Long Beach AFB

  1923 to present

  United States of America

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CITY: Long Beach, CA

IATA/ICAO CODES: LGB / KLGB

OTHER NAMES: Daugherty Field (1923-1928), NRAB Long Beach (1928-1942), NAAS Long Beach (1942-1945), Long Beach AAF (1942-ca 1948), Long Beach AFB, Long Beach Municipal (1945-present)

The municipal airport of Daugherty Field was opened in 1923 at the initiative of barnstormer Earl S. Daugherty.

On 10 May 1928, the city built a hangar and leased the airfield to the US Navy, who commissioned the field as a Naval Reserve Air Base. In the late 1930's, Douglas set foot on the airfield, and the city started lobbying for the Navy to leave in order to give more space to the airplane manufacturer. In 1942, the Navy left Long Beach for NAS Los Alamitos, but turned over most of its facilities to the USAAF. The airfield became known to the former as NAAS Long Beach, and to the latter as Long Beach AAF.

 

The 1940's were a busy time. Through World War II the airfield was given over to the war effort. Once NAS Los Alamitos became an operational base in 1941, NAAS Long Beach now turned to servicing carrier borne aircraft. In addition, it operated utility aircraft and patrol planes. On the USAAF side, Long Beach AAF became a major base for the Air Transport Command's Ferrying Division.

With the end of the war the US Navy abandoned any use of Long Beach Municipal Airport. The USAF continued operating reserve units from the airfield.

556^th AAF Base Unit (Long Beach AAF)

ATC Ferrying Division, 6^th Ferrying Group

2347^th Air Force Reserve Training Center