Sharpe Field

The airfield was designed by the African American architect Hilyard Robinson and built in 1941. Construction began on July 12, 1941. Training flights began in November of the same year, even though construction was nowhere near completion. A graded (but not yet paved) portion of the north–south runway was used to conduct initial flight training.

On 23 July 1941 the Air Corps established an Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Tuskegee; it was activated two weeks later, on 6 August. It was later renamed the Tuskegee Advanced Flying School; the Army Air Forces Advanced Flying School; and the Army Air Forces Pilot School (Basic-Advanced).[3]

Tuskegee AAF was assigned to the Southeast Training Center of the Army Air Force Training Command. It was commanded by the 318th Army Air Force Base Unit. By the end of 1942, Tuskegee had a total of 3,414 personnel.[4]

The March 1943 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart labeled the airfield as "Tuskegee Army Flying School" and indicated that the field had a control tower. By September 1943, Tuskegee had 4 runways & a total of 225 buildings. In addition to the main airfield, known sub-bases and auxiliaries which supported pilot training were:

• Griel Auxiliary Field 32°28′48″N 85°53′24″W
• Shorter Auxiliary Field 32°25′30″N 85°57′30″W

Aircraft used at Tuskegee during World War II included the PT-17 biplane primary trainer, BT-13 monoplane basic trainer, AT-6 Texan advanced trainer, and P-40 Warhawk (used for fighter transition training).

The first class of African-American aviation cadets entered the second phase of military flight training (Basic) at Tuskegee AAF on 8 November 1941, under military instructors. Only 7 of the 13 original cadets remained.[3] The 99th Pursuit Squadron moved to Tuskegee from Maxwell Field, Alabama on 5 January 1942. The Air Base Detachment would later be redesignated as the 318th Air Base Squadron and still later as the 318th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron.[3]

Five of the aviation cadets at Tuskegee entered advanced flying training with P-40 Warhawks in January 1942. The 100th Pursuit Squadron was activated at Tuskegee on 19 February 1942. It was the second African-American Army Air Forces unit ever to be activated. The first class of African-American pilots at Tuskegee completed advanced pilot training on 7 March. There were only five who completed the training. On 17 April the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Tuskegee Army Air Field was redesignated as Tuskegee Advanced Flying School. The second class of African-American pilots graduated from flying training on 29 April. By the end of 1942, nine classes of African-American pilots had completed training at Tuskegee AAF.[3]

On 13 October 1942 the 332d Fighter Group was activated at Tuskegee, and the pre-existing 100th Fighter Squadron was assigned to it. The 301st and 302d Fighter Squadrons were also activated for the first time at Tuskegee, and assigned to the 332d Fighter Group. This group was the first African-American group in the Army Air Forces. On 23 March 1943, the group departed Tuskegee for Selfridge Field, Michigan, where they received air combat training by First Air Force and eventually were deployed overseas for combat operations in Italy.[3]

Twin-engine training commenced at Tuskegee in 1943, at first using the AT-10. The 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields described Tuskegee AAF as having a 5,000' hard-surface runway. As constructed during World War II, Tuskegee AAF consisted of four asphalt runways (the longest being 5,200'), taxiways, a ramp, and a large number of buildings north of the field. The AT-10 twin-engine trainer was replaced at Tuskegee by the TB-25 Mitchell in 1945. The last pilot class graduated at Tuskegee in 1946, bringing the total number of pilots trained at the base to 992.

Tuskegee AAF was inactivated in 1946, and the property reverted to the town of Tuskegee. Many of the base's buildings were moved into the town, and two of the hangars were relocated.