Three of the four airfields in Nebraska used for training the Bomb Groups of the 315th Bomb Wing have been converted to use with modern aviaion. The exception is McCook AAF, which apparently was closed between 1968 and 1970 (see webpage link below). The city of McCook now has a general aviation airfield just east of the city.
Scott Hochstein provided this photo of the Fairmont flightline and "Flyaway" B-29s. This photo was taken in approximately March 1945.
Note: No, that isn't a UFO on the right side of the photo. The two circles on the right side of the photo are holes in the original photo where it was secured in the history folder.
The Civil Air Patrol has a website with photos of Fairmont as it appeared recently. You may find their site here. Follow down the column "Sort City" to find to find Fairmont.
McCook Army Air Field was approximately 8 miles north-north east of the city of McCook, Nebraska. Aerial views today show only portions of the ramp still visible and the outlines of the runways may be discerned. The area is no longer used for aircraft operations and is mostly farm land.
Scott Hochstein provided this photo of McCook AAF, Nebraska, looking from the northwest.
A brief history of Grand Island AAF, now the Central Nebraska Regional Airport, may be found here.
I'm always looking for photos, documents, memoribilia or personal stories relating to the 315th Bombardment Wing.
16th Bomb Group (VH) trained at Fairmont AAF, Nebraska
US Air Force Photo
The photo is from official histories found at the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), Maxwell AFB, AL.
331st Bomb Group (VH) trained at McCook AAF, Nebraska
There is a location on the web where there is more information on the former Army Air Field. The data for McCook is about halfway down the page at Abandoned and Little Known Airfields
US Air Force Photo
The photo is from official histories found at the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), Maxwell AFB, AL.
The original page is captioned; "General aerial view of the McCook Army Airfield and surrounding areas."
501st Bomb Group (VH) trained at Harvard AAF, Nebraska
Scott Hochstein provided a scan of a portion of the final base newspaper for Harvard.
502nd Bomb Group (VH) trained at Grand Island AAF, Nebraska
The Civil Air Patrol has a website with photos of Grand Island as it appeared recently. You may find their site here. Follow down the column "Sort City" to find to find Grand Island.
