Plattsburgh Air Force Base
| Plattsburgh Air Force Base | |||||||||||
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USGS aerial photo as of 4 May 1994
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Owner | United States Air Force | ||||||||||
| Location | Town of Plattsburgh, near Plattsburgh, New York | ||||||||||
| Built | 1954–1955 | ||||||||||
| In use | 1955–1995 | ||||||||||
| Occupants | United States Air Force | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 234 ft / 71 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 44°39′14″N 073°27′56″W / 44.65389°N 73.46556°WCoordinates: 44°39′14″N 073°27′56″W / 44.65389°N 73.46556°W | ||||||||||
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Plattsburgh Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) base covering 3,447 acres (13.7 km²) in the extreme northeast corner of New York, 20 miles (32 km) south of the Canada–United States border, located on the western shore of Lake Champlain opposite Burlington, Vermont, in the city of Plattsburgh, New York.
The base closed on 25 September 1995, pursuant to the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990 (10 U.S.C. Sec. 2687 note) and the recommendations of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It is now a civilian airport and industrial complex, operated by the Plattsburgh Air Base Development Authority. The airfield is now known as Plattsburgh International Airport.
Plattsburgh AFB (1955-25 September 1995) is bordered by the city of Plattsburgh and the Saranac River to the north and the Salmon River to the south. It lies on the western shore of Lake Champlain on the New York-Vermont border.
Plattsburgh was the oldest military post in the United States. The U.S. has maintained a military presence at the site of the now closed base since December 30, 1814.
In particular:
In 1953, the site returned to the Federal government and Plattsburgh Barracks were renamed Plattsburgh Air Force Base. The Air Force held a ground breaking ceremony for the new strategic base on January 29, 1954, and construction began immediately. The runway was completed and the first aircraft landed on November 7, 1955. However, operational facilities were not completed until 1956 due to several work stoppages and severe winter weather.
Built during the Cold War, Plattsburgh AFB's runway is large enough to land the space shuttle. It was on a list of alternate landing sites for the space shuttle. Space shuttle Columbia astronaut Michael P. Anderson, born at Plattsburgh AFB, was an Air Force pilot at Plattsburgh AFB when he got selected by NASA in 1994.
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