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673:, where the facility assembles, paints, installs the interior and delivers several of the single engine piston models produced by Cessna: the 172 Skyhawk, the 182 Skylane and the 206 Stationair. The plant also produces the Citation Mustang. The Independence facility consists of five buildings on campus: the main assembly plant, the sand and fill building, the paint facility, the Flight building and the new Customer Center. The remainder of the former airfield runways and taxiways remain, although unused.
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available. Most of the buildings were
Theater of Operations construction while some were of the Mobilization type. The Mobilization type buildings included the station hospital, theater, chapel, and Link training buildings. Where before there had been only open farm land, this new city now contained about 200 buildings, with pot-bellied coal stoves for heating. The major construction work, which cost more than $ 8,000,000, ended in May 1943.
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one-half-inch asphalt cement; the service strip (80 feet wide) was a six-inch concrete slab, thickened to nine inches at the expansion and construction joints. three taxiways, 50 feet wide, completed the runway system. Fronting on the field, three squadron hangars, 120 by 80 feet, were built with a parking apron a mile long and 450 feet wide.
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weather prevented flying during the week. Normal flying periods were one hour, except cross-country flights. Usually cross-country flights took place between
Independence and Claremore, Oklahoma, and Neosho, Joplin, and Nevada, Missouri. Others were flown between Independence, Chanute, and Fort Scott, Kansas.
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who assumed jurisdiction over the field, pending disposition. Excess buildings and demilitarized equipment were sold or transferred to other bases. Some were torn down and sales were held for scrap lumber of torn down buildings, fence posts, barbed wire and other items which no longer had a useful
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In
January 1941 the Independence Chamber of Commerce, resolved to sell the citizens of the Kansas community the idea of a municipal airport. On 26 June 1941, after six months of effective "selling", the city commission decided to ask the voters to approve a $ 100,000 bond issue for financing work on
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as well. Some of the classes that arrived later had as many as 345 students. The cadets, who had completed primary flying training, received a nine-week course that was divided into flying training and classroom instruction. Flight training consisted of several subjects that included, takeoffs and
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constructed a spur to the site. In August work began on runways and buildings. Three concrete runways were constructed, aligned 5500x150(N/S), 5500x150(NE/SW), 5500x150(NW/SW). Each runway had a ten-inch gravel base placed in layers on a six-inch compacted earth subbase, and surfaced with one and
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Early in 1942 the government indicated it was interested in acquiring the site for a United States Army Air Forces airfield. During April and May civic leaders met with government officials in a series of conferences. Army
Engineers made surveys from 8 to 11 April. About six weeks later, on 23 May
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Typically the day would start with
Reveille at 6:15 AM, followed by breakfast at 6:30. Flying would begin at 7:45 AM. If a student was not scheduled to fly he would be in ground school, drill, or involved in required athletics. Sometimes it was necessary to schedule Sunday flying when inclement
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On 11 April 1945, however, the Army announced that the airfield would be used to store aircraft not needed in the war effort as a Class II storage depot. This classification was for aircraft being placed in an operational reserve state that could be flown out within 7 days. Jurisdiction was
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Work progressed satisfactorily throughout the winter despite interruptions caused by heavy rains and sub-zero temperatures. By
January 1943 three concrete runways 5,000 feet in length had been constructed. Electric, gas and water lines also had been completed and sufficient troop housing was
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landings, aerobatics, cross-country navigation, and night flying. Ground school involved navigation, meteorology, radio communications, and aircraft recognition. Normally ground school was given between flying lessons. Sometimes it was done in the very early AM or after the evening meal.
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The ground station consists of streets remaining along with the outline of the base parade ground and headquarters. The
Independence Airport Industrial Park consists of companies which have built new structures on it, but generally it is unused and vacant.
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During the fall of 1942 clearing and grading operations began at four locations that had been selected for auxiliary fields. The four sites were located 8 to 20 miles from the main field. The auxiliaries were located at:
322:. Work began on 6 June 1942, when Ottinger Brothers of Oklahoma City moved in with a labor crew and began grading operations. Shortly thereafter, work began on the drainage and sewerage systems. During the summer the
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trainers began arriving for long-term Type C extended storage. During a period of two and a half years the aircraft stored at
Independence included 1,542 P-47's, 1,118 AT-6's, 72 B-25's, 401 B-24's, and 260 B-17's.
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586:, and during the next two months civilian employment on the field jumped from 44 to 505 and military personnel increased from 2 to 272. Aircraft began arriving on 13 April 1945. At first, bomber aircraft (
562:. Basic flying training at Independence continued until January 1945. Nineteen classes, totaling 4,933 students, graduated from the school. The last class completed training on 29 January 1945.
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the airport. The citizens approved by a vote of 1,219 to 173 on 1 August 1941. A short time later the city commission entered into contract with
Paulette and White, consulting engineers from
311:, to survey potential sites for the field. Several locations were considered before any selection was made. The site chosen was in Montgomery county, six miles southwest of Independence.
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during
February and March. The BT-13's and BT-14's were moved to airfields in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Missouri. On 15 March Independence Army Airfield was placed on a standby basis.
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eventually turned the air base over to local government officials. Since then the installation has been operated by the city of Independence as its municipal airport.
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The termination of flying training at Independence resulted in the reassignment of personnel and equipment. Flying personnel were reassigned to airfields in
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medium bombers) were prepared for storage and kept at Independence. These were primarily older training aircraft used in the United States.
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Basic flying training began when 152 cadets arrived for the first class on 26 January 1943. The trainer used at Independence AAF was the
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The contract for planning and supervising the construction of the airfield was awarded to Black and Veatch, architectural engineers from
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The SW/NE runway is used today by the airport, and the main E/W taxiway. About half of the parking apron is maintained and used by
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With the war ended in October 1945, however, all of the B-24 and B-17 aircraft were re-classified as class IV (surplus) and moved to
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1942, the Army officially notified Independence City Government that it would purchase approximately 1,433 acres.
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Four days later Independence Army Airfield, which had been listed as surplus, was turned over to the Army's
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was activated as a Basic Flying School on 12 October 1942, under the 32d Flying Training Wing (Basic),
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consolidated its storage depots and all of the stored aircraft were moved from Independence to
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756:, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC.
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738:. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
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Veronico, Nicholas A.; Grantham, A. Kevin; Thompson, Scott.
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Bobcats were also flown up from Coffeyville along with some
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2006 USGS airphoto of the former Independence Army Airfield
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Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Kansas
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History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002
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AFHRA History of Independence Army Airfield, Kansas
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461:Cherryvale Army Air Force Auxiliary Field #9
419:Independence Army Air Force Auxiliary Field #7
377:Elk City Army Air Force Auxiliary Field #4
335:Mound City Army Air Force Auxiliary Field #3
43:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
754:Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy
103:Part of Army Air Forces Flying Training Command
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550:In May 1944, flying training ended at nearby
8:
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819:
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605:, Arizona for recycling. At the same time
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74:Learn how and when to remove this message
708:32nd Flying Training Wing (World War II)
294:(CFTC). It is currently the city-owned
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124:Independence Army Airfield, 15 Oct 1943
965:USAAF Central Flying Training Command
7:
729:Air Force Historical Research Agency
939:Western Technical Training Command
934:Central Technical Training Command
929:Eastern Technical Training Command
703:Kansas World War II army airfields
14:
980:1947 disestablishments in Kansas
970:American Theater of World War II
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833:Army Air Forces Training Command
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723: This article incorporates
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864:Western Flying Training Command
859:Central Flying Training Command
854:Eastern Flying Training Command
292:Central Flying Training Command
296:Independence Municipal Airport
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960:1942 establishments in Kansas
624:Air Technical Service Command
584:Air Technical Service Command
289:United States Army Air Forces
774:Military Aircraft Boneyards
752:Shaw, Frederick J. (2004),
734:Manning, Thomas A. (2005),
270:GPX (secondary coordinates)
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525:Independence Army Airfield
281:Independence Army Airfield
91:Independence Army Airfield
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664:War Assets Administration
552:Coffeyville Army Airfield
324:Missouri Pacific Railroad
265:GPX (primary coordinates)
240:Map all coordinates using
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248:Download coordinates as:
29:This article includes a
639:Seventh Service Command
58:more precise citations.
725:public domain material
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566:Aircraft storage base
540:Vultee BT-13 Valiants
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481:37.33306°N 95.50778°W
450:Independence AAFAF #7
439:37.18861°N 95.87944°W
397:37.30750°N 95.85111°W
355:37.12722°N 96.34806°W
320:Kansas City, Missouri
287:training base of the
260:GPX (all coordinates)
183:37.15833°N 95.77833°W
985:Independence, Kansas
622:In the fall of 1947
588:B-17 Flying Fortress
536:North American BT-14
529:Perrin Army Airfield
518:North American BT-14
111:Independence, Kansas
873:Specialized schools
509:Basic Flying School
492:Cherryvale AAFAF #9
486:37.33306; -95.50778
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444:37.18861; -95.87944
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402:37.30750; -95.85111
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366:Mound City AAFAF #3
360:37.12722; -96.34806
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188:37.15833; -95.77833
178: /
922:Technical training
777:. Zenith Imprint.
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594:heavy bombers and
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31:list of references
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908:
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784:978-1-61060-732-2
635:District Engineer
607:P-47 Thunderbolts
408:Elk City AAFAF #4
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556:Cessna UC-78
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285:World War II
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215:Site history
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50:Please help
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603:Kingman AAF
560:AT-6 Texans
484: /
442: /
400: /
358: /
228:In use
186: /
161:Coordinates
56:introducing
954:Categories
880:Bombardier
766:1050653629
714:References
611:AT-6 Texan
490: (
471:95°30′28″W
468:37°19′59″N
448: (
429:95°52′46″W
426:37°11′19″N
406: (
387:95°51′04″W
384:37°18′27″N
364: (
345:96°20′53″W
342:37°07′38″N
192: (
173:95°46′42″W
170:37°09′30″N
64:April 2013
900:Navigator
231:1942–1947
762:57007862
748:29991467
744:71006954
681:See also
895:Gunnery
618:Closure
520:trainer
302:History
52:improve
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646:need.
572:Kansas
309:Topeka
283:was a
576:Texas
220:Built
37:, or
779:ISBN
758:OCLC
740:OCLC
662:The
609:and
574:and
223:1942
207:Type
641:at
255:KML
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