Santo International Airport: Difference between revisions

Santo-Pekoa International Airport
Santo-Pekoa International Airport
	IATA: SON; ICAO: NVSS SONLocation of airport in Vanuatu;
Summary
Operator	Airports Vanuatu Limited
Standort	Luganville, Vanuatu
Elevation AMSL	184 ft / 56 m
Coordinates	15°30′18.12″S 167°13′11.07″E / 15.5050333°S 167.2197417°E
Runways
	Source: World Aero Data

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Revision as of 07:32, 5 June 2013

Santo-Pekoa International Airport is an airport in Luganville on Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu (IATA: SON, ICAO: NVSS). Airports Vanuatu Limited provides aviation services for the airport.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air Vanuatu	Brisbane,^[2] Gaua, Longana, Lonorore, Norsup, Olpoi, Port Vila, Sola, Walaha

History

World War II

The 7th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo on 11 August 1942 and began construction of more extensive air facilities to support the Guadalcanal Campaign. After completing a second fighter airfield at Turtle Bay they began constructing two bomber fields, one at Palikulo Bay known as Bomber Field No. 1 and the other at Pekoa, known as Bomber Field No. 2. Working in cooperation with a company of the US Army 810th Engineer Aviation Battalion, the 7th Battalion cleared, graded, and surfaced a 5,000 ft by 150 ft coral runway on the site of a prewar plantation. The 15th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo on 13 October 1942 and extended the runway to 7,000 ft with PSP over a coral base, and built taxiways, revetments, and miscellaneous structures.^[3] The completed airfield was operational in December 1942 and was known as "Bomber Field No. 2" or "Pekoa Field".

The Thirteenth Air Force was based at Pekoa from 13 January 1943 until 20 Juanuary 1944 when it moved to Carney Airfield on Guadalcanal.

Large numbers of Americans and aircraft used these airfields as a staging area prior to moving north into the Solomon Islands. Units assigned were:

Headquarters, XIII Bomber Command, 13 January-20 August 1943
Headquarters, XIII Fighter Command, 22 January–December 1943
5th Bombardment Group, 1 December 1942-19 August 1943
11th Bombardment Group, 22 July 1942-8 April 1943
18th Fighter Group, 11 March-17 April 1943
4th Reconnaissance Group, 23 January 1943-6 May 1944
403d Troop Carrier Group, 13 September 1943-30 August 1944

Postwar

Of the four wartime airfields on Espiritu Santo: Turtle Bay Airfield, Palikulo Bay Airfield, Luganville Airfield and Pekoa, Pekoa is the remaining wartime airfield which is still in use.

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5

^ http://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?id=NH96641
^ Air Vanuatu - International Flight Information
^ Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946. US Government Printing Office. 1947. p. 2228.

External links

Airports Vanuatu Ltd.

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[1] ttp://worldaerodata.com/wad.cgi?id=NH96641

[2] Air Vanuatu - International Flight Information

[3] Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946. US Government Printing Office. 1947. p. 2228.

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 ==History==
 ===World War II===
-The [[Seebee|7th Naval Construction Battalion]] arrived on Santo on 11 August 1942 and began construction of more extensive air facilities to support the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]]. After completing a second fighter airfield at [[Turtle Bay Airfield|Turtle Bay]] they began constructing two bomber fields, one at [[Palikulo Bay Airfield|Palikulo Bay]] known as ''Bomber Field No. 1'' and the other at Pekoa, known as ''Bomber Field No. 2''. Working in cooperation with a company of the US Army [[810th Engineer Aviation Battalion]], the 7th Battalion cleared, graded, and surfaced a 5,000&nbsp;ft by 150&nbsp;ft coral runway on the site of a prewar plantation. The 15th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo on 13 October 1942 and extended the runway to 7,000&nbsp;ft with [[Marsden Matting|PSP]] over a coral base, and built taxiways, revetments, and miscellaneous structures.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first= |title=Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946| publisher=US Government Printing Office| year=1947| isbn=|page=2228}}</ref> The completed airfield was known as "Bomber Field No. 2" or "Pekoa Field".
+The [[Seebee|7th Naval Construction Battalion]] arrived on Santo on 11 August 1942 and began construction of more extensive air facilities to support the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]]. After completing a second fighter airfield at [[Turtle Bay Airfield|Turtle Bay]] they began constructing two bomber fields, one at [[Palikulo Bay Airfield|Palikulo Bay]] known as ''Bomber Field No. 1'' and the other at Pekoa, known as ''Bomber Field No. 2''. Working in cooperation with a company of the US Army [[810th Engineer Aviation Battalion]], the 7th Battalion cleared, graded, and surfaced a 5,000&nbsp;ft by 150&nbsp;ft coral runway on the site of a prewar plantation. The 15th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on Santo on 13 October 1942 and extended the runway to 7,000&nbsp;ft with [[Marsden Matting|PSP]] over a coral base, and built taxiways, revetments, and miscellaneous structures.<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first= |title=Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946| publisher=US Government Printing Office| year=1947| isbn=|page=2228}}</ref> The completed airfield was operational in December 1942 and was known as "Bomber Field No. 2" or "Pekoa Field".
+The [[Thirteenth Air Force]] was based at Pekoa from 13 January 1943 until 20 Juanuary 1944 when it moved to [[Carney Airfield]] on Guadalcanal.
-Large numbers of Americans and aircraft used these airfields as a staging area prior to moving north into the Solomon Islands.   Units assigned were:
+Large numbers of Americans and aircraft used these airfields as a staging area prior to moving north into the Solomon Islands. Units assigned were:
 * Headquarters, [[XIII Bomber Command]], 13 January-20 August 1943