Tonopah Army Air Field - Origins

Origins

The United States Army Air Forces expanded rapidly after the beginning of World War II in Europe. Less than a month after the German attack on Poland in September 1939, General Headquarters Air Force at Langley Field, Virginia, was considering the desirability of improving the airdrome at Tonopah and of obtaining a large tract of land in that area for bombing and gunnery practice.

On October 29, 1940, more than 3,000,000 acres (1,200,000 ha; 4,700 sq mi) of land in the public domain were transferred from the Department of Interior to the War Department. Final land problems were resolved in August, 1941, when condemnation proceedings were instituted.

At first, the Fourth Air Force, planned Tonopah AAF to be a support airfield for the large gunnery and bombing range to be built nearby, and it was to be largely an administrative facility to conduct its operations from Tonopah.

In early 1940 construction was started on a new airfield located seven miles (11 km) east of Tonopah. This work was sponsored by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and was financed, at least in part, with funds supplied by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Since the Fourth Air Force would train at the field during the war, construction was coordinated between the CAA and the Army. The Fourth Air Force hoped to begin operations at Tonopah by the end of 1941, but the new base was not ready for occupancy until July, 1942. When the base was finally occupied, it was complete with runways, barracks, mess halls and a hospital, as well as other facilities.

When the airfield opened, it was designated as a sub-base of March Field, California and its mission was to maintain the bombing and gunnery ranges to train fighter pilots, gunners and bombardiers. Tonopah personnel were to perform the necessary maintenance to facilitate the training. However, this mission changed to training aircrews flying Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers.

In addition to the main base and airfield, five axillary airfields were built. These were used for emergency landings; touch/go landings, and overflow use. The remains of some of these fields, numbered #1-#5 are still visible today. They are located at the following coordinates:

• Auxiliary #1, (Abandoned) 37°49′07″N 116°03′42″W / 37.81861°N 116.06167°W / 37.81861; -116.06167 (Tonopah Aux #1)
• Auxiliary #2, (Abandoned) 37°43′27″N 116°09′42″W / 37.72417°N 116.16167°W / 37.72417; -116.16167 (Tonopah Aux #2)
• Auxiliary #3, (Abandoned) 37°38′06″N 116°39′05″W / 37.63500°N 116.65139°W / 37.63500; -116.65139 (Tonopah Aux #3)
• Auxiliary #4, (Abandoned) 37°45′39″N 116°38′57″W / 37.76083°N 116.64917°W / 37.76083; -116.64917 (Tonopah Aux #4)
• Auxiliary #5, (Mellan Airstrip) 37°41′16″N 116°37′50″W / 37.68778°N 116.63056°W / 37.68778; -116.63056 (Tonopah Aux #5 Mellan)

Re-opened in the 1980s and used by Nellis AFB to conduct combat landing training for airlift forces. The type of aircraft used are described as including "C/MC/AC-130, C-17, C-160, C-235, & C-222".

Though Tonopah AAF is related to Tonopah Test Range Airport, 25 miles to the southeast, it was deactivated about 20 years before the new military facility was constructed.