Bartonville, American Legion Post 979

Illinois Master Listing

Bloomington, McLean County Museum of History

Belleville — Scott Air Force Base
Illinois Aviation Museum Guide

Scott Air Force Base ^[1]
375th Airlift Wing
Public Affairs Office
Scott AFB, Illinois 62225-5000
Phone: (618) 256-4206

Scott Air Force Base is a USAF base located in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville. The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash. The base is operated by the 375th Air Mobility Wing and is also home to the Air Force Reserve Command's 932nd Airlift Wing and the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing (126 ARW). Its airfield is also used by civilian aircraft, with civilian operations at the base referring to the facility as MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. MidAmerica has operated as a Joint Use Airport since beginning operations in November 1997 and has not been served by any commercial airlines since Allegiant Air pulled out of the airport on January 3, 2009.

The history of Scott AFB starts during World War I when 624 acres of land near Belleville, Illinois became a new airfield. The government announced it would name the field after Corporal Frank S. Scott on July 20, 1917. Corporal Scott was the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash. Scott remains the only base in the United States named after an enlisted member. In September 1917, the training of airplane pilots began. Most training took place in Curtiss JN-3D "Jennies." These aircraft were used to develop air ambulances. This early aeromedical evacuation later become a primary role for Scott Air Force Base. At the end of World War I, the field's squadrons were demobilized.

In 1919 the War Department purchased Scott Field and turned it over to the lighter-than-air branch of the Air Corps. This lasted until May 14, 1937, when the lighter-than-air crafts were discontinued. The field was subsequently designated as the new home of the general headquarters of the Air Forces of the entire United States Army on June 2, 1938. To prepare for the new role, the old buildings on Scott Field had to come down. Demolition began July 18, 1938. The huge dirigible/blimp hangar, now useless to the army, was sold to the wreckers. The mooring mast, the old wooden barracks, and the administration buildings were all demolished. New Colonial style administration buildings, family quarters, barracks, together with new hangars and other buildings were erected in a $7,500,000 building program.

On June 1, 1939, Scott was designated as the Scott Field branch of the Army Air Corps. Technical Schools and the basic section of the school, which was located at Chanute Field, Rantoul, Illinois, was transferred to Scott Field. An allotment of $1,710,150 was made in August 1941 for the construction of 160 new buildings. Because with the designation of Scott as the communications training center of the Air Force, more housing was needed for students. Cantonment areas were constructed in the southeast and northeast sections of the field. A short time later, the Army built an induction center across the Southern Railroad tracks. This area was later annexed to Scott Air Force Base. ^[3]

Currently, we know of seven display aircraft at Scott AFB, five are locate in the Scott AFB Heritage Air Park, and two are located on pylons in front of Scott AFB Hangar 1.

Pylons

• Beech C-45H "Expeditor" (AF 52-10858, c/n AF.788, on pylon)
• North American CT-39A "Sabreliner" (AF 60-03495, T-39A-1-NA, on pylon)

Scott AFB Heritage Park

• Boeing KC-135E "Stratotanker" (AF 56-3611, KC-135A-BN)
• Lockheed C-130E-LM "Hercules" (AF 62-1862, c/n 382-3826)
• Lockheed C-140A-LM "JetStar" (AF 59-5959, c/n 1329-5025)
• Lockheed C-141C "Starlifter" (AF 67-0166, c/n 300-6285, C-141A-LM)
• McDonnell Douglas C-9A "Nightingdale" (AF 71-0877, c/n 47495/656)

Help Needed

We need photos of these aircraft. If you can help, please let us know via the “Contact Us” link.

References

1. Scott Air Force Base, website
2. Google Earth, Satellite Image
3. Wikipedia, Scott Air Force Base
4. Skytamer Images, Aircraft Thumbnail Images © Skytamer.com