🇺🇸 McConnell Air Force Base

McConnell Air Force Base (IATA: IAB, ICAO: KIAB, FAA LID: IAB) is a United States Air Force base located four miles southeast of the central business district of Wichita, Kansas. It is owned by the Department of Defense and operated by the U.S. Air Force.

Notable Features and History:

• Origins: The base's history dates back to October 1924, when the city of Wichita hosted the National Air Congress, leading to the groundbreaking of Wichita Municipal Airport on June 28, 1929.
• Naming: The base was named in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II veterans.
• Early Military Use: The U.S. Air Force took title to Wichita Municipal Airport on May 31, 1951, and it was redesignated Wichita Air Force Base on May 15, 1953.
• B-47 Training: From 1951 through 1958, Air Training Command used the base for B-47 aircrew training.
• Strategic Air Command (SAC) Hub: McConnell became an air refueling hub for SAC with the arrival of KC-135A Stratotankers in the early 1970s.
• Titan II ICBMs: From 1962 to 1986, McConnell was home to the 381st Strategic Missile Wing, operating 18 Titan II ICBM missile silos in the surrounding area.
• Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF): In 1994, the RSAF selected McConnell as its training base for KC-135 crews and maintenance personnel, establishing the Peace Guardian Detachment.
• KC-46 Pegasus: In 2014, the USAF announced that McConnell Air Force Base would be a base for the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, with the first of 36 tankers expected in 2016.

Current Status:

• Operational: McConnell Air Force Base is currently operational.
• Mission: Its primary mission is to provide global reach through air refueling and airlift.
• Units: It is home to Air Mobility Command's 22nd Air Refueling Wing (host), Air Force Reserve Command's 931st Air Refueling Wing, and the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Wing.
• Aircraft: The base currently stations the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.
• Control Tower: The airport has an air traffic control tower that operates 24 hours a day, except by NOTAM.
• Facility Use: It is for private use only, with PPR (Prior Permission Required).

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