Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport
Encyclopedia
Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport
located four nautical miles (7 km) southeast of the central business district
of Hattiesburg
, a city in Forrest County
, Mississippi
, United States
. The airport serves the general aviation
community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.
However, alarmed by the fall of France in 1940, Congress funded an increase in the strength of the United States Army Air Corps
from 29 to 54 combat groups. The quickest way for the Air Corps to obtain additional bases was to utilize existing civil airports. The Air Corps signed an agreement to lease Hattiesburg Airport, but because of technicalities in the land transfer, construction did not begin until March 1941.
Once begun, a large construction program was needed to turn the civil airport into a military airfield. Construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three concrete runways, several taxiways and a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper. On 8 December 1941, Hattiesburg Army Airfield was opened and assigned to the Third Air Force
.
The first mission of the new airfield was antisubmarine patrols along the Gulf of Mexico
coastline. In early June 1942, the 21st Bombardment Group, based at Jackson AAB, dispatched the 313th Bombardment Squadron
flying B-25 Mitchell
s from the airfield. They was replaced in late June by the 113th Observation Squadron which flew light observation planes (O-49 Vigilants and O-52 Owls) until the end of July.
The 27th Bombardment Group (Light), flying A-20 Havocs arrived at Hattiesburg in mid-August. The 27th was forming in the Philippines
at the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
and without any aircraft (they were diverted to Australia
), the unit's ground echelon were pressed into infantry duty and were either killed or surrendered after the Battle of Bataan
. It's pilots reformed the unit in Australia, but its A-24 Dauntlesses were badly mauled during the battle of the Dutch East Indies
and in New Guinea
. The entire unit was withdrawn from the Southwest Pacific and reformed and reequipped in the United States. The reconstituted group trained at Hattiesburg until the end of October then were moved for final training before joining Twelfth Air Force in North Africa.
The 27th Bombardment Group was the last combat unit to be stationed at Hattiesburg, as by early 1943, purpose-built Army Airfields designed for training large units had been built in the southeast and Hattiesburg AAF was reassigned to Air Technical Service Command to become a support airfield, performing maintenance on transient aircraft and also to support the Army training units at Camp Shelby
.
In early 1945, military activities were phased down, and the Air Force put Hattiesburg on standby inactive status. Return to full civil control was made in April 1946.
In 1974, airline service was moved ot the new Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport
. Though commercial air service is no longer conducted at the municipal airport, the facility maintains a vital role in the transportation infrastructure of the metropolitan Hattiesburg area, serving as the preferred business airport for Forrest, Lamar and Perry Counties, as well as parts of Pearl River, Stone and Greene counties.
of 151 feet (46 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt
paved runway
designated 13/31 which measures 6,094 by 150 feet (1,857 x 46 m). For the 12-month period ending June 4, 2008, the airport had 39,672 aircraft operations, an average of 108 per day:88% general aviation
, 8% military
, 3% scheduled commercial
and 1% air taxi
. At that time there were 61 aircraft based at this airport: 75% single-engine
, 15% multi-engine, 2% jet
and 8% helicopter
.
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 four nautical miles (7 km) southeast 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 Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
, a city in Forrest County
Forrest County, Mississippi
The median income for a household in the county was $27,420, and the median income for a family was $35,791. Males had a median income of $28,742 versus $20,500 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,160...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport serves the 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...
community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.
History
Since 1930, the Hattiesburg-Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport has provided air service to the greater Hattiesburg area. It provided commercial airline service to the area beginning in the mid 1930s.However, alarmed by the fall of France in 1940, Congress funded an increase in the strength of 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...
from 29 to 54 combat groups. The quickest way for the Air Corps to obtain additional bases was to utilize existing civil airports. The Air Corps signed an agreement to lease Hattiesburg Airport, but because of technicalities in the land transfer, construction did not begin until March 1941.
Once begun, a large construction program was needed to turn the civil airport into a military airfield. Construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three concrete runways, several taxiways and a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper. On 8 December 1941, Hattiesburg Army Airfield was opened and assigned to the 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....
.
The first mission of the new airfield was antisubmarine patrols along the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
coastline. In early June 1942, the 21st Bombardment Group, based at Jackson AAB, dispatched the 313th Bombardment Squadron
313th Bombardment Squadron
The 313th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 21st Bombardment Group, based at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 10 October 1943.-History:...
flying 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...
s from the airfield. They was replaced in late June by the 113th Observation Squadron which flew light observation planes (O-49 Vigilants and O-52 Owls) until the end of July.
The 27th Bombardment Group (Light), flying A-20 Havocs arrived at Hattiesburg in mid-August. The 27th was forming in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
at the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack 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...
and without any aircraft (they were diverted to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), the unit's ground echelon were pressed into infantry duty and were either killed or surrendered after the Battle of Bataan
Battle of Bataan
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. The capture of the Philippine Islands was crucial to Japan's effort to control the Southwest Pacific, seize the resource-rich Dutch East Indies, and protect its Southeast...
. It's pilots reformed the unit in Australia, but its A-24 Dauntlesses were badly mauled during the battle of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
and in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. The entire unit was withdrawn from the Southwest Pacific and reformed and reequipped in the United States. The reconstituted group trained at Hattiesburg until the end of October then were moved for final training before joining Twelfth Air Force in North Africa.
The 27th Bombardment Group was the last combat unit to be stationed at Hattiesburg, as by early 1943, purpose-built Army Airfields designed for training large units had been built in the southeast and Hattiesburg AAF was reassigned to Air Technical Service Command to become a support airfield, performing maintenance on transient aircraft and also to support the Army training units at Camp Shelby
Camp Shelby
Camp Shelby is a military post whose North Gate begins at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on United States Highway 49. It is the largest state owned training site in the nation. During wartime, the camp's mission is to serve as a major, independent mobilization station of the...
.
In early 1945, military activities were phased down, and the Air Force put Hattiesburg on standby inactive status. Return to full civil control was made in April 1946.
In 1974, airline service was moved ot the new Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport
Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport
Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport , nicknamed Airport City, is a public airport located in unincorporated Jones County, Mississippi, near Moselle, and approximately 10 miles north of Hattiesburg and 23 miles southwest of Laurel. The airport covers and has one runway. It is mostly used for...
. Though commercial air service is no longer conducted at the municipal airport, the facility maintains a vital role in the transportation infrastructure of the metropolitan Hattiesburg area, serving as the preferred business airport for Forrest, Lamar and Perry Counties, as well as parts of Pearl River, Stone and Greene counties.
Facilities and aircraft
Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport covers an area of 420 acres (170 ha) at an elevationElevation
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 151 feet (46 m) above mean sea level. It has one 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...
designated 13/31 which measures 6,094 by 150 feet (1,857 x 46 m). For the 12-month period ending June 4, 2008, the airport had 39,672 aircraft operations, an average of 108 per day:88% 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...
, 8% 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...
, 3% scheduled commercial
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
and 1% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
. At that time there were 61 aircraft based at this airport: 75% 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...
, 15% multi-engine, 2% 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 8% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
See also
- Mississippi World War II Army AirfieldsMississippi World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Mississippi for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
- Air Technical Service Command