Pinal Airpark

Built in 1942 by the Sundt and Del Webb Construction Companies and opened in March 1943, the facility was known as Marana Army Air Field. During World War II, the airfield was under the command of the 389th Army Air Force Base Unit, AAF West Coast Training Center and used as a training base, as part of the 50,000 Pilot Training Program. Marana conducted basic flight training and the training of transport pilots in instrument flying and navigation, being the home of the 3024th (Pilot School, Basic). Chinese pilots were also trained there. Five satellite airfields were established for Marana during World War II: • Picacho Field Aux #1 (currently Picacho Stagefield ARNG Heliport ) • Rillito Field Aux #2 (currently reused as Marana Regional Airport ) • Coronado Field Aux #3 • Avra Field Aux #4 Marana Air Park first became a storage site for commercial aircraft in 1972 as part of a diversification strategy by Intermountain. By the end of the year, in part due to retirements of narrowbody jet aircraft driven by new widebody aircraft, over 40 large commercial aircraft were stored from Pan Am, Universal, Allegheny Airlines and Hughes Tool (which at the time owned Hughes Airwest). ==Current usage==

Pinal Airport The airport is home to many private companies including: Ascent Aviation Services and Jet Yard Solutions, Aircraft Demolition, and Jet Yard. Since the early 2010s, airport economic development director Jim Petty has opened the facility to the public, giving free tours of the airport and the airplanes stored there. Silverbell Army Heliport Pinal Airpark is co-located with Silverbell Army Heliport (SAHP). The 98th Aviation Troop Command, the Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (WAATS) and other numerous Army National Guard units are located inside SAHP. WAATS discontinued training of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter at the site in 2012. Currently WAATS provides training for the UH-72A Lakota. Pinal Airpark and SAHP also hosts the US Special Operations Command's Parachute Training and Testing Facility. On 28 March 2013, Navy SEAL Brett Shadle was killed during parachute training here and another SEAL was injured. ==Facilities and aircraft==

Pinal Airpark covers an area of at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 12/30 with an asphalt surface measuring . Silverbell Army Heliport has four helipads, three measuring , and the fourth measuring . For the 12-month period ending 1 April 2020, the airport had 58,200 aircraft operations, an average of 159 per day: 86% military and 14% general aviation. ==Gallery==

File:Marana Army Air Field 1945 Phoenix Sectional Chart.jpg|1945 Phoenix Sectional Chart showing Marana Army Air Field and Marana Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 2, No. 4, No. 5 File:Vultee BT-13 Valiant 42-42228 in hangar at Marana AAF AZ.jpg|Vultee BT-13 Valiant in hangar at Marana AAF File:PinalAirPark.jpg|Boeing 777-200 salvage, Pinal Air Park, 2018 File:Pinal_Air_Park_1.jpg|A Boeing 767-300 formerly operated by Delta Air Lines being disassembled for parts at Pinal Airpark File:Pinal_Air_Park_2.jpg|A Boeing 757-200 being disassembled for parts at Pinal Airpark File:Aloha Air Cargo 737-300F.jpg|A Boeing 737-300F formerly operated by Aloha Air Cargo being repaired at Pinal Airport File:Pinal Airpark 2006 Topo.jpg|2006 USGS aerial image ==See also==

• • 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==