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For the civil airport use of this facility, see Westover Metropolitan Airport

Westover Joint Air Reserve Base


Formerly Westover Air Force Base

IATA: CEF – ICAO: KCEF – FAA: CEF
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OwnerAir Force Reserve Command
ServesSpringfield, Massachusetts
LocationChicopee, Massachusetts
Ludlow, Massachusetts
Granby, Massachusetts
Elevation AMSL241 ft / 73 m
Coordinates42°11′38″N 072°32′05″W / 42.19389, -72.53472
Runways
DirectionLengthSurface
ftm
5/2311,5973,535Asphalt
15/337,0822,159Asphalt
Statistics (1994)
Aircraft operations38,137
Based aircraft46
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Westover Joint Air Reserve Base (IATA: CEF, ICAO: KCEF, FAA LID: CEF) is a Air Force Reserve Command, airport located in the Massachusetts communities of Chicopee, Granby, and Ludlow, near the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. For the military airport use of this facility see Westover Air Reserve Base Westover Metropolitan Airport is a civilian Airline, and General An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many The ICAO (ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ Airport code or location indicator is a four-letter Alphanumeric Code designating each airport around 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 The Air Force Reserve Command ( AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM of the U Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Chicopee (ˈtʃɪkəpi is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. For other places with the same name see Ludlow (disambiguation. Granby is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The term above mean sea level ( AMSL) refers to the Elevation (on the ground or Altitude (in the Air) of any object relative to the A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land. A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Asphalt ( is a sticky black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude Petroleums and in some natural deposits sometimes termed asphaltum The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many The ICAO (ˌaɪˌkeɪˈoʊ Airport code or location indicator is a four-letter Alphanumeric Code designating each airport around The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of 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 The Air Force Reserve Command ( AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM of the U Chicopee (ˈtʃɪkəpi is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. Granby is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. For other places with the same name see Ludlow (disambiguation. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Westover hosts the largest Air Reserve Base in the world and is a backup landing site for NASA space shuttles[2]. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program NASA 's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System ( STS) is the Spacecraft currently used by the United States It was named for General Oscar Westover, commanding officer of the Army Air Corps in the 1930s. Oscar Westover ( July 23 1883 - September 21 1938) was a Major general and chief of the United States Army Air Corps when The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC was the predecessor of the U

Contents

Joint Use Mission

The Westover complex serves the "Joint Use" mission of military and civilian cooperation. The core aviation facilities at Westover are owned by the Department of Defense while nearly a hundred acres are under private ownership. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government The two parties coordinate operations in order to promote national defense and economic development. The mile-long runways provide significant separation between the two components.

History

Westover Field was created by a war-readiness appropriation signed by president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939. It became the largest military air facility in the Northeast during the course of World War II. The post-war Berlin Airlift was based in large part at Westover. The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 11 May 1949 was one of the first major international crises of the Cold war. It was renamed Westover Air Force Base after that agency's creation and became instrumental in waging the Cold War. The Eighth Air Force and its 99th Bomber Wing was headquartered at Westover in order to provide range and support to nuclear bombers.

Westover A.R.B.
Westover A. R. B.

As a former Strategic Air Command (SAC) B-52 and KC-135 base, this military center was one of the Soviet Union's top targets during the Cold War. The Strategic Air Command (SAC was both a major command and a "specified command" in the U WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the [3] The SAC constructed a secret underground bunker several miles away in Amherst, Massachusetts to coordinate Westover's operations during a nuclear war. The command post was was linked to the main base by buried cables and microwave antennae. The U-2 spy plane film that set off the Cuban Missile Crisis was developed at Westover. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba during the Cold War. It was a base of operations for the Air Force in both the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Bombing and cargo missions in Vietnam were made directly from Westover. Eight fully-armed nuclear bombers stood ready in Christmas Tree formation to scramble if a conflict broke out with the Soviet Union.

In 1974, as the last Vietnam War veterans stepped onto Westover's tarmac, the base was turned over to the Air Force Reserve. The decision followed four years after the Eighth Air Force was deactivated by President Richard Nixon.

The current military operations at Westover Joint Air Reserve Base are centered around its exceptionally long runways. The Air Force Reserve Command uses Westover for its largest cargo and bomber planes. It maintains a fleet of C-5 Galaxy aircraft operated by the 439th Airlift Wing (439 AW), an Air Force Reserve unit gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The 439th Airlift Wing ( 439 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts Air Mobility Command (AMC is a Major Command (MAJCOM of the U In 2003, the Air Force Reserve Command changed the name of Westover Air Reserve Base to that of Westover Joint Air Reserve Base. The Air Force Reserve Command ( AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM of the U

It is currently the largest Air Force Reserve base in the world. The Air Force Reserve Command ( AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM of the U It will expand significantly over the next decade to further encompass Navy, Marines, Army, and mainline Air Force functions from bases that were closed by the Base Realignment and Closure process. Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed

Associated Units

22nd Air Force

Air Force Auxiliary

Army

Marines

All Services

Expansion

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission ruled that Westover would absorb other military units in New England. Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the The expansion includes the transfer of all military operations at Bradley International Airport to Westover and the nearby Barnes Municipal Airport. BDL redirects here For the beer distributor see Brewers' Distributor Ltd Barnes Municipal Airport, also known as Westfield-Barnes Airport, is a tower-controlled public Airport located three miles (5 km north of the Central business The exception to this decision is the 103rd Airlift Wing, which will remain at Bradley. A $32 million building project is underway to accommodate the additional 1600 service members required by the plan. [4]

The new Armed Forces Reserve Center will host Army, Air Force, Marines, and Naval Reserves operations.

The Massachusetts Army National Guard will also make its debut at the base. [5]

Economic Impact

The air base is one of the biggest employers in the Springfield area and produces an estimated $200 million in economic activity at current levels. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Much of base's extensive landholdings have been sold as surplus and developed into industrial parks for tenants such as Friendly Ice Cream. An industrial estate is an area of land set aside for industrial development. Friendly Ice Cream Corporation, best known for its Friendly's restaurant chain was founded in 1935 in Springfield, Massachusetts by two young brothers

The local government credits Westover with spurring development of the Memorial Drive corridor, including several planned hotels and a high-end retail plaza. [6]

Facilities and aircraft

The Westover complex covers an area of 2,500 acres (10 km²) which contains two runways: 5/23: measuring 11,597 x 301 ft. A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land. (3,535 x 92 m) and 15/33 measuring 7,082 x 150 ft. (2,159 x 46 m). [1] A new Air Traffic Control tower was constructed in 2002 and the old tower was demolished. Air traffic control ( ATC) is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct Aircraft on the ground and in the air

According to FAA records for the 12-month period ending September 26, 1994, the airport had 38,137 aircraft operations, an average of 104 per day: 81% military, 18% general aviation and 1% air taxi. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of General aviation (abbr GA) is one of two categories of Civil aviation. An air taxi is a for-hire passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis There were 46 aircraft based at this airport: 35% military, 50% single engine, 9% multi-engine, 2% jet aircraft, 2% helicopters and 2% ultralight. History Since 400 AD Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys. [1]

Military facilities are under control of the commanding officer, currently Brig. Gen. Wallace W. "Wade" Farris Jr. [7]. The civilian portion of the airport is run by the Director of Civil Aviation, an employee of the Westover Metropolitan Corporation.

References

  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Master Record for CEF (Form 5010 PDF), retrieved 2007-03-15
  2. ^ http://www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Westover_AFB.htm
  3. ^ http:www. globalsecurity. org/wmd/agency/sac. htm
  4. ^ http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/groundbreaking_held_for_new_re.html
  5. ^ http://www.masslive.com/republican/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1206429609281870.xml&coll=1
  6. ^ http://www.masslive.com/republican/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1206429609281870.xml&coll=1
  7. ^ http://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/library/biographies/bio.asp?id=8379

External links

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