Let us continue our look at the airfields that were built in California during World War II. As we explained earlier in the first part of this series, the work at home during the war was every bit as important as the work the soldiers did in Europe and the Pacific. Flight crews and pilots underwent extensive training to prepare them for the battles that would be waged and available flight fields were needed. As you will see from this article California was heavily invested in this effort.
At Aces High we are interested in all things having to do with World War 2. Maybe that is one reason why we remain the most popular combat flight simulator on the market. Now, on to California.
- Chico AAF; now Chico Municipal Airport
- Sacramento MAP; now Sacramento Executive Airport
- Daggett MAP; now Barstow-Daggett Airport
- Hamilton Field AAF; now Hamilton Air Force Base
- Lemoore AAF; now non-flying agricultural use
- Porterville AAF; now Porterville Municipal Airport
- March Field; now March Air Reserve Base
- Shavers Summitt AAF; now sub base of March Field
- Merced AAF; now West Coast Training Center
- Castle Air force Base; now Castle Airport
- Ontario AAF; now LA/Ontario International Airport
- Oroville AAF; now Oroville Municipal Airport
- Santa Maria AAF; now Santa Maria Airpot
- Estrella AAF; now Paso Robles Municipal Airport
- 493d Army Air Force Base; now Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport
And of course there are more but that will do it for today. California is a big state. Remember, back in 1941 California was still fairly undeveloped with lots of wide-open spaces, the perfect place to build airfields and conduct test flights and training. East of the mountains in particular the area was desolate and under-populated and as such was the perfect setting for training.
Anyone studying WWII will soon learn, as we have at HiTech Creations, that the war effort at home was massive. Once Pearl Harbor happened it took about a year for the full might of the United States industrial effort to be in full swing.
We love this stuff. Our World War 2 Flight Simulator is as close as you will come to flying in the cockpit of a WW2 fighter plane and that’s because we have dedicated ourselves to making the best replica we can with our flight sim game. Strap on your helmet and fly the skies of Aces High. You won’t be disappointed.
