History
In 1942, the site of Redding Army Airfield was acquired by the United States Army Corps of Engineers for the United States Army Air Forces. Initially Redding AAF was a sub-base for Chico AAF and garrisoned by the 433d Army Air Force Base Unit. It was under the overall command of IV Fighter Command at Hamiltion AAF.
The overall mission of Redding Army Airfield was advanced flight training of new airmen prior to their deployment overseas into the combat zones of the Pacific, China, Mediterranean or European Theaters. The USAAF 339th Fighter Squadron, 369th Fighter Group operated P-39 Airacobras from the airfield to perform that mission.
On 1 November 1944, operational control of Redding AAF was transferred from the Fourth Air Force to the Sacramento Area Command of the Army Air Forces’ Air Technical Service Command headquartered at McClellan Army Airfield near Sacramento. The host unit was redesignated as the 4191st Army Air Force Base Unit. The mission was changed from training air crews to that of a refueling and maintenance facility for transient aircraft, which it remained until the end of the war. Additionally, Redding AAF was sporadically used by the Army Air Forces’ Air Transport Command as a refueling and service stop throughout the war.
On 19 December 1945 the military declared Redding AAF to be excess to requirements, and on 18 November 1946 the facility was turned over to the City of Redding to operate a civil airfield on the site. Final transfer of the facility was in 1949, ending military ownership of the airfield.
Today, the City of Redding continues to operate the site as Redding Municipal Airport and has embarked on a major commercial development of the Site.
Redding Airport previously had scheduled passenger jet service provided by four different airlines at various times. Hughes Airwest (which previously operated as Air West) flew Douglas DC-9-10 and DC-9-30 jetliners on direct services to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. The original Frontier Airlines (which was subsequently acquired by Continental Airlines) operated Boeing 737-200 jets direct to Denver via a stop in Sacramento. United Airlines flew Boeing 737-200 aircraft with nonstop and direct service to San Francisco. Pacific Express operated British Aircraft Corp. BAC One-Eleven jets nonstop to San Francisco with direct service to Los Angeles and Portland.
Currently, SkyWest operating as United Express has the only scheduled passenger flights serving Redding with Embraer EMB-120 "Brasilia" turboprops flying nonstop to and from San Francisco.
On July 17, 2008, President George Bush and staff landed at The Redding Airport in Air Force One. The purpose of the trip was to allow the president to survey and evaluate the damage done by northstate wildfires.
Read more about this topic: Redding Municipal Airport
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