During World War II, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) established numerous airfields in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers.

Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force

First Air Force

The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....

 or the Army Air Forces Training Command

Air Training Command

Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...

 (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 Air Education and Training Command

Air Education and Training Command

Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....

). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles.

It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes.

Major Airfields

Air Technical Service Command

• Buffalo MAP, Buffalo
  Buffalo, New York
  Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
  
  

Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport
Aircraft modification center.

Also contract flying school operated by Curtiss-Wright Corp.

Now: Buffalo Niagara International Airport

Buffalo Niagara International Airport

Buffalo Niagara International Airport is an airport located in Cheektowaga CDP, Town of Cheektowaga, in Erie County, New York, USA. It is named after the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The airport serves Buffalo, New York as well as Southern Ontario, Canada...

• Farmingdale AAF, Farmingdale
  Farmingdale, New York
  The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
  
  

436th Army Air Force Base Unit

Used by Republic Aircraft

Now: Republic Airport

Republic Airport

Republic Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The airport is on Long Island, one mile east of the central business district of Farmingdale....

 

• Niagara Falls MAP, Niagara Falls
  Niagara Falls, New York
  Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
  
  

Aircraft modification center

Niagara Falls International Airport

Niagara Falls International Airport

-Traffic figures:Niagara Falls International received 56,943 passengers in 2008. As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 660 passenger boardings in calendar year 2005 and 1,409 unscheduled enplanements in 2006....

and

Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station

• Rome AAF, Rome
  Rome, New York
  Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
  
  

420th Army Air Force Base Unit (Rome ASC)

Was: Rome Air Force Base (1948)

Was: Griffiss Air Force Base

Griffiss Air Force Base

Griffiss Air Force Base, is a former United States Air Force base, located in Rome, New York, about NW of Utica. Missions at Griffiss AFB included fighter interceptors, electronic research, installation, and support activities, aerial refueling, and bombers...

 (1948-1991)

Now: Rome Laboratory

Rome Laboratory

The Rome Laboratory, formerly known as the Rome Air Development Center, is one of eight research and development labs run by the US Air Force located at Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY. One of four superlabs run by the Air Force, the Rome Lab is tasked with generic research, as opposed to having a...

 (1991-Pres)

Wheeler Sack Field AAF, Deferiet

Deferiet, New York

Deferiet is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 309 at the 2000 census. The village is named after settler Jenika de Ferriet....

Sub-base of Rome AAF

Supported Fort Drum

Fort Drum

Fort Drum is a United States Army base in New York near the Canadian border.Fort Drum may also refer to:*Fort Drum, Florida, a nearly-uninhabited town in the United States*Fort Drum , Philippines...

Now: Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield

Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield

Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield is a military use airport located at Fort Drum, in Jefferson County, New York, United States. It is owned by U.S. Army.Although most U.S...

, Active US Army Airfield.

• Syracuse AAB, Syracuse
  Syracuse, New York
  Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
  
  

393d Army Air Force Base Unit (Rome ASC)

Now: Syracuse Hancock International Airport

Syracuse Hancock International Airport

Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located northeast of Syracuse, in Onondaga County, New York, off of Interstate 81 near Mattydale, New York. The main terminal complex is located at the eastern end of Colonel Eileen Collins Boulevard.-History:In 1927...

Air Transport Command

• La Guardia Field, New York City

523d Army Air Force Base Unit (Reduced)

Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport

Now: La Guardia Airport

• Albany MAP, Albany
  Albany, New York
  Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
  
  

Joint use USAAF/Civil Airport

Now: Albany International Airport

Albany International Airport

Albany International Airport is a public use airport located six nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Albany, in Albany County, New York, United States. It is owned by the Albany County Airport Authority....

First Air Force

• Mitchell AAF, Garden City
  Garden City, New York
  Garden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
  
  

1st Army Air Force Base Unit

Was: Mitchel Air Force Base

Mitchel Air Force Base

Decommissioned in 1961, Mitchel Field became a multi-use complex currently home to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Nassau Coliseum, Mitchel Athletic Complex, Nassau Community College and Hofstra University.-Origins:...

 (1947-1961)

Now: Non-flying facility part of greater NYC urbanised area.

• Suffolk County AAF, Westhampton Beach
  Westhampton Beach, New York
  Westhampton Beach is an Incorporated Village in the town of Southampton, Suffolk County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,902.-History:...
  
  

437th Army Air Force Base Unit

Was: Suffolk County Air Force Base (1947-1969)

Was: Suffolk County Airport (1969-1991) and Suffolk County Air National Guard Base (1970-1991)

Now: Francis S. Gabreski Airport

Francis S. Gabreski Airport

Francis S. Gabreski Airport is a county-owned, civil airport located north of the central business district of Westhampton Beach, in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, United States. It is approximately east of New York City....

and

Gabreski Air National Guard Base

Air Education and Training Command

• Stewart AAF, Newburgh

320th Army Air Force Base Unit

Supported United States Military Academy

United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

, West Point

Was: Stewart Air Force Base (1947-1970)

Now: Stewart International Airport

Stewart International Airport

Stewart International Airport is located in the southern Hudson Valley, west of Newburgh, New York and over north of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The airport is located in the Town of Newburgh and the Town of New Windsor."." U.S. Census Bureau...

and

Stewart Air National Guard Base

Stewart Air National Guard Base

Stewart Air National Guard Base is the home of the 105th Airlift Wing , an Air Mobility Command -gained unit of the New York Air National Guard and "host" wing for the installation...