Stewart Field - Wings of West Point ...

[Mark Allen M]

Stewart Airfield

In 1934 Douglas MacArthur, then superintendent of the United States Military Academy, proposed flight training for cadets at Stewart Field. The city sold the land to the military academy for one dollar. A small dirt airstrip was cleared and graded. (Wiki)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_I ... al_Airport

Stewart Field was officially dedicated on August 25, 1942 and the rapidly developing subpost became an integral part of the Military Academy. It contained shops, school buildings and other facilities for the training of up to 500 air cadets, and at its peak during the war years housed approximately 2,000 officers and enlisted personnel. Although Stewart Field was under the administrative control and responsibility of the Superintendent of USMA, it had its own commandant. Technical control was placed under the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command in July 1943; other changes in the command channel occurred during and immediately after the Second World War.

The last class of air cadets graduated in June 1946, after which flight training for cadets was discontinued. In January 1947 Stewart Field was turned over to the newly established Department of the Air Force. When the Air Force closed the facility in December 1969, part of it was returned to the Academy for use as a housing area.

When Stewart Field was deactivated in 1970 due to the draw down of the Aerospace Defense Command, the Air Force released most of Stewart AFB back to civilian control in which it became Stewart International Airport.
http://blog.usmalibrary.org/2015/03/18/ ... est-point/






















































Dedication Day Aug 25, 1942 cadets march to their planes BT-13 trainers.


Cadets fly over field in their BT-13 trainers on Dedication Day Aug. 25, 1942


West Point Grads at Stewart June 1943 advanced pilot training

[Mark Allen M]

Steward Field airshow 12-9-1944

[Mark Allen M]

Stewart Field Baseball team






Stewart AFB 1950's air show

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

[Chris Brame]

Well, this was an unhappy coincidence :

P-59A-1-BE s/n 44-22620
*1944-45: USAAF 29th FS (412th FG).
*3/1/1945: Crashed in the Mojave Desert near Grey Butte AAF, CA after a collision with P-59A 44-22626. Pilot was killed.

P-59A-1-BE s/n 44-22626
*1945: USAAF 29th FS (412th FG).
*3/1/1945: Crashed in the Mojave Desert near Grey Butte AAF, CA after a collision with P-59A 44-22620. Pilot was killed.
*3/1945: Wreck salvaged for spare parts in Bakersfield, CA.

[Chris Brame]

Another fatal, sadly:

[Chris Brame]

One of eleven mostly consecutive serials that were listed by Baugher as "reclamation completed Pyote AF Dec 21, 1949".

[AG pilot]

Thanks for posting these! Excellent as always.

[Ken]

This may be slightly off topic, but what I notice about these images is the custom wooden staircases built to give people access to the airplanes. What is with us today? We wouldn't spend the money, have the on-hand talent, and wouldn't tolerate the liability risk to do something so simple, yet, in my mind, appropriate.

Ken

[JohnB]

You see those wooden stairs in many open house photos.
I recall them at events when I was a child.

My guess is they had plenty of wood AND manpower to build them, either professional carpenters assigned to civil engineering or regular enlisted members who were handy...back in the days when all boys took shop class in school.

Either way, a nice public service in showing the public their military (and what they paid for ).

[Mark Allen M]

You see those wooden stairs in many open house photos.
I recall them at events when I was a child.

My guess is they had plenty of wood AND manpower to build them, either professional carpenters assigned to civil engineering or regular enlisted members who were handy...back in the days when all boys took shop class in school.

Either way, a nice public service in showing the public their military (and what they paid for ).

So true

... and thx Chris, good work as always.

[JimH]

Great post Mark...I believe Robin Olds was a student at Stewart during his West Point days. I've flown the Mustang up and down the Hudson many times thinking about these guys beating up the airspace around there. Hyde Park is just north of here, I'm sure when FDR was home he got an earful of radials. Those photos really evoke many thousands of words.

Jim

[stearmann4]

Mark,

Amazing photos. I only peruse WIX a few times a year, and imagine my surprise when I found your great posting of Stewart photos! I recently took command of 2nd Aviation Detachment, "Wings of West Point" at the U.S. Military Academy. One of our projects was to renovate one of the rooms in our hangars as a "heritage Room" to 2nd Aviation and West Point's historical ties to Stewart. One thing we've lacked is good photos to frame. If you can, please feel free to contact me, I'd love to figure out a way to get copies of your prints.

I also own a Stearman and a J3 Cub that I keep in our hangars at 2nd Aviation to give aviation cadets familiarization flights.

Mike-

CW4 Michael Rutledge
Commander
2nd Aviation Detachment, USMA
Michael.rutledge@usma.edu

[Mark Allen M]

Greetings Mike, anything I can help you with I'll certainly be happy to try. PM me anytime if you like.

Mark