History of Greenwood-Leflore Airport

The airport was originally constructed by the United States Army and was activated on October 1, 1942. The original GAAF mission was Basic Flying Training and the base was home to several hundred Consolidated Vultee BT-13's and 15's. The BT's, affectionately know as "Vultee Vibrators", trained thousands of fledgling military aviators. As Basic Training evolved, various multi-engine trainers such as AT-8's and AT-10's were brought into the inventory in an effort to make the transition to advanced twin engine schools easier. This idea never fully developed and the aircraft were stored in serviceable condition. The field also had the usual complement of UC-64's, UC-78's and C-45's.

The flat delta landscape proved an ideal environment in which to train pilots and the hill line that adjoined the eastern boundary of the field served as a useful navigation aid to lost airmen. They simply followed this natural boundary between the flat delta and the hills until the arrived back at the home field.

Greenwood Army Air Field was home of the 7th Basic Flying Training Group, which consisted of Headquarters plus the 1056, 1057, 1058, 1059, 1060, 1061, 1062, and 1063rd BFT Squadrons. GAAF was also home to a contingent of Women's Army Service Pilots or WASP's. These women were rated to fly everything from B-24's to fighters. During the peak of basic training activities, the GAAF averaged about 36,000 operations per month and local and transient aircraft consumed millions of gallons of aviation gasoline each year.

As originally constructed the base had four 5,000' X 150' runways and a fifty acre concrete parking apron. The pavement required was the equivalent of 65 miles of two lane highway. In addition, there were rail lines which were used to deliver gasoline and oil as well as coal and freight. On occasion, a troop train would venture onto the base to deliver or pick up cadets.

There were 375 buildings, including; three fire stations, a 170 bed hospital, theater, chapel, recreation halls, post exchanges, mess halls, warehouses, barracks, a photo lab, parachute building, hangars, a sub depot, link trainer buildings, ground schools, a large swimming pool and a myriad of other buildings necessary to run a "small city". Because of a severe housing shortage, the army later added several hundred apartment units know as Greenaire Homes. They were home for many enlisted men and their dependents as well as civilian workers.

By late 1944, the war was turning in our favor and the needs of the Army Air Forces were changing. The Southeastern Flying Training Command turned the field over to the 4th Operational Training Unit and two new missions were begun. The BT's were replaced with AT-6's and scores of fighters including; P-51's, P-47's, P-38's and P-63's which were used for fighter transition training. In addition, a C-47 instrument school was introduced and more than 20 C-47's were received. Other aircraft were also assigned such as a B-17E, several B-25's and even an L-5. Flying training ceased in late 1945 and the base was place in caretaker status until being turned over to the City of Greenwood by the War Assets Administration.

For the next 21 years, the base grew weeds and most of the buildings disappeared. Then in 1967, the City of Greenwood made a decision to relocate the Greenwood Municipal Airport to the abandoned Army Air Field. Runway 5/23 was sealed and lighted and placed in use. Weeds were removed from miles of expansion joints in the otherwise intact ramp and a new rotating beacon was installed. The only remaining airside structure, the old sub depot, was torn down and construction was begun on a new FAA Flight Service Station. Runway 18/36 was repaired and outfitted with new HI runway lighting plus a full ILS with MALSR.

Today, the Greenwood-Leflore Airport and tenant aviation companies employ nearly 150 people. The airport is home to an FAA Automated Flight Service Station, an FAA Maintenance facility, two FBO's, an airframe and engine shop, an avionics repair station, a helicopter repair facility, a large helicopter flying service, and a heavy aircraft (airline) parts company.

The airport is also home to 85 personal and corporate aircraft, including four jets, several turboprops, eleven helicopters, and eleven reciprocating twins.

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