Paine Air Force Base

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Paine Air Force Base (1940-1968) - Established in 1936 as the civilian Snohomish County Airport and transitioned to the U.S. Army in 1940 as Everett Army Airfield. It was renamed Paine Army Airfield in 1941 after Lt. Topliff O. Paine. The airfield was returned to civilian control after WWII but was reactivated in 1951 as Paine Air Force Base during the Korean War. It remained an active Air Force Base until 1968. Located near Everett in Snohomish County, Washington. Closed as an active military airfield and is now civilian Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport.

Paine Field in 2022.
Paine Airfield Name Chronology
Name From To
Snohomish County Airport 1936 1940
Everett Army Airfield 1940 1941
Paine Army Airfield 1941 1946
Paine Air Force Base 1951 1968
Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport 1968 Present

Snohomish County Airport

The airfield near Everett was established in 1936 as the civilian Snohomish County Airport built by the WPA. As World War II approached and aircraft production ramped up the military began to identify existing airfields that could be used as training fields for the thousands of aircrews that would be required. The Snohomish County Airport was selected in 1940 as one of these training airfields.

Everett Army Airfield

During 1940 and 1941 the U.S. Army leased the airport and established the Everett Army Airfield. In 1941 the Army Air Corps formally acquired the airport and named it after Lt. Topliff O. Paine.

Paine Army Airfield

By the time World War II came to a close, the military presence at Paine Field was all but gone. In 1946, the airbase began to be returned to county supervision. The final transfer of property back to Snohomish County was completed in 1948.

Paine Air Force Base

In 1951 Paine Field was reactivated by the Air Force and made a part of the Air Defense Command. After military reactivation, all civilian operations on the south side of the existing flight line were eventually displaced. In the 1950s jet fighters were brought to the airport and alert hangars were built. Various Regular Air Force fighter-interceptor units and Air Force Reserve troop carrier units operated at Paine AFB from 1951 until the mid-1960s. Fighter planes stationed at Paine AFB included F-89 Scorpions and F-102A Delta Dagger aircraft squadrons.

Paine Air Force Base Preliminary Master Plan 1952.

By January of 1952, the personnel roster totaled four officers and thirty-three airmen. Operations consisted mostly of rebuilding the base into a tactical air defense installation. During this occupation, total control of the field was not turned over to the military, instead, it set in place a shared-usage agreement.

The airport conceded the use of all of the commercial facilities other than the aviation services to provide housing for the troops. The Air Force also had priority over the use of the airport.

On September 30 Sep 1968, Paine AFB was deactivated and the facility was returned to full civilian control as Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport.

Current Status

As of June 2022, Paine Field has 18 daily departures to 9 destinations. Most Alaska Airlines flights are operated by Horizon Air, though Alaska Airlines also operates a number of mainline jets to supplement the regional carrier.


Location: Everett, Snohomish County, Washington.

Maps & Images

Lat: 47.906111 Long: -122.281389

  • Multi Maps from ACME
  • Maps from Bing
  • Maps from Google
  • Elevation: 603'


GPS Locations:

See Also:

Sources:

Links:

Fortification ID:

  • WA0250 - Paine Air Force Base
  • WA0339 - Everett Army Airfield
  • WA0250 - Paine Army Airfield

Visited: 28 Aug 2022


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