Downtown in Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

History in the Air

A Look at the Military Aircraft of MacDill

Photographed by AGS Media, July 30, 2010

1. History in the Air Marker

Inscription. Since the first wave of B-18 Super Heavy Bombers arrived at MacDill in 1940, the base has seen a remarkable variety of America's finest military aircraft. MacDill's first mission included transitional training on the B-17 Flying Fortress. After World War II started, the base became a major Army Air Forces staging platform. LB-30s and B-17s would take off from MacDill and head for combat via the Atlantic Ocean. As the war progressed, the base's mission changed from pilot and crew training on the B-17, to training on the new Martin B-26. The first B-26 to arrive at MacDill was piloted by the celebrated combat pilot, Major General Jimmy Doolittle. In 1945, MacDill became the primary training facility for the B-29. Later, during the 1950's, MacDill added the P-51, B-50, B-47, and KC-97 to its training missions. The 1960's and the Vietnam conflict brought F-84 training and F-4 combat-ready wings to MacDill. By 1970, replacement crews were being trained here for B-57 bomber missions.

F-4 Phantom
The Phantom was the first multi-service aircraft, flying concurrently with the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The F-4 was in active

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service from 1958 to 1996.

B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 was one of the largest and most sophisticated aircraft used in WWII. The most famous B-29, the "Enola Gay," was used for the atomic mission over Hiroshima.

B-26 Marauder
The B-26, was known as "the chief bombardment weapon on the Western Front." The B-26 maintained the lowest loss record of any combat aircraft during World War II.

P-51 Mustang
Providing high-altitude escort to B-17s and B-24s, the P-51 destroyed 950 enemy craft in the air in the air, more than any other fighter in Europe.

LB-30
LB was short for Liberator British. The U.S. Army adopted the Liberator nickname for its B-24s. The British received more than 500 Liberators by the end of the war.

KC-97 Tanker
Introduced in 1950, the KC-97 provided Strategic Air Command with genuine intercontinental capability. After military service, some KC-97s were converted for transporting large, bulky items, and some KC-97s were even used in the Apollo space program.

B-50 Superfortress
The B-50, the last propeller driven bomber, served with the Strategic Air Command between 1948 and 1954. The most famous B-50 was the "Lucky Lady II," which became

Photographed by AGS Media, July 30, 2010

2. History in the Air Marker

Looking across MacDill Park towards the Tampa Riverwalk and the Hillsborough River

the first aircraft to fly nonstop around the world.

B-17 The Flying Fortress
The Flying Fortress is one of the most famous airplanes ever built. The aircraft served in every WWII combat zone, but is best known for its daylight strategic bombing of German industrial targets.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1940.

Location. 27° 56.725′ N, 82° 27.523′ W. Marker is in Tampa, Florida, in Hillsborough County. It is in Downtown. It is on North Ashley Drive north of East Whiting Street, on the left when traveling north. The marker is installed at MacDill Park on the Riverwalk, in downtown Tampa. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 North Ashley Drive, Tampa FL 33602, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Tampa Bay.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically,

MacDill Park on the Riverwalk image. Click for full size.

Photographed by AGS Media, July 30, 2010

3. MacDill Park on the Riverwalk

The park is home to Big Max, the 1995 welded steel sculpture by American artist John Henry.

it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The War Years (here, next to this marker); Tampa Goes to War (a few steps from this marker); In the Beginning... (a few steps from this marker); Technology • Power • Diversity (within shouting distance of this marker); Tampa Salutes MacDill AFB (within shouting distance of this marker); MacDill: 1950 to 2000 (within shouting distance of this marker); Today at MacDill AFB (within shouting distance of this marker); Tampa Bay and MacDill (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tampa.

More about this marker. The marker is one of several located in the park. It is along the sidewalk, facing the street.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. To discover how MacDill Air Force Base came to be and its roles through the decades, study each marker in the order shown.

Additional keywords. Riverwalk

Tampa Honors the 5 Branches of Service image. Click for full size.

Photographed by AGS Media, July 30, 2010

4. Tampa Honors the 5 Branches of Service

Marker honoring the United States Military is adjacent to the History in the Air marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 7, 2010, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,278 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 7, 2010, by Glenn Sheffield of Tampa, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.