History
The first tangible move to implement the decision to locate an Army Air Corps four-engine pilot school on a site selected one mile west of Liberal, Kansas was the grant of a contract to Murray A. Wilson and Company, engineers, to make a complete survey and layout for an airfield.
The new airfield was situated in western Kansas, 120 miles from Amarillo, Texas, in Sections 1, 6, 25, 30, 31, and 36, Townships 34 and 35 South, and Ranges 33 and 34 West, with a dimension of two miles north and south and two miles east and west. The field formed part of a flat, low plateau.
By 16 January 1943 the survey had been completed. But even before the survey had been officially finished, contracts were let on 9 January, with Peter Kiewit Sons named as prime contractor. The entire field, some 1,946.7 acres, was purchased by the government. In addition, 3.3 acres on the north extremity of the north-south runway were leased to provide zone clearance space. Just nine days later construction began on the site.
Facilities on Liberal Army Airfield were to run to approximately $8,000,000. Initially three concrete runways were built, each 7,000 feet in length and 150 feet wide, with a gross load capacity of 37,000 pounds. Portable B-2 type runway lights were installed. In addition, a concrete parking apron of some 276,318 square yards was constructed, along with three concrete taxiways 100 feet in width. In 1943, a second set of three runways, identical and parallel to the first three were built. Also an enclosing loop taxiway was constructed. This doubled the capacity of the airfield for landings and takeoffs.
Training facilities included three school buildings and four Link trainer buildings. Five hangers were built, two of steel and three of wood. Three large warehouses and storage facilities for 591,000 gallons of gasoline were built. Construction coming under the general category of recreation and welfare included a gymnasium, officers' club, service club, theater, chapel, and three post exchanges. A spur line of the Rock Island Railroad was run on to the field from the main line. Housing facilities for 4,934 officers and men and a hospital with a normal bed capacity of 142 were constructed. All buildings were of mobilization type construction.
In addition to the main installation, Gage Auxiliary Field, 36°17′43″N 099°46′35″W / 36.29528°N 99.77639°W / 36.29528; -99.77639 (Gage AAAF) a former municipal airport, was acquired by lease. This field, some 81 miles from Liberal Army Air Field, comprised 780 acres, providing two hard surfaced runways, each of which was 5,500 feet in length and 150 feet wide.
Read more about this topic: Liberal Army Airfield
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