated's Willow Run Plant in Michigan, then flown to the Fort Worth plant for final modifications. During training, nine-member crews were assigned to each plane, and

2940-562: The B-29 had been flown in combat for nearly six months. The Army was quite unhappy about the Dominator and the production problems it was experiencing. Eventually 40 TB-32 trainers were produced for the training program to get underway. Prospective B-32 pilots underwent 50 hours training in the TB-32s, and co-pilots received 25 hours of flight time and 25 hours of observer training. Ultimately,

3038-512: The B-36s assigned to the 7th and 11th Wings comprised two thirds of SAC's intercontinental bomber force. On 1 September 1952, what was then thought to be a tornado rolled across the Carswell flight line, with winds over 90 miles per hour recorded at the control tower. By the time it had passed "the flight line was a tangle of airplanes, equipment and pieces of buildings." None of the 82 bombers on

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3136-701: The B-52D, making them eligible for duty in Southeast Asia. B-52s assigned to combat duty in Vietnam were painted in a modified camouflage scheme with the undersides, lower fuselage, and both sides of the vertical fin being painted in a glossy black. The USAF serial number was painted in black on the fin over a horizontal red stripe across the length of the fin. The B-52 effort was concentrated primarily against suspected Viet Cong targets in South Vietnam, but

3234-522: The Branch was William P. MacCracken, Jr. High visibility accidents such as the 1931 Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crash and the 1935 crash of TWA Flight 6 continued to make headlines. In fulfilling its civil aviation responsibilities, the Department of Commerce initially concentrated on functions such as safety rulemaking and the certification of pilots and aircraft. It took over

3332-676: The Bureau itself took over the centers and began to expand the ATC system. Pioneer air traffic controllers resorted to using maps, blackboards, and calculations to perform their new roles, making sure aircraft traveling along designated routes did not collide. The Department of Commerce created an Aeronautics Branch in 1926. The first head of this organization was William P. MacCracken, Jr. (first recipient of its pilot certification license), whose approach to regulation included consultation and cooperation with industry. A major challenge facing MacCracken

3430-486: The Bureau of Air Commerce. Eugene Vidal , nephew of Senator Thomas Gore became its first director. Vidal resigned on February 28, 1937, and was replaced by Fred D. Fagg, Jr. Fagg reorganized the bureau, but retired in April 1938, being replaced by Hindenburg crash investigator Denis Mulligan. The year 1934 also saw a crisis over airmail contracts that former Postmaster General W.F. Brown had used to strengthen

3528-594: The C-40A personnel and cargo transport. Aircraft types initially based at NAS Fort Worth JRB were the F-14 Tomcat , F/A-18 Hornet , C-9B Skytrain II , C-130 Hercules and KC-130 Hercules that relocated from the former NAS Dallas , joining extant F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft that were previously located at the installation while it was known as Carswell Air Force Base and later as Carswell Air Reserve Station . Currently based aircraft are Navy C-40 Clipper transports of

3626-565: The CAA's powers were transferred to a new independent body, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In the same year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created after the Soviet Union ’s launch of the first artificial satellite . The accident investigation powers of the CAB were transferred to the new National Transportation Safety Board in 1967, at the same time that

3724-588: The CAB functioned independently. When a Douglas DC-3A crashed shortly after departing Washington, DC, on August 31, 1940, the CAB had their first major investigation, that of the Lovettsville air disaster , setting the pattern for subsequent accident investigations. In 1942, President Roosevelt appointed L. Welch Pogue as Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board. Pogue served as Chairman until 1946. During his tenure he helped strike down

3822-779: The Chamber of Commerce. In August the War Department signed leases with the RFC on 3 sites around Fort Worth. Knows as the Flying Triangle, these sites were Hicks Field (#1), Barron Field (#2), and Benbrook (later Carruthers) Field (#3) based on their locations. In April 1918 these airfield were turned over to the Air Service, United States Army as training fields for American pilots. Hundreds of pilots learned their basic and primary flying skills at these airfields in

3920-575: The Civil Aeronautics Authority into two agencies, the Civil Aeronautics Administration and a five-member Civil Aeronautics Board . The CAA was responsible for air traffic control, safety programs, and airway development. The CAB was entrusted with safety rulemaking, accident investigation, and economic regulation of the airlines. Although both organizations were housed in the Department of Commerce,

4018-493: The Consolidated manufacturing plant. The Army wanted to have the airfield ready quickly before the plant was put into production and construction of the "Lake Worth Bomber Plant Airport" began almost immediately. However, after the Attack on Pearl Harbor , the Army changed its plans and instead of being an operational base, "Tarrant Field" as the facility was called, became a heavy-bomber training school. The first unit assigned to

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4116-605: The Dominator, which was planned as a stablemate of the B-29 Superfortress ; much like the B-17 Flying Fortress was teamed with the B-24 Liberator. The first B-32 arrived at Fort Worth in September 1944, however it was in the modification plant until January before it was released to the training school. By the end of 1944, only five production aircraft had been delivered by Consolidated; by comparison

4214-553: The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce was trying to convince aircraft manufacturers to build an aircraft assembly plant in the area. Consolidated Aircraft , wanting to build in the area, suggested to the Air Corps that they jointly build an airfield adjacent to the heavy bomber plant they wanted to build in Fort Worth. On 16 June 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved $ 1.75 million to construct an airfield next to

4312-525: The Fort Worth area during the war. They were closed in 1919 when the war ended. In 1940 the City of Fort Worth had filed an application with the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), asking for a primary pilot training airfield for the Army Air Corps. In May, General Jacob E. Fickel visited Fort Worth on an inspection visit. Fickel had learned to fly at Carruthers Field in 1918. At the same time,

4410-538: The Ho Chi Minh Trail and targets in Laos were also hit. During the relief of Khe Sanh, unbroken waves of six aircraft, attacking every three hours, dropped bombs as close as 900 feet (270 m) from friendly lines. Cambodia was increasingly bombed by B-52s from March 1969 onward. Rotational deployments to Guam, and also to U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield , Thailand continued on a reduced scale until 1975. In

4508-806: The Midwest Area of the Air Corps Ferrying Command, after Major Thomas D. Ferguson, commander of the field, was made control officer for the Middle West Area of the United States. Hensley Field was the first base of operations for the 455th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces . The installation became Naval Air Station Dallas on 1 January 1943. Its initial mission was to provide primary flight training for Naval Aviation Cadets destined for commissioned service as Naval Aviators in

4606-402: The Naval Air Reserve squadrons stationed at NAS Dallas was the first Naval Air Reserve squadron to be called to active service in the Korean War. The station continued to grow with the construction of newer, longer runways and jet aircraft were assigned to NAS Dallas in 1952. In 1963, the base was the first Naval Air Reserve installation to operate the F-8 Crusader until later transitioning to

4704-435: The Naval Air Reserve, Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters of the Air Force Reserve Command, C-130 Hercules airlift aircraft of the Texas Air National Guard, Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters and KC-130 Hercules aerial refueling and transport aircraft of the Marine Corps Reserve. The U.S. Army Reserve also has D Co, 6/52AVN flying UC-35 and C-12 aircraft on VIP transportation duties. Carswell Air Force Base

4802-446: The Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Enlisted personnel destined for aviation duty with the Fleet were also trained at NAS Dallas, and at one time a number of Free French aviators received flight training at the installation. During World War II, the base also served as a radial engine repair station, with thousands of engines overhauled. NAS Dallas also handled all air traffic for the adjacent North American Aircraft Company plant and

4900-458: The United States hosted a conference in Chicago that led to the establishment of the International Civil Aviation Organization and set the framework for future aviation diplomacy. In 1946, Congress gave the CAA the task of administering a federal-aid airport program aimed exclusively at promoting development of the United States' civil airports. This included the establishment of semi-permanent colonies in remote, U.S.-owned territories, such as

4998-399: The ability to transition to more permanent housing and jobs. City officials did not comment on the proposal. In February 2017, it was revealed that the U.S. Navy had violated the 2001 environmental settlement, having inexplicably failed to formulate and implement a plan to clean up the contamination, despite having been granted an extension. According to letters between the navy and the city,

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5096-402: The acquisition of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, all new B-52 wings would operate with an air refueling squadron to support those bombers. As a result, SAC activated the 7th Air Refueling Squadron at Carswell on 1 April 1958, and assigned it to the wing. The squadron would be equipped with the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker later in the year. In January 1959, B-52s from Carswell were constantly in

5194-412: The air and flying to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Air Force One ( VC-137C, serial number 62-6000 ) landed at Carswell AFB shortly after 11:00 pm on 21 November 1963 carrying President John F. Kennedy and his entourage to Fort Worth. The next morning, 22 November, President Kennedy returned to Carswell AFB at 11:25 am and boarded Air Force One for a 15-minute flight to Love Field , Dallas, Texas. It

5292-401: The airline route structure. In the Air Mail scandal , Senate investigators charged that Brown's methods had been illegal, and President Roosevelt canceled the contracts. In 1935 the BAC encouraged a group of airlines to establish the first three centers (Newark, New Jersey; Cleveland, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois) for providing air traffic control along the airways, the following year taking over

5390-460: The base escaped damage, and SAC declared the entire 19th Air Division non-operational. Maintenance personnel of the 7th and 11th Wings went on an 84-hour weekly work schedule and began work to restore the least damaged aircraft to operational status. More heavily damaged aircraft were worked on by personnel from the San Antonio Air Materiel Area , where the depot for the B-36 was located. The planes that had been most heavily damaged were towed across

5488-573: The base was the Army Air Forces Training Command Combat Crew School on 1 July 1942. At the same time, the Consolidated plant began assembly of B-24D Liberator aircraft in May, with the first aircraft being assigned to the school in August. On 29 July, the base was again renamed, this time as Fort Worth Army Air Field . The Army Air Forces Combat Crew School (later redesignated Army Air Forces Pilot School, Specialized 4-Engine) took graduates of Training Command's advanced-pilot training schools and experienced 2-engine pilots, and, trained them on flying

5586-536: The building and operation of the nation's system of lighted airways, a task begun by the Post Office Department. The Department of Commerce improved aeronautical radio communications, and introduced radio beacons as an effective aid to air navigation. In 1934, the Aeronautics Branch was renamed the Bureau of Air Commerce . As commercial aviation grew, the Bureau encouraged airlines to establish three centers (Newark, New Jersey; Cleveland, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois) to provide air traffic control in airways. In 1936,

5684-444: The centers itself and expanding the traffic control system. In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Act transferred federal responsibilities for non-military aviation from the Bureau of Air Commerce to a new, independent agency, the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The legislation also gave the authority the power to regulate airline fares and to determine the routes that air carriers would serve. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt split

5782-449: The cleanup could take another 15 years and cost an additional $ 27 million. At that time—unable to redevelop the site for other uses—the city had leased various areas for industrial uses such as storage of surplus road vehicles. On 26 August 2020, the Dallas City Council announced the signing of a $ 2 million contract for a new master plan to redevelop 738 acres (299 ha) of the site, although city officials said that efforts to clean up

5880-423: The contamination remained stalled, and council member Tennell Atkins conceded that the master plan may take decades to implement. Civil Aeronautics Administration (United States) The Air Commerce Act of 1926 created an Aeronautic Branch of the United States Department of Commerce . Its functions included testing and licensing of pilots, certification of aircraft and investigation of accidents. In 1934,

5978-423: The crews ate, slept and trained together 24-hours a day. This allowed the crew to learn both the technical skills needed for aircraft operation as well as the other crew members' minds and reactions. Each day they trained five hours in the air and five hours on the ground. Each class lasted four and one-half weeks. Training officials added a Bomb Approach School in October 1943, which incorporated teamwork between

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6076-430: The early 21st-century as the Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex to accommodate expanding military training requirements for the Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces . Ownership of remaining areas of the complex was transferred by the U.S. Navy to the city of Dallas, which sought to redevelop the site as a mixed-use development; however, the plans stalled when it was discovered that various areas of

6174-405: The end of the conflict, Congress voted funds for an innovative postal program that would serve as a model for commercial air operations. With initial help from the U.S. Army , the Post Office in 1918 initiated an intercity airmail route. The subsequent achievements of the Air Mail Service included the establishment of a transcontinental route and the development of airway lighting. In 1925,

6272-468: The equivalent airspeed and compression tactics for heavy bombardment aircraft. The aircraft, staging through Limestone AFB , Maine, would land at RAF Lakenheath , United Kingdom, following a night radar-bombing attack on Heligoland , West Germany. From there the bombers would conduct a simulated bomb run on the Heston Bomb Plot, London, finally landing at RAF Lakenheath . This was the first deployment of wing and SAC B-36 aircraft to England and Europe. For

6370-404: The facilities did not outweigh the cost of providing for the colony members. Several mid-air collisions occurred during the latter half of the 20th century, such as the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision , the first time more than 100 people were killed. Jet travel was nascent at this time, prompting the passage of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 . The legislation gave the CAA's functions to

6468-467: The famed B-29) and named Lucky Lady II took off from Carswell for the first nonstop flight around the world. She returned to Carswell after mid-air refuelings, flying 23,108 miles, and remaining aloft for ninety-four hours and one minute. In January 1951, the 7th Bombardment Group took part in a special training mission to the United Kingdom. The purpose of the mission was to evaluate the updated B-36D under simulated war-plan conditions and further evaluate

6566-464: The field to the Convair plant where they had been manufactured. Within a month, 51 of the base's Peacemakers had been returned to service and the division was again declared operational. By May 1953, all but two of the planes had been returned to service. In 1954, Carswell was prominently featured and used as a filming location in the James Stewart and June Allyson film Strategic Air Command . 11th Bomb Group B-36s appeared with James Stewart who

6664-400: The first wind tunnels years earlier, the organization's work with the latter produced a new type of engine cowling with much less drag than former designs. Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt , the Aeronautics Branch cooperated with public works agencies on projects that represented an early form of federal aid to airports . The Branch was restructured and in 1934 received a new name,

6762-417: The following year, the United States Congress took a step toward revitalizing American aviation by establishing the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), an organization dedicated to the science of flight. Upon entering World War I in 1917, the United States government mobilized the nation's economy, with results that included an expansion of the small aviation manufacturing industry. Before

6860-423: The group bombers participated in training operations over Europe, as well as a show-of-force display by the United States in the early part of the Cold War with the Soviet Union . The flight redeployed from Germany on 23 September. In 1947, shortly after the United States Air Force was established as a separate branch of the United States military, the Hobson Wing-Base Organization Plan was implemented. The 7th

6958-399: The mission into the 1990s from various bases including Carswell. By 1984, Carswell was the largest unit of its kind in the Strategic Air Command. The 7th Bomb Wing contributed personnel to Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East in 1991. After an overwhelming victory in the Persian Gulf, the wing returned to Carswell. In September 1991 with the end of the Cold War , President Bush ordered

7056-537: The nation, but primarily from Texas, Oklahoma, and eastern New Mexico continued to train at NAS Dallas. Hensley Field passed from the command of the U.S. Air Force to that of the U.S. Navy on 30 September 1949, but the field continued to serve as an Air Force Reserve training center. The Air Force conducted air operations for the Air Force Reserve , the Texas Air National Guard , and for the USAF Civil Air Patrol regional liaison office. In 1950, one of

7154-586: The new group, consisting of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, were transferred to Fort Worth AAF from the 92nd Bombardment Group at Spokane AAF , Washington . On 1 November 1946, the Eighth Air Force moved its headquarters to Fort Worth AAF from MacDill Field , Florida. With its B-29s, the group prepared its people for any combat eventuality that might arise, flying simulated bombing missions over various cities. On 5 July 1947,

7252-399: The next four days the flight flew sorties out of England. The aircraft redeployed to the United States on 20 January arriving at Carswell on 21 January. On 16 February 1951, the ' 11th Bombardment Wing was activated, and, the 11th Bombardment Group was assigned to it. The 19th Air Division was organized the same day at Carswell. With this move, the division assumed responsibility over both

7350-533: The partially assembled B-32 aircraft in the plant were ordered scrapped in place. Fort Worth Army Air Field was assigned to the newly formed Strategic Air Command in March 1946, and on 1 October 1946, the 7th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy was activated. With its activation, the 7th became part of the Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF), headquartered at Colorado Springs , Colorado. Personnel and aircraft of

7448-599: The pre-war exhibition era (1910–16) and barnstorming decade of the 1920s gave way to early forms of federal regulation intended to instill public confidence in the safety of air transportation. As claimed by the Aircraft Year Book , barnstormers caused 66% of fatal accidents during 1924. Opponents of this view included those who distrusted government interference or wished to leave any such regulation to state authorities. Barnstorming accidents that led to such regulations during this period are accurately depicted in

7546-565: The production plant throughout 1948 while being assigned to the 7th Bomb Group . The group's last B-29 was transferred out on 6 December to the 97th Bombardment Group at Biggs Air Force Base in El Paso, Texas. For 10 years, Carswell's "Peacemaker" fleet cast a large shadow on the Soviet Iron Curtain and served as the United States' major deterrent weapons system. In February 1949, a Boeing B-50 Superfortress (developed from

7644-538: The site are contaminated with toxins including jet fuel , lead paint and DDT . The city then sued the navy; a settlement was reached in May 2001, with the navy agreeing to pay the city US$ 18.55 million for having violated various environmental regulations and rendered redevelopment infeasible, and agreeing to spend another $ 34.65 million over the ensuing 15 years to clean up the complex. On 1 May 2016, Cedars Neighborhood Association president Michael Sitarzewski presented

7742-465: The site was redeveloped into a distribution center for The Home Depot , which opened in 2021. Soon after the BRAC closure, ownership of 738 acres (299 ha) of the former base was transferred from the U.S. government to the city of Dallas, but plans to redevelop the land for other uses have been stalled since 2001 due to the U.S. Navy's failure to clean up environmental contamination that occurred while

7840-547: The site was used by the military. The City of Dallas established Hensley Field in August 1929 as a training field for Reserve pilots of the then- U.S. Army Air Corps . The facility was named for Major William N. Hensley , a flying instructor located near Dallas in the 1920s and one of the few on board the first trans- Atlantic dirigible crossing in 1919. The city leased the site to the United States Army for

7938-533: The station. The total economic impact of the base by then was almost $ 76 million. By the following year, more than 1,700 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines had been deployed from the base to the Persian Gulf in support of the Gulf War . The installation was closed in 1998 as part of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission conducted by the Department of Defense, but was partially reopened in

8036-446: The transformation of NACA into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the wake of the Soviet Union 's launch of the first artificial satellite , Sputnik . NASA assumed NACA's role of aeronautical research. The accident investigation powers of the Civil Aeronautics Board were transferred to the new National Transportation Safety Board in 1967, at the same time that the United States Department of Transportation

8134-406: The wing. On 10 December 1957, the 98th Bombardment Squadron was detached from the wing and assigned to the newly activated 4123d Strategic Wing at Carswell. This would become the first Boeing B-52 Stratofortress unit at Carswell. The 7th Bomb Wing officially became a B-52 organization with the adoption of manning documents and equipping authorizations on 1 February 1958. On 19 February 1958,

8232-631: Was also attached to the unit in the 1950s as a unit commander in his then-rank of Colonel in the Air Force Reserve. On 13 June 1955, the Strategic Air Command realigned its three numbered air forces resulting in Headquarters, 8 AF moving from Carswell to Westover AFB , Massachusetts. With that move, Carswell was reassigned under Second Air Force (2 AF), headquartered at Barksdale AFB , Louisiana. On 16 February 1951,

8330-536: Was created. The CAB's remaining authority was economic regulation of commercial air transportation. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 phased out these controls, resulting in the elimination of the CAB at the end of 1984, with most residual powers transferred to the DOT. The September 11, 2001 attacks challenged the air transportation system by presenting a new type of terrorist attack: hijacked airliners used for terrorist attacks. The government's response included

8428-594: Was later recommissioned as the Grand Prairie Armed Forces Reserve Complex, with the half that housed the aircraft-related facilities (such as the runway, hangars, etc.) going to the Texas Air National Guard , and the half with most non-aircraft related facilities going to the U.S. Army Reserve and a small area to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve . Vought Aircraft Industries operated a government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) plant next to Grand Prairie AFRC until 2014. In 2019

8526-547: Was named after Medal of Honor recipient Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr. , USAAF (1916–1944). Major Carswell was returning from an attack on Japanese shipping in the South China Sea on 26 October 1944 when he attempted to save a crewmember whose parachute had been destroyed by flak. He remained at the controls of his crippled bomber and died while crash-landing the B-24 Liberator near Tungchen, China. The base

8624-745: Was renamed Griffiss Air Force Base as a memorial to Lt. Col. Townsend Griffiss (1900–1942), a Buffalo native and 1922 West Point graduate who, in 1942, became the first U.S. airman to be killed in the line of duty in the European Theatre of World War II when his Consolidated B-24 Liberator was shot down by friendly fire over the English Channel. On 27 February, the base's name was changed again to memorialize native son and Medal of Honor winner, Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr. , who gave his life while attempting to crash land his crippled B-24 over China. The Rome Air Depot, near Rome, NY,

8722-565: Was renamed in his honor on 29 January 1948. Carswell's origins date back to the early years of aviation. After the United States' entry into World War I in April 1917, General John J. "Blackjack" Pershing invited the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to establish training fields in the southern United States where the warmer weather would be more conducive for flying year-round. In June, the War Department inspected 6 sites around Fort Worth, Texas which had been offered by

8820-455: Was scheduled several months ahead of the 7th Bomb Wing at Carswell. On 30 May, Memorial Day, the last of the B-36s in the wing was retired with appropriate ceremonies and an "Open House." Air Force and civilian personnel of the base, and civilians from surrounding communities, were on hand to bid the "Peacemaker" a fond farewell. This last flight of a B-36 phased-out completely the B-36 program for

8918-474: Was selected as one of the "Test Wings" to evaluate the new organization, and, on 17 November 1947 the 7th Bombardment Wing was established. The test was successful and the wing was made permanent on 1 August 1948. As part of the new organization both the 7th and 11th Bombardment Groups became its operational components. Upon becoming its own service, the USAF renamed many former Army Air Fields as memorials to deceased airmen. On 1 January 1948, Fort Worth Airfield

9016-404: Was shifted from Consolidated's San Diego, California plant to its government-leased plant in Fort Worth. By 1947 the initial production version B-36A was ready, and, in June 1948 the first Convair B-36A Peacemaker was delivered to the Air Force. The first B-36A was designated the "City of Fort Worth" (AF Serial No. 44-92015) and was assigned to the 492d Bomb Squadron. B-36s continued to roll out from

9114-658: Was sponsored by Rep. Laurence H. Watres , and subsequently referred to as the Watres Act . The Act created an Aeronautic Branch assigned to the United States Department of Commerce , and vested that entity with regulatory powers to ensure a degree of civil air safety. Among these powers were: testing and licensing pilots, issuing certificates to guarantee the airworthiness of aircraft, making and enforcing safety rules, certificating aircraft, establishing airways, operating and maintaining aids to air navigation, and investigating accidents and incidents in aviation. The first head of

9212-491: Was the flight test facility and the receiving station for 4,400 SNJ Texan training aircraft manufactured at that plant. In early 1946, Congress appropriated funds to establish a Naval Reserve training program at NAS Dallas and by March of that year the Naval Reserve had taken over the field. The Marine Air Reserve Training Command also established itself there at that time. Naval and Marine Corps Reservists from across

9310-699: Was the last use of Air Force One by President Kennedy before he was assassinated later that day in Dallas. On 13 April 1965, the 7th Bomb Wing deployed its forces to Andersen Air Force Base , Guam to bomb the Socialist Republic of Vietnam . Most of the wing's bombers and tankers, along with aircrews and some support personnel, were deployed. At Andersen, the wing flew more than 1,300 missions over Vietnam, and returned to Carswell in December 1965. B-52 crews were sent through an intensive two-week course on

9408-483: Was then rename for Griffiss. On 1 December 1948, the 11th Bombardment Group was reactivated by the Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Carswell and was equipped with B-36s. 7th Bomb Group personnel began training the new 11th Bomb Group people in the new aircraft and the 11th soon began receiving them. Since 1942, the XB-36 Peacemaker long range bomber had been under development by Consolidated, and work on it

9506-523: Was to enlarge and improve the nation's air navigation system. The Aeronautics Branch took over the Post Office's task of building airway light beacons, and in 1928 introduced a new navigation beacon system known as the low frequency radio range , or the "Four Course Radio Range". The branch also built additional airway communications stations to encourage broader use of aeronautical radio and combat adverse weather . NACA began its own aeronautics research undertaking in 1920. In 1928, having created one of

9604-470: Was to prepare for global strategic bombardment in the event of hostilities. Under various designations, the 7th Bombardment Wing flew a wide variety of aircraft at the base until its inactivation in 1993. A five-ship B-36 formation was flown on 15 January 1949, in an air review over Washington, D.C., commemorating the inauguration of the President of the United States, Harry S. Truman . By September 1952,

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