Langley Air Force Base is a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

base located in

Hampton, Virginia Hampton is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 137,148 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, seve ...

, adjacent to Newport News. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the entry of the United States into

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in April 1917. In October 2010, Langley Air Force Base was joined with Fort Eustis to become Joint Base Langley–Eustis. The base was established in accordance with congressional legislation implementing the recommendations of the 2005

Base Realignment and Closure Commission Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) was a process by a Federal government of the United States, United States federal government commission to increase the efficiency of the United States Department of Defense by coordinating the realignment and ...

. The legislation ordered the consolidation of the two facilities which were nearby, but separate military installations, into a single joint base, one of 12 formed in the United States as a result of the law. On February 4, 2023, an F-22 Raptor took off from the base and shot down a Chinese balloon, marking the jet's first-ever combat air kill.

Overview

The Air Force mission at Langley is to sustain the ability for fast global deployment and air superiority for the United States or allied armed forces. The base is one of the oldest facilities of the Air Force, having been established on 30 December 1916, prior to America's entry to

by the

Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps The Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was the aerial warfare service of the United States from 1914 to 1918, and a direct statutory ancestor of the United States Air Force. It absorbed and replaced the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps, Aer ...

, named for aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley. It was used during World War I as a flying field, balloon station, observers’ school, photography school, experimental engineering department, and for aerial coast defense. It is situated on 3,152 acres of land between the cities of Hampton (south), NASA LaRC (west), and the northwest and southwest branches of the Back River. "AirPower over Hampton Roads" is a recurring airshow held at Langley in the spring. Many demonstrations take place, including the F-22 Raptor Demonstration,

Aerobatics Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...

, and

parachute A parachute is a device designed to slow an object's descent through an atmosphere by creating Drag (physics), drag or aerodynamic Lift (force), lift. It is primarily used to safely support people exiting aircraft at height, but also serves va ...

demos. Because of the possibility of crashes of the F-22s and other aircraft stationed at the base, the City of Hampton has partnered with the Commonwealth of Virginia and United States Air Force to purchase privately owned property within the Clear Zone and Accident Potential Zones, without using eminent domain, to create a safety buffer zone around the base.

History

Langley Air Force Base, originally known as Langley Field, is named after Samuel Pierpont Langley, an aerodynamic pioneer and a former Secretary of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

. In 1887, Langley began aerodynamic experiments and formed a basis for practical pioneer aviation. In 1896, he built the first steam model airplane and the first gasoline model in 1903. Both planes were believed to be capable of flight. In 1903, he built the first man-carrying gasoline airplane, which failed to fly on its first attempt and broke apart and crashed on its second. In 1914, after major modifications, it was flown successfully by Glenn Curtiss for a little over three seconds, traveling 150 feet through the air. Langley Field was the first Air Service base built specifically for air power. It is the oldest continually active air force base in the world, and the oldest airfield in Virginia.

Origins

In 1916, the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (NACA), predecessor to NASA, established the need for a joint airfield and proving ground for Army, Navy and NACA aircraft. NACA determined that the site must be near water for over-water flying, be flat and relatively clear for expansion and the landing and take-off of aircraft, and near an Army post. The Army appointed a board of officers who searched for a location. The officers sometimes posed as hunters and fishermen to avoid potential land speculation, which would arise if the government's interest in purchasing land was revealed. Fifteen locations were scouted, before a site near Hampton in

Elizabeth City County Elizabeth City County was a county in southeastern Virginia from 1634 until 1952 when it was merged into the city of Hampton. Originally created in 1634 as Elizabeth River Shire, it was one of eight shires created in the Virginia Colony by or ...

was selected.Langley AFB History Office
/ref> In 1917, the new proving ground was designated Langley Field for one of America's early air pioneers, Samuel Pierpont Langley. Langley had first made tests with his manned heavier-than-air craft, launched from a houseboat catapult, in 1903. His first attempts failed. He died in 1906, shortly before a rebuilt version of his craft soared into the sky. Training units assigned to Langley Field:Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3, Part 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1949 (1988 Reprint) * 5th Aviation School Squadron, June 1917 : Re-designated as 119th Aero Squadron, September 1917; Detachment No. 11, Air Service, Aircraft Production, July 1918 – May 1919 * 83d Aero Squadron (II), March 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "A", July–November 1918 * 126th Aero Squadron (II) (Service), April 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "B", July–November 1918 * 127th Aero Squadron (II) (Service), April 1918 : Re-designated as Squadron "C", July–November 1918 * Flying School Detachment (Consolidation of Squadrons A-C), November 1918-November 1919 Several buildings had been constructed on the field by late 1918. Aircraft on the ramp at that time included the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny", used by Langley's School of Aerial Photography, and the de Havilland DH.4 bomber, both used during World War I. Although short-lived, hydrogen-filled dirigibles played an important role in Langley's early history and a portion of the base is still referred to as the LTA (lighter-than-air) area.

Inter-war years

In the early 1920s, Langley became the site where a new air power concept was tried and proven. Brig. Gen.

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...

led bombing runs from Langley by the 1st Provisional Air Brigade over captured German warships anchored off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina. These first successful tests set the precedent for the airplane's new role of strategic bombardment. Throughout the 1930s Langley Field occupied a principal position in the Army's efforts to strengthen the offensive and defensive posture of its air arm. The small grassy field became a major airfield of the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

. Many of the base's brick buildings of today were constructed at that time.

World War II

At the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Langley took on a new mission, to develop special detector equipment used in antisubmarine warfare. Langley units played a vital role in the sinking of enemy submarines off the United States coast during the war. The field was also used for training purposes.

Cold War

On 25 May 1946, during the beginning of the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

, the headquarters of the newly formed

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...

were established at Langley. The command's mission was to organize, train, equip and maintain combat-ready forces capable of rapid deployment to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime air defense. The arrival of Tactical Air Command and jet aircraft marked the beginning of a new era in the history of the field, and in January 1948 Langley Field officially became Langley Air Force Base. In January 1976, the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing was transferred to Langley from MacDill Air Force Base in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

with the mission of maintaining combat capability for rapid global deployment to conduct air superiority operations. To accomplish this mission, the 1st TFW was the first USAF operational wing to be equipped with the F-15 Eagle.

Post Cold War

On 1 June 1992, Langley became the headquarters of the newly formed

Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...

, as Tactical Air Command was inactivated as part of the Air Force's restructuring. On 15 December 2005, the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron became the Air Force's first operational F-22 fighter squadron. The wing's complement of 40 F-22s, in the 27th and 94th FS reached Full Operational Capability on 12 December 2007. Langley Air Force Base was severely damaged by flooding due to the storm surge from

Hurricane Isabel Hurricane Isabel was a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that struck the east coast of the United States in September 2003. The ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Isabel formed in the eastern Atlantic ...

in September 2003 and again during the November 2009 Mid-Atlantic nor'easter. Hurricane Isabel damages to Langley Air Force Base were approximately $147 million. The damages associated with the 2009 nor'easter were approximately $43 million. Resilience measures taken since 2003 include raising low-lying critical infrastructure, mandating a minimum elevation for new construction, construction of a 6 mile long sea wall and a groundwater pumping station. The site of Langley Air Force base, with an average elevation of 3 feet, has seen 14 inches of

sea level rise The sea level has been rising from the end of the last ice age, which was around 20,000 years ago. Between 1901 and 2018, the average sea level rose by , with an increase of per year since the 1970s. This was faster than the sea level had e ...

since 1930.

Reorganisation

On 1 October 2010, Langley Air Force Base was joined with Fort Eustis to become Joint Base Langley–Eustis.

Major units

To accomplish their mission, the support unit men and women of the 633d Air Base Wing at Langley are housed in the Mission Support Groups and Medical Group and support several tenant units: * The 1st Fighter Wing is composed of the 1st Operations Group and the 1st Maintenance Group, which work together to maintain Joint Base Langley–Eustis's F-22 Raptors. Operational squadrons of the 1st Operations Group are: (Tail Code: FF) : 27th Fighter Squadron (F-22 Raptor) : 94th Fighter Squadron (F-22 Raptor) : 71st Fighter Training Squadron (T-38A Talon) * 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing : The 480th ISR Wing operates and maintains the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System, or DCGS, also known as the "Sentinel" weapon system, conducting imagery, cryptologic, and measurement and signatures intelligence activities. The Wing is composed of the following units worldwide: : 480th ISR Group, Fort Eisenhower, Ga. : 497th ISR Group, Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Va. : 548th ISR Group,

Beale Air Force Base Beale Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base in Yuba County, California, Yuba County, California. It is outside Linda, California, Linda, about east of the towns of Marysville, California, Marysville and Yuba City, and abo ...

, Calif. : 692d ISR Group, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii : 693d ISR Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany : 694th ISR Group,

Osan Air Base Osan Air Base (K-55; ; Hanja: ) is a United States Air Force (USAF) and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base located near Songtan station in the city of Pyeongtaek, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan C ...

, South Korea * 192d Fighter Wing ( Virginia Air National Guard) : The 192d Fighter Wing mission is to fly and maintain the F-22 Raptor at Joint Base Langley–Eustis through the 149th Fighter Squadron, and support the ongoing intelligence mission through the 192d Intelligence Squadron. * 633d Air Base Wing : The 633rd ABW is an Air Force-led mission support wing, serving both Air Force and Army units, as a result of a congressionally mandated joint-basing initiative between Langley and Eustis. Langley also hosts the Air Force Command and Control Integration Center field operating agency and Headquarters

(ACC). Langley is also home to the F-22 Raptor Demo Team. This team, who travel all over the world performing different maneuvers used in air combat, is used to help recruit for the United States Air Force. Performing at airshows and other special events, the squadron is the only demonstration team to use the F-22 Raptor.

Major commands to which assigned

, Jun 1917 * Army Air Service, 24 May 1918 : Re-designated: Army Air Corps, 2 Jul 1926 * General Headquarters Air Force, 1 Mar 1935 * Northeastern Air District, 19 Oct 1940 : Re-designated 1st Air Force, 9 Apr 1941; First Air Force, 18 Sep 1942 *

Army Air Forces Training Command The United States Army Air Forces during World War II had major subordinate Commands below the Air Staff level. These Commands were organized along functional missions. One such Command was the Flying Training Command (FTC). It began as Air Cor ...

, 15 Sep 1944 * Army Airways Communications Service, 1 Dec 1945 *

Air Transport Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies a ...

, 13 Mar 1946 *

1 May 1946 * Continental Air Command, 1 Dec 1948 * Tactical Air Command, 1 Dec 1950 *

, 1 June 1992 – PresentActive Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1989

Major historical units

Pre World War II

* HQ Langley Fld, inception - June 1917 * 119th Aero Squadron, 2 July 1917 Air Service (1920–1926);

(1926–1941) * 2nd Bombardment Group, 1 July 1922 - 29 October 1942 * Air Corps Technical School (Unknown Element) 26 May 1919 - 30 September 1921 * Air Corps Tactical School - 1 November 1920 - 15 July 1931 * Air Park Company #3, 1 October 1921 * 58th Service Squadron, January 1923 General Headquarters (GHQ), Air Force * Station Complement Langley Fld, 1 March 1935 * Base HQ and 1st Air Base Squadron, 1 September 1936 * First Air Base Gp (Reinf) 1 September 1940 World War II First Air Force * First Air Base Gp, 25 November 1941 * First Service Gp, 13 June 1942 * 111th AAF Base Unit, 10 April 1944

* 3539th AAF Base Unit, 10 September 1944 * 76th AAF Base Unit, 1 December 1945

* 304th AAF Base Unit, 30 April 1946 AAF Antisubmarine Command * 1st Search Attack Group, 17 June 1942 – 10 April 1944 * 13th Bombardment Group, 15 January-6 June 1941 * 304th Bombardment Group, 29 October-30 December 1942 * 378th Bombardment Group, 13 October-14 December 1942 United States Air Force

* 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 15 August 1947 : 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-80) : 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RF-80) : 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-26) Continental Air Command * 4th Fighter Wing, 26 April 1949 (F-80, F-86) Tactical Air Command * 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 September 1950 : 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (RB-26) * 47th Bombardment Wing, 12 March 1951 (B-26, B-45) * 4430th Air Base Wing, 12 February 1952 * 405th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 May 1953 (B-26, B/RB-57, F-100) * 4505th Air Refueling Wing, 15 January 1958 (KB-29, KB-50) * 463d Troop Carrier Wing, 1 July 1963 (C-130) * 316th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 January 1966 (C-130) * 48th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1953-1991 Military Airlift Command * 316th Tactical Airlift Wing 1975 (C-130)

, and later

* 1st Fighter Wing, 15 April 1977 - Current (F-15A/B/C/D, F-22A) * 633d Air Base Wing, 7 January 2010 - Current (Installation support)Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History

References

External links

* {{authority control 1917 establishments in Virginia 2010 disestablishments in Virginia Airports in Virginia Buildings and structures in Hampton, Virginia Installations of the United States Air Force in Virginia Military installations closed in 2010 Military Superfund sites Populated places on the James River (Virginia) Superfund sites in Virginia