Bryan Air Force Base is a former
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
base in
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to:
* Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality
* Unincorporated entity, a type of organization
* Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
Brazos County, Texas
Brazos County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 233,849. The county seat is Bryan, Texas, Bryan. Along with Brazoria County, Texas, Brazoria ...
, located just west of
Bryan. Today, the location houses The Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus.
Bryan Air Force Base was originally activated in 1943 as a
U.S. Army Air Forces installation known as Bryan Army Air Field. The base housed a flight instructors' school and was assigned the task of developing a standardized system of instrument flight training. The Full Panel Attitude System developed at the base was one of the most significant contributions the base made to pilot training. The instrument training school at Bryan AAF was the only one of its kind in the United States Army Air Forces.
The installation became Bryan Air Force Base upon the establishment of the
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
as a separate service in September 1947. Assigned to the
Air Training Command, it conducted advanced flight training in the
T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...
. Deactivated in May 1961, the land and buildings were leased to the Texas A&M University in 1962, and in 1988 full ownership of the former base was transferred to Texas A&M University at virtually no cost.
See also
*
Texas World War II Army Airfields
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established numerous airfields in Texas for training pilots and aircrews. The amount of available land and the temperate climate made Texas a prime location for year-round military training. By ...
*
77th Flying Training Wing (World War II)
The 77th Flying Training Wing was a wing of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to the Central Flying Training Command, and was based in Texas between 1943 and its disbandment on 16 June 1946.
There is no lineage between the Uni ...
References
* Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
* Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), ''Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy'', Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC.
External links
Bryan Air Force Base, The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
{{Authority control
1942 establishments in Texas
Installations of the United States Air Force in Texas
Military installations closed in 1961
Defunct airports in Texas
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Texas
Buildings and structures in Brazos County, Texas
Bryan, Texas
1947 disestablishments in Texas
1951 establishments in Texas
1961 disestablishments in Texas