Pope Field

  1919 to present

  United States of America

CITY: Fayetteville, NC

IATA/ICAO CODES: POB / KPOB

COORDINATES: 35°10'N / 79°01'W

OTHER NAMES: Pope Field (1919-1947), Pope AFB (1947-2011), Pope Field as part of Fort Bragg (since 2011)

Pope Field was an aviation field added to US Army facility Camp Bragg in 1919 near Fayetteville, NC. During the interwar period, Pope Field was used for aerial photography for terrain mapping, mail carriage, and spotting for artillery and forest fires, mainly as a base for observation planes and balloons.

Pope expanded during the late 1930's, and hard-surface runways were built in 1940 while the ramp remained unpaved. During the War, it became a troop carrier training base, focusing on paratrooper training for airborne units based at nearby Fort Bragg. Training for aerial resupply missions was also conducted.

After World War II, Pope Field converted to an aerial reconnaissance base, and became Pope AFB in 1947. On 21 September 1954, it was turned over to the 464th Troop Carrier Wing, operating Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars, and later C-123 Providers. Pope has remained a major tactical airlift base to this day, merged with Fort Bragg since 1 March 2011.

92^nd AAF Base Unit (Pope Field)

801^st AAF Base Unit (I Troop Carrier Command, 60^th Troop Carrier Wing HQ) (April 1944 to October 1945)

812^th AAF Base Unit (I Troop Carrier Command Combat Crew Training School, Troop Carrier) (April 1944 to October 1945)

• Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando: 42-96655