Presque Isle Air Force Base
Presque Isle Air Force Base
 
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| Part of Air Defense Command (ADC) and Strategic Air Command (SAC) |
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| Presque Isle, Maine, USA | |
USGS 2006 aerial photo
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 Presque Isle AFB
Location of Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine
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| Coordinates | 46°41′20″N 68°02′41″W / 46.68889°N 68.04472°WCoordinates: 46°41′20″N 68°02′41″W / 46.68889°N 68.04472°W |
| Type | Air Force Base |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Air Force |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1930 |
| In use | 1941-1961 |
Presque Isle Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base, located in the city of Presque Isle, Maine.
The Presque Isle Airport was constructed in 1930 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as a commercial airport located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the "business center". The initial field consisted of a 250-acre (100 ha) L-shaped grass field, measuring 4,775 ft × 2,914 ft, with two grass runways measuring 1,700 ft east/west by 1,000 ft north/south. The field was also said to have a 100 ft × 80 ft hangar.
Presque Isle's commercial aviation began in 1933 with Boston & Maine Airways. In 1940, BMA changed their name to Northeast Airlines.Northeast Airlines, continued to operate from the airfield during the war, and was contracted to run regular air service from Presque Isle to a large number of destinations in Canada, most of which were weather stations.
In 1941 the federal government appropriated the local airport, establishing Presque Isle Army Airfield for planes bound to and from Great Britain. Activated as an Army Air Corps military airfield on 15 September, Presque Isle became a vital air transport installation and the City found itself a busy war center.
Together with Dow AAF in Bangor, the mission of Presque Isle was the delivery of Lend-Lease aircraft to the United Kingdom and as an Embarkation point for overseas movement of Army Air Forces personnel and equipment.
The first troops arrived in Presque Isle to start establishing the base on 15 September 1941. At that time, no military facilities existed and the men lived in tents and trailers.
The main Army Air Force unit at Presque Isle was the 23d AAF Ferrying Wing, assigned to the Air Transport Command. The unit was activated on 12 June 1942 and conducted aircraft ferrying to Europe and other transport operations. At the height of base activity during World War II, more aircraft flights flew from Presque Isle (via Greenland, Iceland or directly from Newfoundland) to Europe than from any other American base.
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