Hondo Army Air Field

Hondo Army Air Field. . As the U.S. prepared to enter World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt requested annual production of 50,000 aircraft and training for thousands of pilots and navigators. For many months, the Army Air Corps struggled to train sufficient numbers of navigators for bombers. Business leaders from Hondo approached the War Department in February 1942 about locating a navigation school near the city. The area boasted abundant clear flying days, uncongested airspace, and good transportation infrastructure. The federal government required Hondo to incorporate as a city, which took place on May 14, 1942, before selecting the site., The H.B. Zachry Construction Company of San Antonio utilized about 3,000 workers over 90 days to complete Hondo Army Air Field (HAAF), which featured three main runways, aviation facilities, streets, utilities, and hundreds of support buildings. The City of Hondo, with a population then numbering about 2,800, supported many thousands more at the air field when it opened in July 1942. Navigator coursework took up to 20 weeks, and in time other aviation units and activities were based here. HAAF trained about 3,000 for the glider pilot replacement pool, and two squadrons of Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) also flew navigation training missions., Over the course of the war, HAAF trained 14,158 navigators, including some from allied nations in Europe. In 1945, the military closed the navigator training school and deactivated HAAF. The U.S. Air Force reactivated the field for military training from 1951-58 for pilot training and from 1973-2000 for the flight screening program. The site has continued to house various government and civilian functions, expanding the impact of this vital wartime facility.