History
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces used Mobile Regional airport. It was known as Bates Field and was commanded by the 533d Army Air Force Base Unit. In addition to the main airfield, an additional auxiliary airfield was operated at St Elmo Auxiliary Field. 30°30′05″N 088°16′33″W / 30.50139°N 88.27583°W / 30.50139; -88.27583
It was used as a basic (level 1) pilot training airfield, under contract to Waterman Airlines, Inc. Flying training was performed with Fairchild PT-19s as the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans assigned. It was also used for glider pilot training, under contract to Mobile Area Soaring Corp. Used primarily C-47 Skytrains and Waco CG-4 unpowered gliders. The mission of the school was to train glider pilot students in proficiency in operation of gliders in various types of towed and soaring flight, both day and night, and in servicing of gliders in the field.
In 1944 when the demand for pilots was reduced and the flying training ended, the airport was used as a transport airfield for the Domestic Transport Division, Air Transport Command. ATC moved operations to Brookley Army Airfield in late 1945 and Bates Field was returned to civil control.
The Air Force returned to Bates Field in May 1959 when the Air Force Reserve 78th Troop Carrier Squadron was activated at the airport with C-119 Flying Boxcars. In 1961, the squadron was moved to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and became a C-124 Globemaster II heavy-lift squadron. It was replaced by the 357th Troop Carrier Squadron that acquired the C-119s. Bates was then upgraded to a Group level when the 908th Troop Carrier Group, Medium was organized in 1963. The reservists, however, were moved to the larger Brookley AFB in October 1964 due to budget restraints.
In 1966, the vacant 232-acre Air Force Reserve facility located at Bates Field was acquired by the Coast Guard. On 17 December 1966, Air Station Mobile was officially commissioned with the transfer of HU-16E "Albatross" aircraft from Air Station Biloxi, MS and establishment of the fixed-wing and rotary-wing pilot training units. Air Station Mobile became the Aviation Training Center and was designated a headquarters unit under the direct control of the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
The current terminal building, the M.C Farmer Terminal, was completed in 1985
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