🇺🇸 Luke Air Force Base

Luke Air Force Base (LUF) is a United States Air Force base located in Glendale, Arizona, approximately 7 miles west of Glendale's central business district and 15 miles west of Phoenix. It is a private-use facility, requiring permission prior to landing.

Notable Features and History:

• Activated in September 1943, the base was originally known as Litchfield Park Air Base and then Luke Field.
• During World War II, Luke Field was the largest fighter training base in the U.S. Army Air Forces, graduating over 12,000 fighter pilots and earning the nickname "Home of the Fighter Pilot".
• It was reactivated in 1951 as Luke Air Force Base to train bomber-escort pilots for the Strategic Air Command.
• The base was designated a superfund site in 1990 due to soil and groundwater contaminants but was removed from the National Priorities List in 2002 after cleanup efforts.
• Since 1994, the 56th Fighter Wing has been the host unit, responsible for training F-16 and F-35 fighter pilots and maintainers.
• Luke AFB is home to the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range, a vast training area for air-to-air maneuvers and simulated battlefield targets.
• Since 2012, it has also housed the Naval Operational Support Center (NOSC) Phoenix, supporting over 750 Navy Reservists.

Current Status: Luke AFB is operational and serves as a major training base for the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The 56th Fighter Wing currently operates F-16s and F-35s, with 144 F-35A Lightning IIs planned for the base. The airport has a control tower and radar approach control, with specific operating hours for the tower and approach/departure services. Fuel (A++) and major airframe and powerplant services are available, along with hangars for transient storage.

*Sources researched: nfdc.faa.gov, luke.af.mil, airnav.com, skyvector.com, en.wikipedia.org*