1949

1949




Kingman Army Air Field was just a memory. Storage Depot 41 was becoming a memory. The Mohave County Airport or the Kingman Airport was starting new memories.

May

25--An announcement was made for a free air show at the Kingman Airport (KAAF). It would be held on 5th of June at 2:30 P. M. and every­one is invited. Kingman and Morgan Flying Schools will supply the pilots and planes. It was to be held sometime in February, but a large amount of snow fell during the winter so they postpone it until the field was ready for this kind of activity. (mcm)

June

2-The American Legion, Kingman and Morgan Flying Schools will sponsor the free air show at the Kingman Airport. This is to show off one of the best airports in the southwest U. S. (mcm)

5-The air show featured local pilots and planes vying for prizes in bombing paper cutting, spot, dead-stick, and wheel landings, with a little aerobatics thrown into the show the skills of the pilots. Over 600 people showed up to watch the show. Dan Powers won the private pilot spot landing contest and B. A. Frieday won the commercial pilot spot landing. Because of some bad weather, the ribbon cutting and bombing contest were canceled. Joe Kinkella did some dazzling aerobatics in his BT and Walt Bensley showed off in his Stearman. A big surprise was the landing of a British Lancaster bomber; they were heading to Las Vegas Air Force Base. The weather was getting very bad, so they stop here. (mcm)

July

21-The Air Engineering Development Center Act of 1949, Senate Bill 1267 is to established tran­sonic and supersonic wind tunnel facilities in one of four states. (mcm)

November

9-The Air Engineering Development Center went to Tennessee. If Arizona had received the nod, the facility would have been out by Red Lake. (mcm)

December

16-The inaugural flight of Bonanza Air Line at the Kingman Airport at 9:45 A. M. (mcm)

19-The first day of air passengers, mail, freight and express service of Bonanza Airlines. (mcm)

copyright 1991-2017 

email: kingmanaafsd41@gmail.com

1948

1948

The War Asset Administration was finishing up their use of KAAF. In the middle of the year KAAF was turned over to Mohave County.

February

19-E. Elmo Bollinger, a local attorney, started his quest to learn more about the B-17 Bomber named the “Milk Wagon”. He had purchase the nose of the bomber from the airfield during the Storage Depot 41 operations. (mcm)

March

9-Bernard Duane Estes died at 8 P. M. at Mohave General Hospital from his injuries he received in a head-on motorcycle-automobile accident, six miles east of Kingman. Estes, 18, was leaving KAAF were he was employed at, when the cycle he was riding was involved in the accident. His body was shipped to Rushville, IL. (mcm)

30-Mohave County Supervisors met with War Asset Administrators in Los Angeles, CA offices. They learned that the airfield will be turned over to the county on First of July. (mcm)

April

1-As for Site Six (Lake Havasu), which is gaining some public notoriety from the national maga­zine “Flying”. The site is owned by Vic Spratt and he has turned this into a fishing haven. (mcm)

May

13-Mohave County Supervisors asked the War Asset Administration to turn over Yucca AAF with no cost. (mcm)

July

1-War Asset Administration turns over King­man Army Air Field property to Mohave County. (mcm)

August

2-George Steinke submitted a proposal to the Mohave County Supervisors on the future use of Kingman Army Air Field. There were discussions on KAAF and Port Kingman. The Board sent it to the aviation committee for further review. Mr. Steinke and the committee discussed his proposal more at length. In the next few days, a proper agreement will be reached. (mcm)

5-War Asset Administration places an add in the Mohave County Miner paper for a “Spot Bid Sale” for 190 buildings at KAAF on 27 of August at 10 A. M. (mcm)

19-The Mohave County Miner paper runs a small piece on the sale of 190 building at King­man Army Air Field. If you are looking for build­ing materials go to the sale. (mcm)

27-At 10 A. M. the sale start for less than 190 building at the airfield. Julian Meyer will run the sale from Building 246. (mcm)

December

3-War Asset Administration ended their stay at Kingman Army Air Field by turning over 9 buildings to Mohave County and leaving the airfield. Julian Meyer was in charge of all WAA operation at KAAF. Some 400 buildings were sold, 5634 aircraft were processed and approxi­mately $850,000 of personal property disposed of. (mcm)

5-B. A. Frieday was involved in a two car acci­dent at the entrance of KAAF. He and the other driver, Clyde Cowell of Alameda, CA were un­hurt. The damages were estimated around $500. (mcm)

8-George Steinke transfers Port Kingman oper­ations to the KAAF. His lease for Port Kingman is switched to KAAF. (mcm)

copyright 1991-2017 

email: kingmanaafsd41@gmail.com

1947

1947

Storage Depot 41 was moving right along. They were selling everything. A lot of things sold there, ended up being used in the town of Kingman. Depot 41 was good to Kingman.

January

13-Edward C. Colson, State Director of the Ari­zona District Office of the War Asset Adminis­tration and Edward V. Crook, Chief of Disposals visited KAAF for a thorough inspection personal property of $50,000 for disposal and the prop­erty will be offered only to Arizona residents. They also visited civic groups of Kingman and Bullhead City to brief them on the government procedures of disposing of this property. Colson appointed Charles Ostendorf as the resident inspector to the airfield, his job was to make sure all remaining property had been disposed of. (mcm)

February

6-Sergeant W. L. Leach and family move to Kingman after being station at San Bernardino AAF, CA. Sgt Leach has stationed at KAAF dur­ing the war. He moved his family here because they enjoyed Kingman and he was being trans­ferred to Japan. (mcm)

7-William Larkin visited KAAF, to set up his photographic adventure. (wl)

8-Mr. Larkin shot 352 negatives exposures of 60 aircraft on the ground. He would be driven around the airfield by a guard. (wl)

9-Mr. Larkin rented a Piper Cub and pilot. This was to do some aerial shot of the airfield. He took some 2 dozen shots of the airfield. (wl)

13-Mohave County government officially re­quested the Yucca AAF. The county wanted air­field for another airport for the county. (mcm)

14-The sale of remaining buildings opens and runs till 25th of February. The buildings have to go off-site. (mcm)

April

21-Start of a week-long sale of fixed price gov­ernment surplus will begin today. The sale is worth over $200,000. Monday is for federal agencies purchases. (mcm)

22-Sales of surplus property to veterans of the war are made available. E. B. Fontaine of Air­craft Conversion Company spoke to the mem­bers of the Lion’s Club. He outlined the handling of the aircraft from chopping to smelting to making pure aluminum when the process is complete. (mcm)

23-The veterans bought $55,000 of the surplus in 2 days of the sale. (mcm)

24-The state agencies, political parties of the state and non-profit organization of the state will make their purchases. (mcm)

25-The non-priority buyer can make their pur­chases. (mcm)

27-Aircraft Conversion Company is employing 260 people. (mcm)

May

5-The Wunderlich Company is asking the Mo­have County Supervisors for lower taxes. The taxes were set at $22,230 for 1947. (mcm)

June

1-A group of Kingman flyers flew to Site Six for a breakfast cookout. (mcm)

16-Thousand people were working for Aircraft Conversion Company. (mcm)

July

10-Mohave County receives a right of entry to Kingman Army Air Field. William Ball, County Airport Manager of KAAF (who was appointed by Board of Supervisors) said that the War As­set Administration granted the use of runways #1 and #2 and the emergency use of #3. This is the first step in moving towards the county get­ting the airfield. The total of 203 buildings is up for sale at KAAF. The WAA has issued sealed bid invitations for the building and fixtures. They need to be in at 11 A. M. on 7th of August at the Los Angeles, CA office. (mcm)

15-Kingman Flying Services moves its opera­tions to KAAF. (mcm)

17-For the past week, Benjamin R. Paul and his wife have been visiting the Joe Bernstein Fam­ily home. Mr. Paul is an attorney in Chicago and was station here at KAAF. (mcm)

August

7-The Interior Department has reverted 20,780 acres of land used by the War Department for the KAAF Gunnery Training Operations. The opening bids for the buildings at KAAF will be opened at 11 A. M. at building 44. (mcm)

20-Colonel Harvey Huglin and two others sur­vived a B-17 crashed 70 miles west of Hawaii. They were heading to Japan. George Atcheson, political advisor to General Douglas MacAr­thur and several high ranking dignitaries were killed. (mcm)

September

21-Kingman Flying Service has been approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration for flight courses at KAAF. George Steinke and Leonard Pemberton moved their operations to the airfield. (mcm)

October

2-Brazilian Air Force Officers, Colonel Lima and Captain Rugiero recently visited the airfield. (mcm)

9-W. H. Miller and his wife were house guests of Kirk Morgan family. The Millers flew in from Rexburg, ID in Mr. Miller’s new Cessna. Both men were stationed at KAAF and are planning a pilot reunion in June at the old airfield. (mcm)

18-W. B. Bricker and Andrew Grant were killed when the B-18 they were flying stalled after take-off. They used north-south runway when it happens. They were here to pick-up aviation instruments. They were business partners in the Aircraft Aviation Specialists. (mcm)

22-At 10 A. M. will start a spot bid sale of 117 building at KAAF. (mcm)

December

12-War Asset Administration will start another fixed price sale at KAAF. Close to $50,000 in surplus, from kitchen equipment to office fur­niture. The federal agencies have today for the sales. (mcm)

15 & 16-Veterans groups and individuals have their turn in the sales. (mcm)

17-The FWA will have the morning and RFC will have 2 hours in the afternoon for the sales. (mcm)

18-State and local governments are in the morning and tax-exempt, non-profit institu­tions in the afternoon for the sales. (mcm)

19-The commercial and industrial buyers have all day for the sales. (mcm)

copyright 1991-2017 

email: kingmanaafsd41@gmail.com