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'Zaragoza Airport' is a commercial airport near Zaragoza, Spain. It is located 10 mi (16 km) west of Zaragoza, 168 mi (270 km) west of Barcelona, and 163 mi (260 km) northeast of Madrid.
Along with being a commercial airport, it also is the home of the Spanish Air Force 15th Group. Zaragoza is utilized by NASA as a contingency landing site for the Space Shuttle in the case of a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL).

Contents

Airlines and destinations

History

3794th Air Base Group

431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing

See also

References

External links

Airlines and destinations

★ Air Europa (Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife-South)

★ Iberia (Frankfurt, Lisbon, Madrid, Paris, Seville)

★ Plaza Servicios Aereos (Málaga, Santiago de Compostela, Toulouse)

★ Ryanair (London-Stansted, Milan-Orio al Serio, Rome-Ciampino)

History

During the Cold War, the United States Air Force used the facility as 'Zaragoza Air Base'.
The construction work Zaragoza Airport began in September 1954 with the enlargement and improvement of the existing Spanish Air Force Base located there. United States Navy engineers upgraded the facility for temporary or intermediate use as a war standby base. The first U.S. construction project included strengthening the existing 9,921-ft runway and adding 1,000-ft overruns at each end. Work on a new concrete runway, 200 ft by 12,200 ft, with 1,000-ft overruns at each end began in 1956 and was completed in 1958.
Zaragoza was one of three major USAF Cold War airbases in Spain, the others being Torrejon Air Base near Madrid and Morón Air Base near Seville.

3794th Air Base Group

The facility, known as 'Zaragoza Air Base' was transferred from the control of the Joint United States Military Group, Air Administration (Spain), Sixteenth Air Force, to the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command on 1 July 1957, with the facility providing operational support for SAC B-47 alert force dispersal. Zaragoza was under SAC's 65th Air Division. Support continued for B-47 operations until 1 July 1964, when Zaragoza AB was placed on standby status with the withdrawal of the B-47 from active service.
Zaragoza AB was further reduced to modified caretaker status on 1 January 1966 when Sixteenth Air Force was reassigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. USAFE assigned the '7472d Air Base Group' as a caretaker organization to the facility.

431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Although SAC went out of the fighter business in 1957 for all intents and purposes, in 1958 it found itself assigned fighters again. The '431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron' moved from Wheelus Air Base, Libya, arriving at Zaragoza in September with North American F-86Ds and an Air Defense mission.
On 28 September 1960 the 431st transitioned to the Convair F-102A/TF-102B Delta Dagger and was transferred to the USAFE 86th Air Division (Defense) at Ramstein Air Base West Germany on 1 July 1960. This transfer was made in order that all USAF fighter assets in Europe could be concentrated in one command. The 431st FIS operated the F-102s until 23 April 1965 when it transferred to the 8th TFW at George AFB California, transitioned to the F-4C and was redesignated the 431st Tactical Fighter Squadron.

406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing

In February 1970 Project CREEK STEP called for the buildup of Zaragoza AB as a USAFE weapons training site, with actual use of the Bardenas Reales Air-to-Ground Bombing and Gunnery Range (about 45mi/70km northwest of the base) began in March.
With the closure of Wheelus Air Base in Libya, Zaragoza returned to active status on 19 February 1970 with the activation of the '406th Tactical Fighter Training Group'. The 406th was elevated to Wing status on 21 July 1972.
Although the 406th had no permanently assigned aircraft, the Wing provided support to all USAFE tactical aircraft which used the Zaragoza range, as well as deployed SAC and TAC units, as well as allied NATO units.
Beginning in September 1972 the 406th also operated the USAFE Tactical Forces Employment School, and in May 1976 began operating the USAFE Instructor Pilot School. Weapons training detachments were principally F-4 aircraft, although F-IIIs used the wing's ranges for a short period in 1974 and U.S. Navy A-7s also used range facilities in June 1974. Also during November 1976, the 406th TFTW began full maintenance support of a SAC KC-135 detachment on a permanent basis in November 1976.
In 1977, another facet was added to the wing’s training operations when it conducted the first Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics (DACT) training missions with USAF and U.S. Navy aircraft on 12 September of that year.
In 1979, two significant events took place, which had an effect on the wing’s operation. The first was the closing of the Instructor Pilot School in July, due to broad changes in USAFE’s mission and budget restraints. The second event took place in February when the 406th began to implement the Production Oriented Maintenance Organization (POMO) concept. Headquarters USAF designed POMO to establish a maintenance management system which would enhance sortie production by improving the utilization of maintenance personnel.
On 1 January 1980, the support mission expanded when the 406th assumed responsibility for various functional areas in support of the four USAF tropo-scatter radar sites at Humosa, Mencora, Soller, and Inoges. The wing provided this support in cooperation with the 401 TFW assigned to Torrejon AB. Foremost among the accomplishments of the 406 TFTW during 1981 was the preparation and planning for reception of the F-16 Weapons Training Detachments which began in 1982. The 512 TFS of the 86 TFW at Ramstein AB, Germany, recorded its first F-16C fighter deployment to the Bardenas Reales Range on 3 April 1986. This represented the initial use of the C-model F-16 aircraft at the range since the newer F-16s were introduced to the European theater.
On 15 October 1986, heavy rainfall resulted in flash floods across the base causing heavy damage to facilities and base homes. As much as 15 inches of water and mud flooded into many facilities, causing nearly $1 million of damage. Assigned base personnel as well as temporarily assigned weapons training detachment personnel joined in the massive clean-up effort, and fortunately no injuries occurred. In a show of strength and comradeship in overcoming obstacles, Zaragoza also earned the prestigious USAFE Base Appearance Award during that same month.
For the rest of the 1980s, the 406th continued to provide support for USAFE crew training and range training exercises. August 1990 ushered in a period of intense activity, as the 406th and Zaragoza provided major air and ground support for Operation DESERT SHIELD, conducted in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Thousands of military personnel and tons of equipment passed through Zaragoza enroute to the crisis in the Middle East. The base and the wing continued to act as a major aerial port providing support during and after Operation DESERT STORM.
Subject to the same provisions requiring the removal of other units from Spain, the 406th began efforts to end its operations and return Zaragoza to the Spanish Government in 1992. The use of the training range ended in December 1991, followed by the turnover of base operations to the Spanish in April 1992.
The 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing was deactivated on 1 April 1994 when USAFE ended its presence and returned contol to the Spanish government.

See also

★ Strategic Air Command

★ United States Air Forces in Europe

References

★ Donald, David (2004) Century Jets: USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War. AIRtime ISBN 1880588684

★ Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.

★ Menard, David W. (1998) Before Centuries: USAFE Fighters, 1948-1959. Howell Press Inc. ISBN 1574270796

★ Menard, David W. (1993) USAF Plus Fifteen: A Photo History, 1947-1962. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0887404839

★ Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.

External links

★ Zaragoza Airport website

★ www.zaragoza-airport.com