Summary Charleston International Airport operates as a dual-use civilian/military airport with the Charleston Air Force Base stationed there. Francis S. Gabreski Airport in New York hosts the Air National Guard's 160th Rescue Wing with HC-130J and HH-60G aircraft.
Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in Massachusetts houses the 104th Fighter Wing with F-15C/D Eagles. It can be fun to land at a dual-use civilian/military airport and see different types of military aircraft parked around the airport. Dual-use airports can be found across the country.
While many of these dual-use airports are small civilian airports without scheduled commercial flights, they also include a few major airports, like Charleston International Airport and Richmond International Airport. Here are five of the notable dual military and civilian airports in the United States. 1 Charleston International Airport Charleston is also home to the Charleston Air Force Base State: South Carolina Units stationed: 437th Airlift, 628th Air Base Wing, 315th Airlift Wing others Military aircraft stationed: Transports (e.
g. C-17 Globemaster III) Charleston International Airport is also home to the Charleston Air Force Base / Joint Base Charleston, which is home to both Navy and Air Force units, including the 628th Air Base Wing and the 437th Airlift Wing. The 437th Airlift Wing flies and maintains one of the largest fleets of C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifters.
As a civilian airport, Charleston International Airport is the second busiest in South Carolina, handling around 6 passengers annually. Additionally, the airport is home to the Boeing South Carolina airplane assembly facility - the facility handling the final assembly of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. A special promotion offers 20% off flights booked for travel between March 6th and September 3rd.
2 Francis S. Gabreski Airport Francis S. Gabreski Airport is also home to the Francis S.
Gabreski Air National Guard Base State: New York (Long Island) Units stationed: Air National Guard's 160th Rescue Wing Military aircraft stationed: HC-130J Combat King II transports & HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters Francis S. Gabreski Airport is located in Suffolk County on Long Island around 80 miles east of NYC. It was previously opened as the Suffolk County Air Force Base in 1943 with the Suffolk County Airport opening on the base in 1969 (it was renamed in 1991).
Today, the county airport is host to civilian private aviation and air taxi services. As a military airport, it is an Air National Guard base for the 160th Rescue Wing . The 160th operates HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters used for day or night combat search and rescue and HC-130J Combat King II Hercules used for transport and in-air refueling.
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In 2022, the airport averaged 131 aircraft operations a day, 85% of which were general aviation and 12% military. The 104th Fighter Wing's 131st Fighter Squadron operates F-15C/D Eagles - these are now aging fighter jets being gradually replaced in the Air Force by new F-15EX Strike Eagle IIs and F-35 Lightning IIs. The 131st will eventually transition to F-35s.
The Air Force wrote in April 2024, " [a] 131st Fighter Squadron pilot was recently selected as the first 104th Fighter Wing pilot to receive F-35A Lighting II training...
to lead the Wing’s conversion from the F-15 Eagle to the F-35 ." New 4.5th generation F-15EX multirole fighters are replacing the Oregon Air National Guard's aging F-15Cs.
4 Duluth International Airport The Duluth International Airport is also home to the Duluth Air National Guard Base State: Minnesota Units stationed: 148th Fighter Wing Military aircraft stationed: F-16C Fighting Falcons The Duluth International Airport is the international airport serving Minnesota's city of Duluth on the shores of Lake Superior and is served by Delta, Sun Country Airlines, and United Express. It is also home to the Duluth Air National Guard Base which hosts the Minnesota Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing. In May 2024, it was reported that the 148th Fighter Wing would be deployed overseas, although it wasn't disclosed where.
The 148th has been deployed seven times since 2005 to Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The wing was established in 1948 and is now home to over 1,000 Airmen. After being bought out, Sun Country has switched to an ultra-low-cost business model with a twist.
5 Richmond International Airport The Richmond International Airport also serves as a military Aviation Support Facility State: Virginia United stationed: 224th Aviation Region Military aircraft stationed: UH-60, HH-60, and UH-72 Richmond International Airport is the third-busiest airport in Virginia after Washington Reagan and Washington Dulles and the busiest in central Virginia. It served the state capital of Richmond (located only 7 miles from the downtown) and receives over 4 million passengers annually. Richmond Airport also functions as an Aviation Support Facility for the Virginia Army National Guard 224th Aviation Regiment.
The 224th operates UH-60 Black Hawks, HH-60 Pave Hawks (a variant of the Black Hawk), and UH-72 Lakotas (a light utility military helicopter). The facility also hosts a single C-12 Huron (the military designation for the military version of the Beechcraft Super King)..
