Photos: Marana Air Base in '40s, '50s and 60s
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Rick Wiley
Photo editor
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Pinal Air Park north of Tucson began its life as a 3.5-acre flight training base in World War II (Marana Army Air Field), to a contract flight school for the U.S. Air Force in the 50s (Marana Air Base) to numerous quasi-government and private air services in the 60s.
Mechanics rebuilt radial engines of training planes after 650 hours of flight time in the shops of the 371st Sub-Depot of Air Servce Command at Marana Army Air Field during World War II.
The control tower at Marana Army Air Field in 1942, just after the government began construction for the base. By 1943 it was in full operation and soon became the largest pilot training center in the world.
Heavy repair is done in the shops of the 371st Sub-Depot of Air Servce Command at Marana Army Air Field during World War II.
Ethel Johnson, 21, of Tucson, works in the Production Line Maintenance hanger at Marana Army Air Field during World War II. Before entering Army service, she worked at the Fox Theatre in Tucson.
Meade Powell of Tucson, a warehouse foreman, with Capt. Harold Larkin, supply officer of the 371st Sub-Depot at Marana Army Air Field taken inventory of wing sections during World War II.
Marana Air Base in transition in 1951, about the time when the U.S. Government deeded the base to Pinal County.
Single engine trainers used for flight training parked on the ground with a PBY Catalina and B-17 bomber at Marana Air Base, ca. 1950s.
Turkish airmen training at Marana Air Base in 1953 are "fascinated by the strange beauties of the desert," according the Tucson Citizen.
Flight students from France, Norway and Belgium arrive at Marana Air Base for training in 1951.
Flight students muster at Marana Air Base in 1951.
New flight students arrive at base housing at Marana Air Base in 1951.
Housing for flight students at Marana Air Base in 1956, when the the air field was a USAF flying school run by Darr Aeronautical Technical Company.
Flight students were "pooled" after flying solo at Marana Air Base in 1956.
Dinner is served (looks like steak!) in the mess hall at Marana Air Base in 1953.
Workers rebuild T6 trainers at Maran Air Base in June, 1957.
The Marana Air Base operations officer with flight students at a North American T-6 trainer.
A U.S. Air Force T-34 trainer taxiing at Marana Air Base in 1954.
Piper L-21 trainers at Marana Air Base in 1953.
Technicians work on a T-28 with Forest Service markings in November, 1967.
T-6 single-engine trainers and a single B-25 Mitchell bomber on the flight line at Marana Air Base in June, 1957, shortly before it was decommissioned.
For members of the Polecat squadron were the first U.S. students to use the T-34 trainer at Marana Air Base in 1954.
Beiser Aviation employees at Marana Air Base in Oct. 1959.
Flight student Lt. J.R. Todd gets instruction from J.W. Bensley at Marana Air Base in the mid-1950s, when the base was a USAF flight school.
Lt. John Zink walks away from a T28 trainer to mark the end of the U.S. Air Force flight training program at Marana Air Base in June, 1957. His alphabetical listing made him the last of the line.
Then: Working on single-engine training aircraft at Marana Air Base in 1957. Later known as Pinal Air Park and Evergreen Air Center.
Now: Marana Aerospace Solutions, Inc. at Pinal Air Park in 2016, formerly Marana Air Base. Most of the company's aircraft work happens elsewhere. But the original concrete from WWII remains.
Rick Wiley
Photo editor
As featured on
Lt. John Zink walks away from a T28 trainer to mark the end of the U.S. Air Force flight tra…
Jim Kelly spent almost three years as an aircraft mechanic at Marana airfield before he foun…
