1942: The Debut of an Airport that Has Since Been Used for Both Military and Civilian Purposes

September 23, 1942

An airport built for use by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) was opened in the vicinity of the city of Frederick, Oklahoma. This airport began operations nearly 10 months after the United States entered World War II on the side of the Allies. Originally called Frederick Army Airfield, it was also available for civilian purposes under a joint-use agreement.

The infrastructure at Frederick Army Airfield included a total of four hard-surfaced runways – three of them each measuring 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) in length and the fourth one covering 4,380 feet (1,335 meters). In addition, the complex contained four auxiliary airfields for emergency and overflow landings.

One of the functions carried out at Frederick Army Airfield during World War II was pilot training for advanced three-engine aircraft. The USAAF instructors for that training at Frederick Army Airfield included future comedian George Gobel.  

Military operations at the airfield ceased altogether on October 31, 1945, a little less than two months after the end of the war. The facility was turned over to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in September of the following year. After its subsequent discharge to the War Assets Administration, the one-time military airfield became a commercial airport on a regular basis. This facility is now known as Frederick Regional Airport.

Photo Credit: Public Domain

For more information on Frederick Regional Airport (originally called Frederick Army Airfield), please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Regional_Airport