Amarillo Air Force Base and Airport

TEXAS LEGENDS

Amarillo Air Force Base and Airport

In its earliest days, Route 66 passed right by Amarillo's old English Field Airport, and later through the Amarillo Air Force Base. Now, this old segment is blocked by one of the longest runways in the country at what is now known as Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport – a runway so long, it is considered a secondary landing facility for NASA's space shuttle.

In those first days of Route 66, the old road was still gravel and traveled northwest from Conway, passing by English Field, which was first established in 1929 by Harold English. Prior to English becoming involved, the area was utilized as early as 1920 by the Panhandle Aerial Service, who operated charters and performed air stunts at various events. When Harold English got involved in 1929, the airport was named English Airport and began to grow.

An old alignment of Route 66 ran through the Amarillo

Air Force Base and across what is now the Amarillo Airport,

Kathy Weiser, November, 2008.

English Field in its heyday, vintage postcard.

English Field today, sits deteriorating on the Texas Plains, Michael Gay, November, 2008.

Within no time, the forerunner of TWA, Transcontinental & Western Air, began the first commercial airline service through Amarillo. Later additional flights to Lubbock and Dallas were provided by Braniff International, Continental Airlines and Trans-Texas Airways (later known as Texas International). As the airport grew, TWA and other carriers expanded flights to various destinations.

Adjacent to English Field, the Amarillo Army Air Field was established in April, 1942. The first troops arrived under the command of Colonel Edward C. Black, and began the construction on a number of buildings. Before they were complete, the first classes began in September to train pilots and ground mechanics to service B-17 aircraft. For the next several years, classes continued and expanded to train for B-29 aircraft. However, the operation was closed on September 15, 1946 and its buildings were converted to peacetime uses or destroyed.

In March, 1951, the post was reactivated and renamed Amarillo Air Force Base, becoming the first Air Force all-jet mechanic-training base, which would include not only the training of U.S. soldiers, but also trainees from foreign countries. Within just a year, the program had reached its planned maximum of 3,500 students and expanding, the installation grew to some 5,000 by 1955. The base continued to develop, adding more technical training courses, including a missile-training department in 1957. The following year, a supply and administration school was relocated to the base from Wyoming and in 1959; the base was re-designated as the Amarillo Technical Training Center when the 4128th Strategic Air Wing entered into an agreement with the Air Training Command. By May, 1960, the jet-mechanic school had graduated some 100,000 students and trained thousands of others in administrative tasks, procurement, and supply.

But, things began to change when the U.S. Department of Defense started to make plans to close the base in 1964. Two years later, in February, 1966, it became the 3330th Basic Military School and graduated its last troops in December, 1968. The base was closed forever at the end of the month, much to the chagrin of Amarillo area businesses.

During its heyday, the base covered more than 5,000 acres, included a full service hospital, a church, numerous training buildings, and housing for troops and officers.

Amarillo Air Force Base vintage postcard.

In the meantime, adjacent English Field had also expanded and by 1952, the name was changed to Amarillo Air Terminal. After the base was closed, the land was converted to civilian use and much of it became part of the Amarillo Air Terminal. The primary runway, constructed by the Strategic Air Command base, at 13,502 feet, was for years, the longest commercial runway in the United States, and it is still used by military pilots today. Today, the length of the runway is surpassed only by the JFK International Airport in New York.

Other facilities of the former base were taken over by the Amarillo branch of Texas State Technical Institute in September, 1970 and later became the east campus of Amarillo College. Housing units were sold to individuals, many of which remain in use today.

In 1976, the airport changed its name to Amarillo International Airport upon the opening of a U.S. Customs facility and in 2003, was renamed again after fallen NASA astronaut and Amarillo native Richard Douglas Husband, who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in February, 2003.

The long runway, built for the use of the Air Force base, bisected original Route 66, which was rerouted into Amarillo. This old alignment is one of the few in Texas which cannot be traveled today, as Mother Road enthusiasts are required to detour round the airport by traveling north to Highway 60 to join Amarillo Boulevard or returning to I-40.

Amarillo Air Force Base today, Kathy Weiser, November, 2008.

Old Route 66 ends at a high fence with restriction warnings. The best choice for continuing the journey; is traveling north to Highway 60, where a couple of old service areas can be seen before the highway merges with Amarillo Boulevard, that continues to sport numerous old travel stops along its east end.

The original English Field terminal building was converted to an Air Museum in 1997, but after a decade, it closed in 2007 and its exhibits sold. Today, a tour through the old Air Force base continues to display a number of old buildings in various states of deterioration. However, many are still used by Amarillo College, though they've seen better days. The old base church is the best kept building and still serves parishioners today.

Thought to have been the commissary building, Kathy Weiser, November, 2008.

An old plane still sits near English Field, Kathy Weiser, November, 2008.

The base once boasted eight of these water towers. Only

four remain today, Kathy Weiser, November, 2008.

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