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537:. Working in cooperation with a company of the US Army 810th Engineer Aviation Battalion, the 7th CB cleared, graded, and surfaced a 5,000 feet (1,500 m) by 150 feet (46 m) coral runway on the site of a prewar plantation. The 15th CB arrived on Santo on 13 October 1942 and extended the runway to 7,000 feet (2,100 m) with
1569:
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620:
was used as a civilian airstrip until the early 1970s, however as it was on higher ground it was often clouded in and so it was decided to move all operations to the former Pekoa
Airfield/Bomber Field No.2 which became Santo-Pekoa International Airport.
682:
427:). The airport used to be called Santo-Pekoa International airport until it was renamed in the Vanuatu AIPV amendment released on 16 June 2021. Airports Vanuatu Limited provides aviation services for the airport.
1175:
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over a coral base, and built taxiways, revetments, and miscellaneous structures. The completed airfield was operational in
December 1942 and was known as "Bomber Field No. 2" or "Pekoa Field".
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from Pekoa
Airfield, Espiritu Santo, flying over Rendova, Solomon Islands 5 October 1942 after a raid of Japanese-held positions on Gizo Island.
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Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil
Engineer Corps 1940-1946
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113:
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Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force
History.
904:
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The 7th Naval
Construction Battalion arrived on Santo on 11 August 1942 to begin construction of more extensive
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As the war moved further north, Pekoa
Airfield was closed on 8 February 1945 and all traffic routed to
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Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air
Transport Command in the Pacific Ocean Theater
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Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the
Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II
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was based at Pekoa from 13 January 1943 until 20 January 1944 when it moved to
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122:
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The Lady and the
President: The life and loss of the S.S. President Coolidge
43:
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Airport information for Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu (NVSS / SON)
944:
408:
909:
206:
193:
784:
383:
862:
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
713:(reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
728:
1110:
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and Pekoa; Pekoa is the only wartime airfield still in use.
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Boeing B-17F 41-24457 (Aztec's Curse), 11th Bomb Group,
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855:. US Government Printing Office. 1947. p. 228.
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34:
525:they began constructing two bomber fields, one at
624:Of the four wartime airfields on Espiritu Santo:
521:. After completing a second fighter airfield at
707:Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II
246:Sources: World Aero Data, Great Circle Mapper
1122:
925:
760:. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
8:
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1115:
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826:"Air Vanuatu Sep 2024 Domestic Operations"
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252:
31:
1046:Santo-Pekoa (Luganville, Espiritu Santo)
1575:1942 establishments in the New Hebrides
745:
440:
763:
7:
687:Air Force Historical Research Agency
601:, 13 September 1943 – 30 August 1944
880:. Oceans Enterprises. p. 65.
577:, 1 December 1942 – 19 August 1943
25:
1396:17th Photographic Reconnaissance
533:and the other at Pekoa, known as
18:Santo-Pekoa International Airport
1406:38th Photographic Reconnaissance
1401:36th Photographic Reconnaissance
1188:
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857:
681: This article incorporates
676:
168:
161:
42:
84:
1176:USAAF in the Southwest Pacific
595:, 23 January 1943 – 6 May 1944
517:air facilities to support the
184:Location of airport in Vanuatu
29:Airport in Luganville, Vanuatu
1:
1447:United States Army Air Forces
966:Bauerfield (Port Vila, Efate)
704:Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) .
583:, 22 July 1942 – 8 April 1943
328:United States Army Air Forces
564:, 13 January-20 August 1943
397:Santo International Airport
169:
36:Santo International Airport
1596:
1171:USAAF in the South Pacific
807:, Vauatu AIP, 16 June 2021
666:USAAF in the South Pacific
571:, 22 January–December 1943
295:15.5050333°S 167.2197417°E
1442:
1391:4th Photographic Charting
1325:
1186:
1061:South West Bay (Malakula)
951:
770:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
515:Espiritu Santo Naval Base
431:Airlines and destinations
390:31st Bombardment Squadron
260:
244:
213:
210:
205:
201:
156:
50:
41:
976:Dillon's Bay (Erromango)
787:at Great Circle Mapper.
651:Luganville Seaplane Base
599:403d Troop Carrier Group
593:4th Reconnaissance Group
589:, 11 March-17 April 1943
300:-15.5050333; 167.2197417
89:Airports Vanuatu Limited
556:. Units assigned were:
108:184 ft / 56 m
1031:Olpoi (Espiritu Santo)
798:"AIRAC AIP Supplement"
683:public domain material
581:11th Bombardment Group
539:pierced steel planking
393:
136:15.50583°S 167.22139°E
905:Airports Vanuatu Ltd.
876:Stone, Peter (1997).
656:Palikulo Bay Airfield
630:Palikulo Bay Airfield
607:Palikulo Bay Airfield
575:5th Bombardment Group
387:
1146:Thirteenth Air Force
1006:Lonorore (Pentecost)
569:XIII Fighter Command
546:Thirteenth Air Force
519:Guadalcanal Campaign
267:New Hebrides Islands
141:-15.50583; 167.22139
1555:Airports in Vanuatu
1375:550th Night Fighter
1370:419th Night Fighter
1365:418th Night Fighter
1297:4th Reconnaissance
971:Craig Cove (Ambrym)
661:Turtle Bay Airfield
646:Luganville Airfield
634:Luganville Airfield
626:Turtle Bay Airfield
618:Luganville Airfield
562:XIII Bomber Command
291: /
132: /
97:Luganville, Vanuatu
1422:13th Troop Carrier
1313:403d Troop Carrier
754:"Santo Pekoa Intl"
587:18th Fighter Group
535:Bomber Field No. 2
531:Bomber Field No. 1
394:
332:United States Navy
324:Controlled by
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1349:868th Bombardment
1344:100th Bombardment
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1281:307th Bombardment
1184:
1183:
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1103:
1086:Sola (Vanua Lava)
1041:Redcliffe (Ambae)
1026:Norsup (Malakula)
991:Ipota (Erromango)
805:Vanuatu AIP AIRAC
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399:is an airport in
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1271:11th Bombardment
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1051:Sara (Pentecost)
1016:Lamap (Malakula)
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491:Solomon Airlines
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319:Site information
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1266:5th Bombardment
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1001:Longana (Ambae)
996:Lamen Bay (Epi)
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1076:Ulei (Ambryn)
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864:public domain
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1240:18th Fighter
1217:XIII Fighter
1150:World War II
877:
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845:
833:. Retrieved
829:
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809:, retrieved
804:
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604:
543:
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527:Palikulo Bay
512:
509:World War II
441:Destinations
424:
416:
396:
395:
346:Site history
176:
26:
1337:Bombardment
1212:XIII Bomber
1056:Siwo (Emae)
835:6 September
554:Guadalcanal
447:Air Vanuatu
367:In use
298: /
274:Coordinates
139: /
127:167°13′17″E
114:Coordinates
1544:Categories
1519:Fourteenth
1514:Thirteenth
830:Aeroroutes
672:References
523:Turtle Bay
401:Luganville
124:15°30′21″S
1529:Twentieth
1524:Fifteenth
1330:Squadrons
1157:Airfields
1021:Mota Lava
529:known as
476:Port Vila
468:Mota Lava
375:Materials
341:abandoned
338:Condition
207:Direction
1504:Eleventh
1205:Commands
956:Aneiytum
941:Airports
811:25 March
766:cite web
729:70605402
640:See also
496:Auckland
460:Lonorore
438:Airlines
236:Asphalt
214:Surface
94:Location
86:Operator
1580:Seabees
1509:Twelfth
1484:Seventh
1233:Fighter
1164:Pacific
945:Vanuatu
613:Postwar
504:History
456:Longana
409:Vanuatu
362:Seebees
211:Length
195:Runways
81:Summary
1489:Eighth
1469:Fourth
1459:Second
1259:Bomber
1226:Groups
1066:Tongoa
981:Futuna
884:
735:
727:
717:
696:
472:Norsup
370:1942-5
233:1,988
230:6,523
227:12/30
1499:Tenth
1494:Ninth
1479:Sixth
1474:Fifth
1464:Third
1454:First
1198:Units
1143:USAAF
1096:Tanna
1036:Paama
1011:Maewo
961:Aniwa
801:(PDF)
737:72556
711:(PDF)
464:Maewo
378:Coral
351:Built
986:Gaua
882:ISBN
837:2024
813:2022
772:link
733:OCLC
725:LCCN
715:ISBN
694:ISBN
544:The
484:Sola
480:Sara
452:Gaua
425:NVSS
421:ICAO
413:IATA
354:1942
311:Type
104:AMSL
71:NVSS
67:ICAO
56:IATA
1148:in
943:in
552:on
417:SON
407:in
403:on
219:ft
177:SON
152:Map
60:SON
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632:,
628:,
609:.
482:,
478:,
474:,
470:,
466:,
462:,
458:,
454:,
423::
419:,
415::
265:,
222:m
69::
58::
1130:e
1123:t
1116:v
933:e
926:t
919:v
890:.
866:.
839:.
774:)
739:.
700:.
411:(
20:)
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