Salt Lake City Municipal 2 Airport
Encyclopedia
South Valley Regional Airport is a public airport
located in West Jordan
, seven miles (11 km) southwest of Salt Lake City
, Utah
. It is the primary general aviation
airport in the area, to offload many flights from Salt Lake City International Airport
, the larger, international airport nearby which is predomantly used by commercial airline carriers.
The airport also is a training base for the Utah Army National Guard
, which operates Apache
and Blackhawk helicopters.
as Kearns Army Airfield, and provided operational training for units and personnel during World War II as part of Army Air Forces Training Command.
It was part of the larger Kearns Army Air Base, which was a major Air Force Basic and Technical training facility, as well as an Overseas Replacement Depot for personnel being reassigned to one of the combat zones.
on 1 October 1943. Although part of the overall air base, it was operated as a separate facility by Second AF.
The mission of Kearns AAF was primary aircrew training of newly-formed B-24 Liberator
Heavy Bombardment Groups. From Kearns, the units then were reassigned to other airfields for more advanced training. Units which were trained at the airfield were:
.* Transferred to Wendover Field, Utah
for training
In January 1944, Kearns AAF began performing personnel replacement training, rather than group training. In April, ground echelon training for B-24 support personnel was ended, and the Airfield was transferred back to Army Air Forces Training Command.
, the United States Army Air Force determined that large training bases should be located far inland so that they would not be vulnerable to coastal attack. Almost equidistant from the three major west coast ports of Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles
and about halfway between Canada
and Mexico
, northern Utah sat in an ideal location, situated as to be readily defensible and easily accessible by railroad, automobile, and airplane. Colonel E.G. Thomas combed the area in early 1942 searching for good drainage, an accessible water supply, and a climate friendly to aircraft landings for an air corps training base.
Colonel Thomas recommended a 5450 acres (22.1 km²) dry farming area about fourteen miles (21 km) west of Salt Lake City. The Army Air Force proceeded rapidly with construction, intending the base to be a temporary unit. From 7 April to 22 May 1942, the base grew with the installation of water mains, sewage systems, streets, tar-paper buildings, and electrical systems capable of supporting 30,000 to 70,000 people. The Air Force also built a railroad spur from the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad as well as a fence around the base. By 21 August, all the barracks had been completed at an estimated total cost of $17 million. Upon completion, the base boasted 1700000 square feet (157,935.2 m²) of warehouse space, 926 tarpaper buildings, theaters, gymnasiums, fire stations, recreation fields, chapels, barbershops, a ten-wing hospital, a railroad station, a post office, a library, a cold storage plant, and a bank. Furthermore, 25,000 trees, shrubs, and grass were planted to keep the dirt in place while beautifying the base.
Initially, Kearns Army Airbase (also known as Kearns Center) served primarily as a basic training facility for Air Corps personnel. The base officially opened as an adjunct of the Army Air Force Training Command
, Western Technical Training Command on 20 July 1942, and on 15 August became a basic training center, AAF Basic Training Center #5. The training facilities included a grenade-throwing ground, a gas demonstration area, beachhead maneuvers, and a mile-long obstacle course. The 510th Training Group, along with several technical school squadrons (1032d, 1033d, and 1034th) were assigned to Kearns on 10 September 1942.
Additionally, Kearns Army Airbase had Utah's second largest hospital, one of two sewage treatment plants in the state, one of the largest dental installations in the country, and the nation's second largest rifle range. By the spring of 1943, Kearns had grown into Utah's third largest city and at its peak, stationed 40,000 troops and employed nearly 1,200 civilians.
Basic Training Center #5 was inactivated on 30 September 1943, being replaced by an Overseas Replacement Depot which was established on 8 November 1943.
The facility was transferred to AAF Personnel Distribution Command 1 July 1944 and renamed Camp Kearns with little change in its mission. A series of transfers followed over the next two years, with the facility being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 13 December 1944; to Strategic Air Command
on 21 March 1946, and then to Air Training Command
on 30 April 1946.
for disposal. The WAA planned to return it to farmland. This plan met with blatant opposition by Utahns who argued that the "Army had laid out a model city". So the War Assets Administration opened the base to public bidding and in July 1948, Standard Surplus Incorporated of New York bought this ready-made housing development, complete with utilities, streets, and two million feet of board lumber.
In the boom following World War II, the newly established community of Kearns, Utah
became one of Utah's fastest growing communities.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located in West Jordan
West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. West Jordan is a rapidly growing suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 103,712, placing it as the fourth most populated in the state. The city occupies the...
, seven miles (11 km) southwest of Salt Lake City
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...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It is the primary 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 in the area, to offload many flights from Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport is a major public airport in Utah. A joint civil-military facility, it is located in western Salt Lake City, approximately four miles from the central business district...
, the larger, international airport nearby which is predomantly used by commercial airline carriers.
Facilities
The airport was formerly named Salt Lake City Municipal 2 Airport. In an effort to reduce confusion with the nearby International Airport, the field was recently re-named. The airport is one of three owned and operated by Salt Lake City Department of Airports, the other two being Salt Lake City International and Tooele Valley Airport. There is a single Fixed Based Operator (FBO) onsite, Air Center of Salt Lake, as well as a maintenance facility operated by Alta Aircraft Maintenance. Two flight schools, one operated by the FBO, and the other one by Utah Helicopter Flight Academy are located at the airport as well.The airport also is a training base for the Utah Army National Guard
Utah Army National Guard
The Utah National Guard comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions...
, which operates Apache
AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
and Blackhawk helicopters.
History
Opened on 1 May 1942, South Valley Regional Airport was known 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...
as Kearns Army Airfield, and provided operational training for units and personnel during World War II as part of Army Air Forces Training Command.
It was part of the larger Kearns Army Air Base, which was a major Air Force Basic and Technical training facility, as well as an Overseas Replacement Depot for personnel being reassigned to one of the combat zones.
Kearns Army Airfield
Kearns AAF was the operational airfield for Kearns Army Air Base. Initially part of the Army Air Force Training Command, it was reassigned to Second Air ForceSecond Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
on 1 October 1943. Although part of the overall air base, it was operated as a separate facility by Second AF.
The mission of Kearns AAF was primary aircrew training of newly-formed B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
Heavy Bombardment Groups. From Kearns, the units then were reassigned to other airfields for more advanced training. Units which were trained at the airfield were:
- 459th Bombardment Group, 31 August-24 September 1943
- 460th Bombardment Group460th Space WingThe 460th Space Wing is located at Buckley Air Force Base, east of Aurora, Colorado. Since the 460th was redesignated on 1 October 2004, the wing has delivered global infrared surveillance, provided worldwide missile warning and tracking for homeland defense purposes, and provided expeditionary...
, 31 August–October 1943 - 466th Bombardment Group466th Bombardment GroupThe 466th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the Second Air Force, being stationed at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona. It was inactivated on 17 October 1945...
, 31 August–November 1943 - 455th Bombardment Group, 6 September-5 October 1943
- 456th Bombardment Group456th Bomb GroupThe 456th Bomb Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. A "heavy bombardment group," the 456th operated B-24 Liberator aircraft and was known unofficially as "Steed's Flying Colts," after its commander.The 456th Bomb Group flew 249 bombing...
, 6 September-5 October 1943 - 465th Bombardment Group, 6 September-5 October 1943
- 467th Bombardment Group467th Bombardment GroupThe 467th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the Strategic Air Command, being stationed at Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 4 August 1946....
, 17 October–November 1943 - 458th Bombardment Group, 11–15 September 1943*
- 461st Bombardment Group, 11–30 September 1943*
.* Transferred to Wendover Field, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
for training
In January 1944, Kearns AAF began performing personnel replacement training, rather than group training. In April, ground echelon training for B-24 support personnel was ended, and the Airfield was transferred back to Army Air Forces Training Command.
Kearns Army Airbase
In consequence of the attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, the United States Army Air Force determined that large training bases should be located far inland so that they would not be vulnerable to coastal attack. Almost equidistant from the three major west coast ports of Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and about halfway between Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, northern Utah sat in an ideal location, situated as to be readily defensible and easily accessible by railroad, automobile, and airplane. Colonel E.G. Thomas combed the area in early 1942 searching for good drainage, an accessible water supply, and a climate friendly to aircraft landings for an air corps training base.
Colonel Thomas recommended a 5450 acres (22.1 km²) dry farming area about fourteen miles (21 km) west of Salt Lake City. The Army Air Force proceeded rapidly with construction, intending the base to be a temporary unit. From 7 April to 22 May 1942, the base grew with the installation of water mains, sewage systems, streets, tar-paper buildings, and electrical systems capable of supporting 30,000 to 70,000 people. The Air Force also built a railroad spur from the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad as well as a fence around the base. By 21 August, all the barracks had been completed at an estimated total cost of $17 million. Upon completion, the base boasted 1700000 square feet (157,935.2 m²) of warehouse space, 926 tarpaper buildings, theaters, gymnasiums, fire stations, recreation fields, chapels, barbershops, a ten-wing hospital, a railroad station, a post office, a library, a cold storage plant, and a bank. Furthermore, 25,000 trees, shrubs, and grass were planted to keep the dirt in place while beautifying the base.
Initially, Kearns Army Airbase (also known as Kearns Center) served primarily as a basic training facility for Air Corps personnel. The base officially opened as an adjunct of the Army Air Force 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...
, Western Technical Training Command on 20 July 1942, and on 15 August became a basic training center, AAF Basic Training Center #5. The training facilities included a grenade-throwing ground, a gas demonstration area, beachhead maneuvers, and a mile-long obstacle course. The 510th Training Group, along with several technical school squadrons (1032d, 1033d, and 1034th) were assigned to Kearns on 10 September 1942.
Additionally, Kearns Army Airbase had Utah's second largest hospital, one of two sewage treatment plants in the state, one of the largest dental installations in the country, and the nation's second largest rifle range. By the spring of 1943, Kearns had grown into Utah's third largest city and at its peak, stationed 40,000 troops and employed nearly 1,200 civilians.
Basic Training Center #5 was inactivated on 30 September 1943, being replaced by an Overseas Replacement Depot which was established on 8 November 1943.
The facility was transferred to AAF Personnel Distribution Command 1 July 1944 and renamed Camp Kearns with little change in its mission. A series of transfers followed over the next two years, with the facility being transferred to Continental Air Forces on 13 December 1944; to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
on 21 March 1946, and then to Air 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...
on 30 April 1946.
Inactivation
With the end of World War II, Camp Kearns (including Kearns AAF) was inactivated on 15 August 1946 and transferred to the War Assets AdministrationWar 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...
for disposal. The WAA planned to return it to farmland. This plan met with blatant opposition by Utahns who argued that the "Army had laid out a model city". So the War Assets Administration opened the base to public bidding and in July 1948, Standard Surplus Incorporated of New York bought this ready-made housing development, complete with utilities, streets, and two million feet of board lumber.
In the boom following World War II, the newly established community of Kearns, Utah
Kearns, Utah
Kearns is a township and census-designated place in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. Named after Utah's U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns, it had a population of 35,731 at the 2010 Census.This was a 6.2 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 33,659...
became one of Utah's fastest growing communities.