Hayward Executive Airport
Encyclopedia
Hayward Executive Airport is a general aviation
towered airport located in Hayward
, California
, USA
, near the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay
.
for use as a fighter base as an auxiliary field to Chico Army Air Field
and was originally named Hayward Army Airfield. The primary aircraft stationed at the field were Lockheed P-38 Lightning
fighter aircraft. This post may have also been named "Russell City Army Air Field" for the unincorporated area outside of the Hayward city limits where it was located. The airfield was assigned to the United States Army Air Forces
Fourth Air Force
.
After the war ended, the airport was declared surplus property by the federal government
.
In April 1947, the War Assets Administration
quitclaimed
the airfield, comprising some 690 acres (279 ha) and related buildings and equipment, to the City of Hayward. The airfield was then renamed the Hayward Municipal Airport.
The California Air National Guard
moved onto land adjoining the airport in 1949. A control tower was erected in 1960. Initially it was the home of the 61st Fighter Wing
which included the 194th Fighter Squadron on 25 June 1948.
The 61st Fighter Wing was re-designated as the 144th Fighter Bomber Wing
on 1 November 1950. The wing also consisted of the 192nd Fighter Squadron at Reno, Nevada
and the 191st Fighter Squadron at Salt Lake City, Utah
.
The North American P-51D Mustang
and later the P-51H were flown from 1948 until 31 October 1954. During its early years with the P-51D/H, the unit earned prominence as one of the Air Force's most respected aerial gunnery competitors. In June 1953, while still flying the P-51, the unit qualified for the first all-jet, worldwide gunnery meet. Using borrowed F-86A Sabre
jets, the 144th, which represented the Air National Guard, placed fifth in competition.
On 3 April 1955 the 129th Air Resupply Squadron was established at Hayward and equipped with Curtiss C-46D Commandos
in the Summer 1955 supplemented by Grumman SA-16A Albatrosses
in 1958. The C-46Ds were phased out 1 November 1958, and the unit was redesignated as the 129th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium). On January 20, 1962 the unit reached Group status with federal recognition of the 129th Troop Carrier Group
.
On 1 May 1980 the California Air National Guard units at Hayward were reassigned to NAS Moffett Field
near San Jose
.
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...
towered airport located in Hayward
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, near the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
.
History
The airport was built in 1942 during World War IIWorld 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...
for use as a fighter base as an auxiliary field to Chico Army Air Field
Chico Municipal Airport
Chico Municipal Airport , often called CMA, is a public airport located four miles north of the central business district of Chico, a city in Butte County, California, United States. The airport covers 1,475 acres and has two runways and one helipad. It is mostly used for general aviation, but...
and was originally named Hayward Army Airfield. The primary aircraft stationed at the field were Lockheed P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
fighter aircraft. This post may have also been named "Russell City Army Air Field" for the unincorporated area outside of the Hayward city limits where it was located. The airfield was assigned to the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
.
After the war ended, the airport was declared surplus property by the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
.
In April 1947, the War Assets Administration
War Assets Administration
The War Assets Administration was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by EO 9689, January 31, 1946. American factorieshad produced massive amounts of weaponry during the World War II...
quitclaimed
Quitclaim deed
A quitclaim deed is a legal instrument by which the owner of a piece of real property, called the grantor, transfers his interest to a recipient, called the grantee. The owner/grantor terminates his right and claim to the property, thereby allowing claim to transfer to the...
the airfield, comprising some 690 acres (279 ha) and related buildings and equipment, to the City of Hayward. The airfield was then renamed the Hayward Municipal Airport.
The California Air National Guard
California Air National Guard
The California Air National Guard is the air component of the California National Guard. The California Air National Guard is headquartered at Sacramento, California.One of the duties of the California Air National Guard is defense of the United States...
moved onto land adjoining the airport in 1949. A control tower was erected in 1960. Initially it was the home of the 61st Fighter Wing
61st Air Base Wing
The 61st Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California....
which included the 194th Fighter Squadron on 25 June 1948.
The 61st Fighter Wing was re-designated as the 144th Fighter Bomber Wing
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....
on 1 November 1950. The wing also consisted of the 192nd Fighter Squadron at Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
and the 191st Fighter Squadron at Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
The North American P-51D Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
and later the P-51H were flown from 1948 until 31 October 1954. During its early years with the P-51D/H, the unit earned prominence as one of the Air Force's most respected aerial gunnery competitors. In June 1953, while still flying the P-51, the unit qualified for the first all-jet, worldwide gunnery meet. Using borrowed F-86A Sabre
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
jets, the 144th, which represented the Air National Guard, placed fifth in competition.
On 3 April 1955 the 129th Air Resupply Squadron was established at Hayward and equipped with Curtiss C-46D Commandos
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
in the Summer 1955 supplemented by Grumman SA-16A Albatrosses
HU-16 Albatross
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat that was utilized by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, primarily as a search and rescue and combat search and rescue aircraft...
in 1958. The C-46Ds were phased out 1 November 1958, and the unit was redesignated as the 129th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium). On January 20, 1962 the unit reached Group status with federal recognition of the 129th Troop Carrier Group
129th Rescue Wing
The 129th Rescue Wing is an Air National Guard combat search and rescue unit operationally gained by the Air Combat Command . The unit's history dates to April 1955, when it was activated as the 129th Air Resupply Group of the California Air National Guard...
.
On 1 May 1980 the California Air National Guard units at Hayward were reassigned to NAS Moffett Field
Moffett Federal Airfield
Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale, California, USA. The airport is near the south end of San Francisco Bay, northwest of San Jose. Formerly a United States Navy facility, the former...
near San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
.
Facilities
Hayward Executive Airport covers 543 acres (220 ha) and has two runways:- Runway 10R/28L: 5,024 x 150 ft. (1,531 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
- Runway 10L/28R: 3,107 x 75 ft. (947 x 23 m), Surface: Asphalt
See also
- List of airports in the San Francisco Bay Area
- List of airports in California
- California World War II Army AirfieldsCalifornia World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established numerous airfields in California for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.-Overview:...