Esler Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Esler Field, also known as Esler Regional Airport, is a military and public use airfield in Rapides Parish, Louisiana
, near the City of Pineville
. It is located 10 nautical mile
s (12 statute miles, 19 kilometre
s) northeast of the central business district
of Alexandria, Louisiana
, The airfield is owned by the Louisiana Army National Guard
and is the home of Army Aviation Support Facility #2 (AASF#2).
This airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
for 2011–2015, which categorized
it as a general aviation
airport. It has no scheduled commercial airline service.
in 1919 the Army had abandoned Camp Beauregard
and turned the property over to the state of Louisiana, which returned it to the United States, however interest in the military utilization of Camp Beauregard increased significantly in 1939 when war began in Europe. The United States needed a training ground for American troops. In 1940 the land was returned to the War Department for use as a World War II
training area. That area included the now-abandoned Camps Claiborne and Livingston and what has become Esler Regional Airport.
Construction of the airport, originally called Camp Beauregard Army Field, for the United States Army Air Corps
began in 1940. In the summer of 1940 and throughout 1941 the area was used for the Louisiana Maneuvers
. The Air Corps used the airfield extensively during the maneuvers, with the 67th Observation Group stationing the 107th Observation Squadron
at the airfield between 28 October 1940 and 14 December 1941. In addition, the 109th Observation Squadron
used the airport from 27 February 1941 until 18 December 1942 flying light observation planes.
The airfield was renamed Esler Army Airfield in 1941 to honor Lt. Wilmer Esler, a pilot who became the first casualty of the airfield when his plane crashed on April 11, 1941. Esler AAF was assigned to Third Air Force
, III Air Support Command
. The 333d Air Base Group was the host unit at the airfield, being activated on 1 February 1942.
The first unit assigned for training at Esler was the 12th Bombardment Group, arriving for B-25 Mitchell
training on 21 February 1942. The unit remained at Esler until July until being deployed to the Middle East
and being assigned to Ninth Air Force
.
In December 1942, the mission was changed to training Reconnaissance units, and Esler was reassigned directly to Third Air Force. The 347th Army Air Force Base Unit became the host unit at the station. Reconnaissance groups receiving training at the airfield were:
In late 1943, Esler was again reassigned within Third Air Force, to the I Tactical Air Division
, to become a close air support training field. The Division moved its headquarters to the field in April 1944. The P-40 Warhawk-equipped 372d Fighter Group
trained at Esler in March and April 1944.
With the departure of the 372d, the 353d Army Air Force Base Unit took over training for replacement pilots, and unit training ended. On 20 April 1945, the 353d BU was redesignated as the 353d AAF BU (Maneuver Station), and Esler supported various training maneuvers at Fort Polk, providing simulated tactical air support to Army units.
On 1 August 1945, the airfield was again reassigned directly to Third Air Force. With the end of the war, inactivation of Esler Field began on 7 September 1945. However, the Air Force's inactivation was quite slow, with the airfield being put on standby status 31 January 1946. The 353d was redesignated as a Standby Unit, but not inactivated, keeping a skeleton force of 6 officers and 50 civilians assigned to the base until 31 May 1946 when the base was finally closed. The airfield remained Federal property until the 1950s when it was finally ceded to the Police Jury as surplus property. A small civilian airport opened after return to civil control.
. But the abandoned Esler presented the Louisiana National Guard
with a golden opportunity to expand the area available to conduct its training. On June 1, 2001, the Rapides Parish Police Jury transferred the airport's management to the Guard in a 99-year lease. Today, Esler is the site of numerous training exercises.
About 60 percent of the airport's operations are military and the rest are civilian. Although Esler doesn't offer private jet passenger services it does provide both military and civilian aircraft fuel services through its civilian contractor Million Air Interlink Inc.
While Alexandria International Airport is Central Louisiana's primary airport and the leader of aviation services in the area, Esler is the area's secondary airport. The airport's runways can handle the heavy weight of most airline traffic, such as 137-passenger-capacity Boeing 737
s, 224-passenger-capacity Boeing 757
s and the C-17 Globemasters that are the primary cargo plane of the Air Force and weigh 169,000 pounds each.
) at an elevation
of 112 feet (34 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 9/27 is 5,999 by 150 feet (1,828 x 46 m) and 14/32 is 5,601 by 150 feet (1,707 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending March 26, 2009, the airport had 8,300 aircraft operations, an average of 22 per day: 77% general aviation
and 23% military
. At that time there were 27 aircraft based at this airport: 44% single-engine
, 4% jet
and 52% military
.
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
-Military Installations:*Camp Beauregard *Esler Airfield *England Air Force Base *Camp Claiborne *Camp Livingston -Demographics:...
, near the City of Pineville
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
. It is located 10 nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (12 statute miles, 19 kilometre
Kilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
s) northeast of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, The airfield is owned by the Louisiana Army National Guard
Louisiana Army National Guard
The Louisiana Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force...
and is the home of Army Aviation Support Facility #2 (AASF#2).
This airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. It is developed and maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration . Its purposes are:* to identify all the airports in the U.S...
for 2011–2015, which categorized
FAA airport categories
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has a system for categorizing public-use airports that is primarily based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. It is used to determine if an airport is eligible for funding through the federal government's Airport...
it as a general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airport. It has no scheduled commercial airline service.
World War II
After World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1919 the Army had abandoned Camp Beauregard
Camp Beauregard
For the American Civil War site, see Camp Beauregard Memorial in Water Valley.Camp Beauregard is a U.S. Army installation located northeast of Pineville, Louisiana, primarily in Rapides Parish, but also extending northward into Grant Parish. It is currently operated by the Louisiana National Guard...
and turned the property over to the state of Louisiana, which returned it to the United States, however interest in the military utilization of Camp Beauregard increased significantly in 1939 when war began in Europe. The United States needed a training ground for American troops. In 1940 the land was returned to the War Department for use as a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
training area. That area included the now-abandoned Camps Claiborne and Livingston and what has become Esler Regional Airport.
Construction of the airport, originally called Camp Beauregard Army Field, for the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
began in 1940. In the summer of 1940 and throughout 1941 the area was used for the Louisiana Maneuvers
Louisiana Maneuvers
The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of military exercises held all over north and west-central Louisiana, including Fort Polk, Camp Claiborne and Camp Livingston, in August and September 1941...
. The Air Corps used the airfield extensively during the maneuvers, with the 67th Observation Group stationing the 107th Observation Squadron
107th Fighter Squadron
The 107th Fighter Squadron is a Michigan National Guard Squadron based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. It is a part of the 127th Wing. Organized in 1925 as the Michigan National Guard's first flying unit, the squadron consisted of 20 officers and 90 enlisted men meeting weekly in a Detroit...
at the airfield between 28 October 1940 and 14 December 1941. In addition, the 109th Observation Squadron
109th Airlift Squadron
The 109th Airlift Squadron flies the C-130H Hercules. It is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 133rd Airlift Wing.-Mission:...
used the airport from 27 February 1941 until 18 December 1942 flying light observation planes.
The airfield was renamed Esler Army Airfield in 1941 to honor Lt. Wilmer Esler, a pilot who became the first casualty of the airfield when his plane crashed on April 11, 1941. Esler AAF was assigned to Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, III Air Support Command
III Air Support Command
The III Air Support Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at Drew Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 16 March 1942.-Lineage:...
. The 333d Air Base Group was the host unit at the airfield, being activated on 1 February 1942.
The first unit assigned for training at Esler was the 12th Bombardment Group, arriving for B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
training on 21 February 1942. The unit remained at Esler until July until being deployed to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and being assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
.
In December 1942, the mission was changed to training Reconnaissance units, and Esler was reassigned directly to Third Air Force. The 347th Army Air Force Base Unit became the host unit at the station. Reconnaissance groups receiving training at the airfield were:
- 74th Reconnaissance Group74th Reconnaissance GroupThe 74th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Continental Air Forces, based at Stewart AFB, New York.-History:...
, 13-28 December 1942 - 71st Reconnaissance Group, 24 January-31 March 1943
- 69th Reconnaissance Group69th Reconnaissance GroupThe 69th Reconnaissance Group is an active United States Air Force unit. Its a unit which is part of Air Combat Command stationed at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota...
, March-December 1943 - 77th Reconnaissance Group, 13 September-14 November 1943
In late 1943, Esler was again reassigned within Third Air Force, to the I Tactical Air Division
III Reconnaissance Command
The III Reconnaissance Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
, to become a close air support training field. The Division moved its headquarters to the field in April 1944. The P-40 Warhawk-equipped 372d Fighter Group
144th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 144th Fighter Wing is a unit of the California Air National Guard, operationally gained by the Air Combat Command and located at Fresno Air National Guard Base / Fresno Yosemite International Airport in Fresno, California....
trained at Esler in March and April 1944.
With the departure of the 372d, the 353d Army Air Force Base Unit took over training for replacement pilots, and unit training ended. On 20 April 1945, the 353d BU was redesignated as the 353d AAF BU (Maneuver Station), and Esler supported various training maneuvers at Fort Polk, providing simulated tactical air support to Army units.
On 1 August 1945, the airfield was again reassigned directly to Third Air Force. With the end of the war, inactivation of Esler Field began on 7 September 1945. However, the Air Force's inactivation was quite slow, with the airfield being put on standby status 31 January 1946. The 353d was redesignated as a Standby Unit, but not inactivated, keeping a skeleton force of 6 officers and 50 civilians assigned to the base until 31 May 1946 when the base was finally closed. The airfield remained Federal property until the 1950s when it was finally ceded to the Police Jury as surplus property. A small civilian airport opened after return to civil control.
Recent history
In the early '90s, Esler Regional Airport became lifeless and quiet with an uncertain future after airport services for Central Louisiana were moved to the England Industrial Airpark and Community, the location of the defunct England Air Force BaseEngland Air Force Base
England Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Louisiana, located Northwest of Alexandria and about Northwest of New Orleans....
. But the abandoned Esler presented the Louisiana National Guard
Louisiana National Guard
The Louisiana National Guard consists of the:*Louisiana Army National Guard** includes the U.S. 256th Infantry Brigade*Louisiana Air National Guard-External links:*** compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
with a golden opportunity to expand the area available to conduct its training. On June 1, 2001, the Rapides Parish Police Jury transferred the airport's management to the Guard in a 99-year lease. Today, Esler is the site of numerous training exercises.
About 60 percent of the airport's operations are military and the rest are civilian. Although Esler doesn't offer private jet passenger services it does provide both military and civilian aircraft fuel services through its civilian contractor Million Air Interlink Inc.
While Alexandria International Airport is Central Louisiana's primary airport and the leader of aviation services in the area, Esler is the area's secondary airport. The airport's runways can handle the heavy weight of most airline traffic, such as 137-passenger-capacity Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s, 224-passenger-capacity Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
s and the C-17 Globemasters that are the primary cargo plane of the Air Force and weigh 169,000 pounds each.
Facilities and aircraft
The airport covers an area of 2,161 acres (875 haHectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
) at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 112 feet (34 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s: 9/27 is 5,999 by 150 feet (1,828 x 46 m) and 14/32 is 5,601 by 150 feet (1,707 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending March 26, 2009, the airport had 8,300 aircraft operations, an average of 22 per day: 77% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and 23% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 27 aircraft based at this airport: 44% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 4% jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
and 52% military
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
.