Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Ford Island
Encyclopedia
Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Ford Island (NALF Ford Island) was a military
use airport
on the Island of Oahu
, Hawaii
, United States
. Prior to 1962, it was designated as Naval Air Station Ford Island until its downgrade from NAS to NALF. It continues to be owned by the United States Navy
and is located six nautical miles (11.1 km) northwest of the central business district
of the City of Honolulu
on Ford Island
. NALF Ford Island was closed as an active airfield on 1 July 1999, but still remains part of the Naval Base Pearl Harbor complex .
of 18 feet (5.5 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 04/22 with an asphalt
surface measuring 4,000 by 150 feet (1,219 x 46 m). For the 12-month period ending 4 March 1998, the airport had 39,992 aircraft operations, an average of 110 per day: 98% general aviation
and 2% military
. Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this airport was assigned NPS by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA..
on 13 February 1914 to command the 6th Aero Squadron
. This squadron was to be equipped with Curtiss N-9
seaplanes
. Curry scanned Oahu for suitable facilities, choosing Ford Island, while selecting Fort Kamehameha as a temporary site for operations. “It (Ford Island) had excellent approaches and plenty of water for landings and take-offs. It faced into the prevailing wind and a land airdrome could be easily made. It was within the Red Hill line. It was the cheapest and most available land (really the only available land) that fulfilled all the requirements that we needed.”
Curry’s recommendations were approved locally and in Washington. Curry stated, “I then made the necessary arrangements with the owners, the John Ii Estate, for the purchase of the land and drew up plans for the establishment of a base that would accommodate several squadrons. Estimates amounting to about $1,300,000 were submitted for the establishment of the base and an additional sum of about $325,000 for the purchase of the Island.”
However, the sale was only finalized when Curry returned to the U.S. mainland in August 1917. The Oahu Sugar Company surrendered its leasehold to Ford Island in late 1917 to complete the sale. The War Department planned for both the United States Army
and the United States Navy
to use Ford Island. The 6th Aero Squadron moved to Ford Island on 25 September 1917 and began clearing the land for the first U.S. Army Air Service Station in Hawaii. In 1919, the station was officially named Luke Field, after Army Air Service fighter pilot, 2d Lieutenant Frank Luke
who was killed in action over the Western Front during the First World War and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
. Transfer of Luke Field, Hawaii to the U.S. Navy and its commissioning as NAS Ford Island released the "Luke Field" name, which the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) subsequently applied to its new airfield near Phoenix, Arizona, which is the present day Luke AFB.
Naval Air Station Ford Island was commissioned in January 1923 and the runway completed in 1925. The large “Hangar 6” with its seaplane ramp became the most prominent building at NAS Ford Island. In 1935, the USAAC's 5th Composite Group operated pursuit planes and 66 Keystone bombers. By the end of the year Luke Field became that much overcrowded that the military negotiated a deal where the Navy operate from Ford Island, and the Army would construct a new air base across the harbour at what would become Hickam Field
. By the end of 1940 the last U.S. Army had left Ford Island.
The U.S. Navy primarily operated patrol seaplanes from NAS Ford Island. In addition, aircraft assigned to the Pacific Fleet’s carrier air groups
were also flown to NAS Ford Island, when the carriers
were inport at Pearl Harbor. Six U.S. Navy Consolidated P2Y-1s
of patrol squadron VP-10F made a record-setting non-stop flight from San Francisco, California (USA), to NAS Ford Island on 10 January 1934, covering 3.861 km in 24:34 h.
Amelia Earhart's
first attempt to fly around the globe ended on Ford Island on 20 March 1937 when her Lockheed Electra 10E
plane ground-looped
on take-off. The circumstances of the ground loop remain controversial. Some witnesses at Luke Field said they saw a tire blow. Earhart thought either the Electra's right tire had blown and/or the right landing gear had collapsed. Some sources, cited pilot error. With the aircraft severely damaged, the flight was called off and the aircraft was shipped by sea to the Lockheed facility in Burbank, California
for repairs.
During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
on 7 December 1941, 33 of the 70 aircraft on the ground at Ford Island were destroyed. During the following war years the runway was extended and hangars and auxiliary buildings filled almost all available space.
However, the confined space of NAS Ford Island and the need for longer runways for modern aircraft showed that the days of Ford Island as a Naval Air Station were numbered.
In 1939, the U.S. Navy began to build a new patrol airplane base at Kaneohe Bay
, which would later be designated as NAS Kaneohe Bay. In 1942, Naval Air Station Barbers Point was also commissioned, which later became the main base for U.S. Navy fixed wing aviation. On 31 March 1962, Naval Air Station Ford Island was decommissioned and the installation downgraded to a Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) as part of the larger Peral Harbor complex.
On 20 February 1970, the 4,000 foot (1,200 m) runway at NALF Ford Island was opened to civilian flight training operations, primarily local Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps military flying clubs. Itinerant military helicopter training activities also continued to be conducted at NALF Ford Island during this period. On 1 July 1999, all military and civilian general aviation activity at NALF Ford Island ceased when NAS Barbers Point was closed as a result of BRAC
action and became the current civilian Kalaeloa Airport
and Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point.
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...
use airport
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...
on the Island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Prior to 1962, it was designated as Naval Air Station Ford Island until its downgrade from NAS to NALF. It continues to be owned by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and is located six nautical miles (11.1 km) northwest 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 the City of Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
on Ford Island
Ford Island
Ford Island is located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is connected to the main island by the Ford Island Bridge. Before the bridge was built, Ford Island could only be reached by a ferry boat which ran at hourly intervals for cars and foot passengers. The island houses several naval...
. NALF Ford Island was closed as an active airfield on 1 July 1999, but still remains part of the Naval Base Pearl Harbor complex .
Facilities
NALF Ford Island covers an area of 170 acres (68.8 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 18 feet (5.5 m) above mean sea level. It has one 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 04/22 with an 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...
surface measuring 4,000 by 150 feet (1,219 x 46 m). For the 12-month period ending 4 March 1998, the airport had 39,992 aircraft operations, an average of 110 per day: 98% 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 2% 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...
. Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, this airport was assigned NPS by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA..
History
U.S. military aviation on Ford Island started with the arrival of Captain John Curry, U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
on 13 February 1914 to command the 6th Aero Squadron
6th Night Fighter Squadron
The 6th Night Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Seventh Air Force, being inactivated at Wheeler Field, Hawaii on February 20, 1947....
. This squadron was to be equipped with Curtiss N-9
Curtiss N-9
-References:NotesBibliography* Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947. London: Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.*...
seaplanes
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
. Curry scanned Oahu for suitable facilities, choosing Ford Island, while selecting Fort Kamehameha as a temporary site for operations. “It (Ford Island) had excellent approaches and plenty of water for landings and take-offs. It faced into the prevailing wind and a land airdrome could be easily made. It was within the Red Hill line. It was the cheapest and most available land (really the only available land) that fulfilled all the requirements that we needed.”
Curry’s recommendations were approved locally and in Washington. Curry stated, “I then made the necessary arrangements with the owners, the John Ii Estate, for the purchase of the land and drew up plans for the establishment of a base that would accommodate several squadrons. Estimates amounting to about $1,300,000 were submitted for the establishment of the base and an additional sum of about $325,000 for the purchase of the Island.”
However, the sale was only finalized when Curry returned to the U.S. mainland in August 1917. The Oahu Sugar Company surrendered its leasehold to Ford Island in late 1917 to complete the sale. The War Department planned for both the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to use Ford Island. The 6th Aero Squadron moved to Ford Island on 25 September 1917 and began clearing the land for the first U.S. Army Air Service Station in Hawaii. In 1919, the station was officially named Luke Field, after Army Air Service fighter pilot, 2d Lieutenant Frank Luke
Frank Luke
Frank Luke Jr. was an American fighter ace, ranking second among U.S. Army Air Service pilots after Captain Eddie Rickenbacker in number of aerial victories during World War I . Frank Luke was the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor...
who was killed in action over the Western Front during the First World War and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. Transfer of Luke Field, Hawaii to the U.S. Navy and its commissioning as NAS Ford Island released the "Luke Field" name, which the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) subsequently applied to its new airfield near Phoenix, Arizona, which is the present day Luke AFB.
Naval Air Station Ford Island was commissioned in January 1923 and the runway completed in 1925. The large “Hangar 6” with its seaplane ramp became the most prominent building at NAS Ford Island. In 1935, the USAAC's 5th Composite Group operated pursuit planes and 66 Keystone bombers. By the end of the year Luke Field became that much overcrowded that the military negotiated a deal where the Navy operate from Ford Island, and the Army would construct a new air base across the harbour at what would become Hickam Field
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Field, re-named Hickam Air Force Base in 1948, was a United States Air Force facility now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Meek Hickam.- History :...
. By the end of 1940 the last U.S. Army had left Ford Island.
The U.S. Navy primarily operated patrol seaplanes from NAS Ford Island. In addition, aircraft assigned to the Pacific Fleet’s carrier air groups
Carrier Air Wing
This article is about the game. For the naval unit, please see Carrier Air Wing.Carrier Air Wing, released in Japan as , is a 1990 side scrolling shooting game released for the CP System arcade hardware by Capcom. It is the spiritual sequel to U.N. Squadron, released during the previous year...
were also flown to NAS Ford Island, when the carriers
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
were inport at Pearl Harbor. Six U.S. Navy Consolidated P2Y-1s
Consolidated P2Y
-Bibliography:*Donald, David. The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, Ontario: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.*Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1....
of patrol squadron VP-10F made a record-setting non-stop flight from San Francisco, California (USA), to NAS Ford Island on 10 January 1934, covering 3.861 km in 24:34 h.
Amelia Earhart's
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
first attempt to fly around the globe ended on Ford Island on 20 March 1937 when her Lockheed Electra 10E
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
plane ground-looped
Ground loop (aviation)
In aviation, a ground loop is a rapid rotation of a fixed-wing aircraft in the horizontal plane while on the ground. Aerodynamic forces may cause the advancing wing to rise, which may then cause the other wingtip to touch the ground...
on take-off. The circumstances of the ground loop remain controversial. Some witnesses at Luke Field said they saw a tire blow. Earhart thought either the Electra's right tire had blown and/or the right landing gear had collapsed. Some sources, cited pilot error. With the aircraft severely damaged, the flight was called off and the aircraft was shipped by sea to the Lockheed facility in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
for repairs.
During the Japanese 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...
on 7 December 1941, 33 of the 70 aircraft on the ground at Ford Island were destroyed. During the following war years the runway was extended and hangars and auxiliary buildings filled almost all available space.
However, the confined space of NAS Ford Island and the need for longer runways for modern aircraft showed that the days of Ford Island as a Naval Air Station were numbered.
In 1939, the U.S. Navy began to build a new patrol airplane base at Kaneohe Bay
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Marine Corps Base Hawaii , formerly Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps base facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County of Honolulu. As of the 2000 Census, the base had a...
, which would later be designated as NAS Kaneohe Bay. In 1942, Naval Air Station Barbers Point was also commissioned, which later became the main base for U.S. Navy fixed wing aviation. On 31 March 1962, Naval Air Station Ford Island was decommissioned and the installation downgraded to a Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) as part of the larger Peral Harbor complex.
On 20 February 1970, the 4,000 foot (1,200 m) runway at NALF Ford Island was opened to civilian flight training operations, primarily local Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps military flying clubs. Itinerant military helicopter training activities also continued to be conducted at NALF Ford Island during this period. On 1 July 1999, all military and civilian general aviation activity at NALF Ford Island ceased when NAS Barbers Point was closed as a result of BRAC
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
action and became the current civilian Kalaeloa Airport
Kalaeloa Airport
Kalaeloa Airport , also called John Rodgers Field and formerly Naval Air Station Barbers Point, is a joint civil-military regional airport of the State of Hawaii established on July 1, 1999 to replace the Ford Island NALF facilities which closed on June 30 of the same year...
and Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point.
External links
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for NPS
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for NPS
- History of NAS Ford Island