Plattsburgh Air Force Base

"PAFB" redirects here. For the military airport in Alaska with that ICAO code, see Ladd Army Airfield.
Plattsburgh Air Force Base

USGS aerial photo as of 4 May 1994
IATA: PBG – ICAO: KPBG
Summary
Owner United States Air Force
Location Town of Plattsburgh, near Plattsburgh, New York
Built 1954–1955
In use 1955–1995
Occupants United States Air Force
Elevation AMSL 234 ft / 71 m
Coordinates 44°39′14″N 073°27′56″W / 44.65389°N 73.46556°W / 44.65389; -73.46556Coordinates: 44°39′14″N 073°27′56″W / 44.65389°N 73.46556°W / 44.65389; -73.46556
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
17/35 11,758 3,584 Asphalt/Concrete
Plattsburgh AFB
Location of KPGB

Plattsburgh Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) base covering 3,447 acres (13.7 km²) in the extreme northeast corner of New York, 20 miles (32 km) south of the Canadian border, located on the western shore of Lake Champlain opposite Burlington, Vermont, in the city of Plattsburgh, New York.

The base closed on 25 September 1995, pursuant to the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990 (10 U.S.C. Sec. 2687 note) and the recommendations of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It is now a civilian airport and industrial complex, operated by the Plattsburgh Air Base Development Authority. The airfield is now known as Plattsburgh International Airport.

Geography

Plattsburgh AFB (1955-25 September 1995) is bordered by the city of Plattsburgh and the Saranac River to the north and the Salmon River to the south. It lies on the western shore of Lake Champlain on the New York-Vermont border.[1]

History

Military Presence Before the Base

Plattsburgh was the oldest military post in the United States. The U.S. has maintained a military presence at the site of the now closed base since December 30, 1814.[2]

In particular:[2]

Plattsburgh Air Force Base (PAFB)

In 1953, the site returned to the Federal government and Plattsburgh Barracks were renamed Plattsburgh Air Force Base. The Air Force held a ground breaking ceremony for the new strategic base on January 29, 1954, and construction began immediately. The runway was completed and the first aircraft landed on November 7, 1955. However, operational facilities were not completed until 1956 due to several work stoppages and severe winter weather.[2]

F-4D Phantom IIs from the 134th Tactical Fighter Squadron from the Vermont Air National Guard at Plattsburgh

Built during the Cold War, Plattsburgh AFB's runway is large enough to land the space shuttle. It was on a list of alternate landing sites for the space shuttle.[3] Space shuttle Columbia astronaut Michael P. Anderson, born at Plattsburgh AFB, was an Air Force pilot at Plattsburgh AFB when he got selected by NASA in 1994.

Major commands to which the base was assigned:

Major units assigned

A B-47 Stratojet from Plattsburgh on display
KC-135 Fuselage Departs Plattsburgh AFB

Missile operations

A Convair SM-65F Atlas #100 at Site 6 Au Sable Forks NY

Plattsburgh Air Force Base is designated as one of four major Atlas launching systems in the US,[4] the only ICBM missile ever deployed east of the Mississippi River.[2]

During the period 1961 and 1963, 12 "Atlas F" missile sites were constructed within a 50-mile radius of the base, thus giving the 380th the capability to launch 12 missiles seven days a week. All sites were in New York state, except for two located on the other side of Lake Champlain in Vermont. The 556th Strategic Missile Squadron, formerly assigned to Dow AFB, Maine, was transferred to Plattsburgh AFB on October 1, 1961, and became completely operational on December 20, 1962. It was inactivated on June 25, 1965.[2]

BRACC 1991 and closure

Governor Mario Cuomo speaking at a rally in favor of keeping the base

During the 1991 BRACC deliberations, PAFB wound up being pitted against Loring AFB in Limestone, Maine. The folks in Maine put up a brief fight but, at the end, PAFB was spared.[5]

Two years later, when BRACC reconvened for another round of closures, PAFB, along McGuire AFB in New Jersey and Griffiss AFB in Rome, New York, were considered for closing. The local sentiment was that, again, PAFB will be spared mainly because the United States Air Force had plans to transform the base to a major Strategic Air Command base for the Northeast, expanding to add more aircraft and personnel.[5]

It was a hard battle. Rallies were held and a local leadership group, dubbed Team Plattsburgh, was put together to save the base. Testimonies were held, before several BRACC members, to keep PAFB open and give it the intended expansion. At the end, McGuire AFB won over PAFB.[5]

Plattsburgh AFB was officially closed on September 30, 1995, as a result of the 1993 Defense Closure and Realignment actions. The closure ceremony took place on Sept.29, 1995.[2]

Current status

Operating tables being taken out of the old base hospital, in the Double Cantilever Hangar

After the base was decommissioned, the Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation (PARC) was created to manage the 5,000-acre (20 km2) property. PARC split up the base into 165 parcels for redevelopment.[6]

While community leaders feared in 1995, at the time of the actual closure, that the North Country's economy would collapse, this did not turn out to be the case; the base actually only accounted for about 8 percent of the local economy because it was so isolated.

On 16 and 17 August 1996, PARC hosted a massive music concert on the runway of the old decommissioned airbase by the band Phish. The concert, known as The Clifford Ball , was attended by 70,000 people [7] and added $20 million to the local economy.[8]

As of 2016,[9] PARC tenants on former airbase properties include:

The site also hosts a number of specialty services on site including acres of parks, trails and playing fields as well as an 18-hole golf course, a day care center and a gym.

The U.S. Air Force lists Plattsburgh among its BRAC "success stories."[10]

The base's reuse and the circumstances surrounding it were chronicled in Flying High Again: PARC's Redevelopment of Plattsburgh Air Force Base, written by Marian Calabro and published by CorporateHistory.net in 2008.[11][12]

Environmental problems

It is designated a military superfund site[1]

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

  1. 1 2 "Public Health Assessment, Plattsburgh Air Force Base, Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York". Plattsburgh, New York: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 5 October 2000. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "SAC Bases: Plattsburgh AFB". Marvin T. Broyhill. 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Schumer Urges Airbus To Pick New York Facilities To Build New Aircrafts (sic)". Senator Chuck Schumer's Publicity Office. 25 March 2005. Archived from the original on 30 November 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "ATLAS F Missiles Bases 556th SMS". atlas bases. 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Decision to close PAFB blindsided community". Plattsburgh Press-Republican (NY). September 26, 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "Welcome to PARC". Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Authority. 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  7. ↑ "Small Adirondack Town Is Host of a Giant Concert". The New York Times. 18 August 1996. Retrieved 26 November 2007.,
  8. ↑ Weiss, Lois (4 September 1996). "Concert shows potential for military bases – Plattsburgh Airbase, New York". Real Estate Weekly. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
  9. ↑ "Plattsburgh International Airport". Plattsburgh International Airport. 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Air Force BRAC Success Stories". Air Force Real Property Agency. 8 May 2002. Archived from the original on 17 January 2004. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  11. ↑ Calabro, Marian (2008). Flying High Again: PARC's Redevelopment of Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.: CoroporateHistory.net. p. 160. ISBN 0976833123.
  12. ↑ Heath, Dan (16 May 2008). "PARC success revealed in new book". Press-Republican. Retrieved 17 December 2012.

Further reading

External links

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