Page 8 - Wings CRS Recruiting Booklet SM_Neat

SOUTH TEXAS REGIONAL AIRPORT

HONDO, TEXAS & SOUTH TEXAS REGIONAL AIRPORT - HONDO

The airport has its origins in 1942 14,158 navigators were trained - Hondo is a public use airport
with the establishment by the at Hondo. The base was closed located two nautical miles (4 km)
Army Air Corps of Hondo Army Air- on December 29, 1945, and the northwest of the central business
field, and was used as a Navigator buildings and fixtures were sold district of Hondo, United States.
training base. as surplus. It is owned by the City of Hondo
and was formerly known as Hondo
Hondo Army Airfield is in north- Between 1945 and 1951 civilian Municipal Airport. This airport is
west Hondo off U.S. Highway 90 operators such as the Hollaway included in the National Plan of
in Medina County. In early 1942 flying school trained student pi- Integrated Airport Systems for
Hondo applied for a United States lots at the former base under the 2011–2015, which categorized it as
Army Air Force pilot-training facil- GI Bill. As a result of the Korean a general aviation facility.
War, the United States Air Force
reactivated the base as a contract South Texas Regional Airport at
pilot training center, training Hondo covers an area of 3,500
pilots at Hondo Air Base. It closed acres (1,416 ha) at an elevation of
again in 1958.
During the 1960s the city of Hondo
leased facilities at the base to the
Hondo Livestock Auction and to
Gary Aerospace, Universal Run-
dle, and Doss Aviation. The avia-
tion companies worked with the
ity. Citizens acquired guarantees United States Air Force to screen South Texas
Regional Airport
of 400 housing units in less than pilots, and Universal Rundle man-
two days. Authorization for con- ufactured bathroom products. HONDO
struction of the navigation school In 1957 a golf course was con- THIS IS GOD’S COUNTR Y
arrived from Washington in March structed on the base through the
1942. The Henry B. Zachry Com- efforts of base commander Lt Col
pany of San Antonio used 3,000 Earl V. Riley. A golf tournament
employees to construct more than bearing his name remained a 930 feet (283 m) above mean sea
600 buildings, numerous streets, yearly event in the 1980s. In the level. It has four runways: 8/26
a utility network, and an airdrome spring of 1973 the Air Force began is 3,451 by 75 feet (1,052 x 23 m),
with runways, taxiways, and a flight-screening program at 13/31 is 5,545 by 150 feet (1,690 x
aprons, in eighty-nine days and Hondo using the T-41 Mescalero, a 46 m), 17L/35R is 6,002 by 100 feet
at a cost of nearly $7.25 million. A militarized version of the civilian (1,829 x 30 m), and 17R/35L is 3,224
330-unit housing project known Cessna 172. The training program, by 140 feet (983 x 43 m). Runway
as Navigation Village sprang up on still in operation in the 1980s, was 17L/35R has an asphalt pavement
fifty-two acres at the southeast- attended by United States and and the remaining three runways
ern corner of the 3,675-acre base. foreign students. have a concrete surface.
The Women Airforce Service Pilots After the mid-1970s the base For the 12-month period ending
(WASPs) squadrons were assigned housed a number of businesses, January 20, 2012, the airport had
there in November 1943. Two no- including a fiberglass-products 95,000 general aviation aircraft
table woman pilots, Betty Henrich plant, a greenhouse, a national operations, an average of 260 per
and Hollywood stunt actress Mary guard armory, and the Medina day. At that time there were 31
Wiggins, were among the first Electric Cooperative. aircraft based at this airport: 81%
WASPs to report for duty. Between single-engine, 13% helicopter, and
July 1942 and August 1945 some South Texas Regional Airport 6% multi-engine.

8

www.wings-crs.org www.wings-crs.org