The portion of the Westover complex still under military control covers an area of 2,500 acres (10 km2) which contains two
runways: 5/23: measuring and 15/33 measuring . A new
Air Traffic Control tower was constructed in 2002 and the old tower was demolished. In June 1987, a local environmental activist group, the "
Valley Citizens for a Safe Environment," brought legal action against the Air Force, claiming that the then-Westover AFB, as a center for military air operations with
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy aircraft, posed multiple environmental hazards to local residents, to include air pollution, noise pollution, and water contamination hazards. However, given that Westover had already transitioned to an airlift installation, lacking any of the air-dropped or air-launched ordnance storage and/or utilization hazards associated with fighter aircraft or Westover's previous status as a SAC bomber base, all of the factors claimed are also shared with similar-sized commercial airports. Westover ARB's extended operations history has produced numerous hazardous waste sites which the U.S.
Department of Defense, in coordination with the
Environmental Protection Agency and associated state agencies, continues to takes step to remediate. According to
Federal Aviation Administration records for the 12-month period ending 31 May 2022, the airport had 16,693 aircraft operations, an average of 46 per day: 60% military, 36%
general aviation, 4% air taxi and <1%
air carrier. There were 37 aircraft at the time based at this airport: 16 military, 10 single engine, 4 multi-engine, 3 jet aircraft, 2 gliders and 2
helicopter. Military facilities are under control of Colonel Joseph D. Janik, Commander, 439th Airlift Wing. The civilian portion of the airport is run by Michael Bolton, Director of Civil Aviation (an employee of the Westover Metropolitan Corporation).
Major Aircraft Mishaps On August 12, 1953, a
United States Navy R6D-1 Liftmaster crashed after takeoff. All 4 crewmembers died. On June 27, 1958, a
USAF KC-135A Stratotanker of the 99th Bombardment Wing stalled and crashed, skidded across the
Massachusetts Turnpike, disintegrated and burned.
The aircraft was attempting a world speed record from New York-London with 3 other USAF KC-135s. All 15 occupants, both crew and passengers, died. This included Brigadier General Douglas Saunders, USAF, commander of SAC's
57th Air Division at Westover AFB, and six civilian journalists, On August 10, 1959, a 99th Bombardment Wing B-52C (AF Serial Number 54-2682) crashed near New Hampton, New Hampshire when the nose radome failed in flight. Five crew in the forward part of the aircraft successfully ejected and the tail gunner in the rear of the aircraft successfully bailed out. On June 21, 1963, a USAF Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker of the 99th Bombardment Wing crashed into a wooded hillside nearly 6 miles N of Westover AFB during an instrument approach in heavy rain. One crewmember died. On January 7, 1971, after taking off from Westover Air Force Base, a 99th Bombardment Wing Boeing B-52C Stratofortress (AF Serial Number 54-2666) crashed into northern Lake Michigan at the mouth of Little Traverse Bay near Charlevoix, Michigan, while on a low-level training flight. All nine crew members aboard were lost. Later retrieval of wreckage indicated a catastrophic in-flight failure of the airframe. No remains of the crewmen were recovered.
Previous names • Northeast Air Base, c. 1 August 1939 • Westover Field, 1 December 1939 • Westover Air Force Base, 13 January 1948 • Westover Air Reserve Base, 1991 • Westover Joint Air Reserve Base, 2003 • Westover Air Reserve Base, 2003
Major commands to which assigned •
Northeast Air District, Nov 1940 : Re-designated
First Air Force, 9 April 1941 •
Air Transport Command, 1 February 1946 •
Military Air Transport Service, 1 June 1948 •
Strategic Air Command, 1 April 1955 •
Air Force Reserve, 1 May 1974 – present
Major units assigned • 10th Signal Platoon, 6 June 1940 – 30 June 1940 • Third Signal Service Co, 30 June 1940 – 22 July 1940 • Detachment Base HQ and 26th Air Base Squadron, 22 July 1940 – 1 December 1940 • 25th Base HQ and Air Base Squadron, 1 December 1940 – 1 October 1941 • 1st Air Force Service Command 1 October 1941 – 5 January 1942 •
34th Bombardment Group, 29 May 1941 – 22 January 1942 •
60th Transport Group, 21 May 1941 – 20 May 1942 •
13th Bombardment Group, 22 January 1942 – 30 November 1942 •
64th Troop Carrier Group, 6 June 1942 – 20 July 1942 •
301st Bombardment Group, 30 June 1942 – 3 August 1942 •
326th Fighter Group, 1 November 1942 – 12 October 1943 •
402d Fighter Group, 1 October 1943 – 12 October 1943 •
459th Bombardment Group, 29 October 1943 – 3 January 1944 •
471st Bombardment Group, 28 January 1944 – 10 April 1944 •
386th Bombardment Group, 30 September 1945 – 7 November 1945 •
409th Bombardment Group, 6 October 1945 – 7 November 1945 •
341st Bombardment Group, 6 October 1945 – 7 November 1945 • Army Air Forces (later Air Force) Separation Port, 14 October 1946 – 1 November 1949 • 1st Air Transport Group (Provisional), 15 March 1947 – 1 June 1948 • 2d Air Transport Wing (Provisional), 23 April 1947 – 2 June 1948 • Atlantic Division, Air Transport Command, 1 November 1947 – 1 June 1948 • 520th Air Transport Wing, 1 June 1948 : Redesignated
1600th Air Transport Wing, 1 October 1948 – 1 April 1955 •
Atlantic Division, Military Air Transport Service, 1 June 1948 – 31 May 1955 • 143d Airways & Air Communications Service Squadron, 1 June 1948 : Redesignated 1917th Airways & Air Communications Squadron, 1 October 1948 : Redesignated 1917th Communications Squadron, 1 July 1961 – 1984 • 8501st Air Transport Group, 27 June 1949 – 19 July 1951 • Squadron VR-6 (US Navy), 3 August 1949 – c. 10 June 1955 •
60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 January 1951 – 18 August 1955 • 3084th Aviation Depot Squadron (Later:) Group, : Stoneybrook AFS [adjacent to Westover AFB] till 17 March 1954 – 1 November 1954 •
26th Air Refueling Squadron, 22 April 1955 – 7 August 1957 •
324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 October 1955 – 25 June 1958 •
337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 October 1955 – 25 June 1958 •
384th Air Refueling Squadron, 1 April 1955 – 25 June 1966 • 4050th Air Refueling Wing, 1 April 1955 – 1 January 1963 •
Eighth Air Force, 13 June 1955 – 1 April 1970 • 8th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, 1 May 1955 – 31 March 1970 • 18th Communications Squadron (Air Force), 8 May 1955 – 30 November 1973 •
57th Air Division, 4 September 1956 – 2 July 1969 •
99th Bombardment Wing, 4 September 1956 – 31 March 1974 • 24th Aviation Depot Squadron, 1 January 1957 : Redesignated 24th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, 1 January 1960 – 30 September 1972 • 99th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, 30 September 1972 – 31 March 1974 •
99th Air Refueling Squadron, 22 August 1957 – 30 September 1973 •
4729th Air Defense Group, 8 July 1957 – 25 June 1958 • North Atlantic Communications Region, 2 June 1958 – 1 July 1963 • Air Force Satellite Photo Processing Laboratory : Redesignated 6594th Test Squadron, 26 January 1961 – 10 November 1965 •
76th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 February 1961 – 1 July 1963 •
499th Air Refueling Wing, 15 November 1962 – 25 June 1966 • 337th Military Airlift Squadron, 1 April 1966 : Redesignated: 337th Tactical Airlift Squadron, 1972 : Redesignated: 337th Military Airlift Squadron, 1 October 1987 : Redesignated:
337th Airlift Squadron, 1 February 1992 – present • 905th Military Airlift Group, 1 April 1966 : Redesignated: 905th Tactical Airlift Group, 1972-1 April 1974 •
4713th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron, 15 September 1972 – 15 April 1974 • 901st Tactical Airlift Group, 17 September 1973 – 1 April 1974 • 439th Tactical Airlift Wing, 14 March 1974 : Redesignated: 439th Military Airlift Wing, 1 October 1987 : Redesignated:
439th Airlift Wing, 1 February 1992 – present == See also ==