Mobile in Mobile County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 24, 2023
1. Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley Marker
Inscription.
Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. . The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley encompasses much of the early history of aviation in Alabama, including Monroe Park where aerial experimenter John Fowler displayed his flying machine designs. The fairgrounds located adjacent to Monroe Park were utilized for early aerial exhibitions. Located immediately north of the Aeroplex, in an area known as "The Flats," Legion Field was developed in 1917 and became Mobile's first flying field. The city's first municipal airport, Bates Field, was dedicated in November 1929 and located within the geographic borders of the current Mobile Aeroplex. In July 1939, the War Department acquired 1,362 acres of land that included Bates Field for construction of a military aviation depot. Designated the Southeast Air Depot, the facility was subsequently named for military aviator Wendell Holsworth Brookley and supported military aviation operations in five southeastern states and the Caribbean. Brookley Field was the only military aviation depot in the United States with access to air, rail, sea, and highway modes of transportation. During the Second World War, more than 16,000 men and women were employed at Brookley Field. , Following the end of the Second World War, the United States Air Force fleet of Douglas C-74 Globemaster aircraft, the world's largest commissioned cargo aircraft, was based at Brookley Field. Globemaster aircraft participated in the Berlin Airlift and other material support missions. During this period, aircraft and crews operating from the facility set numerous aviation records for non-stop flights. Redesignated Brookley Air Force Base in 1947, the facility supported military operations around the world as headquarters of the Mobile Air Materiel Area and the Brookley Field Ocean Terminal. Brookley AFB ultimately grew to encompass more than 2,000 acres of land and the largest runway complex in Alabama. The facility was decommissioned in July 1969 and returned to the City of Mobile. In 2012, Airbus selected the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley as the site of the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility, the company's first commercial aircraft production site in America. Today, the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley is an integral component of the Alabama aviation and aerospace industry.
The Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley encompasses much of the early
history of aviation in Alabama, including Monroe Park where aerial
experimenter John Fowler displayed his flying machine designs. The
fairgrounds located adjacent to Monroe Park were utilized for early
aerial exhibitions. Located immediately north of the Aeroplex, in an
area known as "The Flats," Legion Field was developed in 1917 and
became Mobile's first flying field. The city's first municipal airport,
Bates Field, was dedicated in November 1929 and located within the
geographic borders of the current Mobile Aeroplex. In July 1939, the
War Department acquired 1,362 acres of land that included Bates Field
for construction of a military aviation depot. Designated the Southeast
Air Depot, the facility was subsequently named for military aviator
Wendell Holsworth Brookley and supported military aviation operations
in five southeastern states and the Caribbean. Brookley Field was the
only military aviation depot in the United States with access to air,
rail, sea, and highway modes of transportation. During the Second
World War, more than 16,000 men and women were employed at
Brookley Field.
Following the end of the Second World War, the United States Air
Force fleet of Douglas C-74 Globemaster aircraft, the world's
largest commissioned cargo aircraft,
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was based at Brookley Field.
Globemaster aircraft participated in the Berlin Airlift and other
material support missions. During this period, aircraft and crews
operating from the facility set numerous aviation records for non-stop
flights. Redesignated Brookley Air Force Base in 1947, the facility
supported military operations around the world as headquarters of
the Mobile Air Materiel Area and the Brookley Field Ocean Terminal.
Brookley AFB ultimately grew to encompass more than 2,000 acres of
land and the largest runway complex in Alabama. The facility was
decommissioned in July 1969 and returned to the City of Mobile.
In 2012, Airbus selected the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley as the site
of the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility, the company's first
commercial aircraft production site in America. Today, the Mobile
Aeroplex at Brookley is an integral component of the Alabama
aviation and aerospace industry.
Erected 2018 by the Alabama Historical Association.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Historical Association series list. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1939.
Location. 30° 38.668′ N, 88° 4.101′ W. Marker is in Mobile, Alabama, in Mobile
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 24, 2023
2. Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley Marker
County. Marker is at the intersection of South Broad Street and Aerospace Drive, on the right when traveling east on South Broad Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2000 Aerospace Dr, Mobile AL 36615, United States of America. Touch for directions.
3. Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley Marker at Flight Works Alabama.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 24, 2023
4. Flight Works Alabama
Credits. This page was last revised on March 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 24, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 227 times since then and 130 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 24, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.