Craig Field (Alabama)

Craig Field (Alabama)
source
Name	Craig Field
Iata	CRG
Icao	KCRG
Faa	CRG
Type	Former military / public
Location	Selma, Alabama
Elevation ft	143
R1 number	17/35
R1 length ft	9,001
R1 surface	Asphalt

Craig Field (Alabama) is a former United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force installation located near Selma, Alabama, later operated as a public airport and industrial site. Established as a pilot training base during World War II, the field subsequently served during the Cold War era before transitioning to civilian use, hosting aviation services, industrial tenants, and occasional military operations. The facility has been the focus of redevelopment discussions involving local, state, and federal stakeholders.

History

Craig Field opened during World War II as part of the Army Air Forces pilot training expansion and was associated with Arnold Air Force Base, Maxwell Field, and other southeastern training installations. Named for Second Lieutenant Eugene Craig, the field trained aviators with aircraft like the P-40 Warhawk, AT-6 Texan, and B-25 Mitchell under the command structures that reported to Eastern Flying Training Command and coordinating with Air Technical Service Command. After 1945 the installation was inactivated, then reactivated during the early Cold War as an United States Air Force training and support facility aligned with Air Training Command and later served reserve and National Guard units tied to Tactical Air Command activities. The airfield’s postwar trajectory mirrored base realignment patterns exemplified by closures such as Brookley Field and conversions like Kelly Air Force Base. During the 1960s and 1970s Craig Field supported transient operations for aircraft linked to Strategic Air Command, Military Airlift Command, and periodic deployments from Tinker Air Force Base and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. In the late 20th century the site transitioned to municipal control, joining other former bases repurposed in economic redevelopment projects similar to Naval Air Station Cecil Field and George Air Force Base conversions.

Facilities and Layout

Craig Field featured runways and support infrastructure comparable to dual-runway military airfields such as Huntsville International Airport and Mobile Regional Airport. The primary runway, oriented 17/35, extended over 9,000 feet, capable of handling large military and civilian transport types like the C-130 Hercules, C-5 Galaxy, and Boeing 767. Taxiways, ramp space, and hardened pavements accommodated operations formerly conducted by units from Eglin Air Force Base and Keesler Air Force Base. Hangars and maintenance shops paralleled designs used at Sheppard Air Force Base and Goodfellow Air Force Base, while fuel farms and ordnance storage areas followed standards similar to Davis-Monthan AFB storage protocols. The complex included a control tower, instrument landing systems akin to Instrument Landing System installations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and perimeter security features consistent with Department of Defense air installations. Onsite industrial buildings and access to U.S. Route 80 and nearby rail corridors supported logistics connections like those at Shaw Air Force Base and Robins Air Force Base.

Military and Civil Use

Throughout its operational life Craig Field hosted a mix of military and civilian activity. Military tenants included Army Air Forces training squadrons, Air Force reserve units, and occasional deployments by personnel from MacDill Air Force Base and Langley Air Force Base. Civil aviation users ranged from general aviation operators to charter services comparable to those at Dothan Regional Airport and Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport. The site also attracted aerospace contractors and industrial tenants similar to firms that established operations at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base-adjacent bases and Tinker AFB industrial parks. Local economic development authorities sought to emulate redevelopment successes seen at Rickenbacker International Airport and Miramar Marine Corps Air Station by marketing Craig Field for aerospace, manufacturing, and logistics uses, leveraging incentives used in projects with Economic Development Administration support.

Accidents and Incidents

Craig Field’s operational history includes aviation accidents and incidents in line with other training and active-use airfields. Training mishaps during the World War II era reflected hazards documented at Purdue Flight School and Mather Air Force Base with single- and multi-engine trainer losses. Cold War and postwar incidents involved transient military aircraft and civil operators comparable to occurrences at Pope Field and Tyndall Air Force Base. Investigations by agencies such as the National Transportation Safety Board and historical accident reports referenced aircraft types like the T-6 Texan and C-130 when evaluating causal factors including mechanical failure, human factors, and weather phenomena akin to events cataloged at Keesler AFB and Ellsworth AFB.

Current Status and Redevelopment Plans

In recent decades Craig Field has been managed as a civilian airfield and industrial site under local authority efforts paralleling redevelopment at Fort McClellan and Lowry AFB. Proposals have involved mixed-use aerospace parks, logistics centers linked to CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway lines, and aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities similar to projects at Paine Field and Boeing Field. Stakeholders include the City of Selma, Dallas County, Alabama officials, state economic agencies, and private developers, with potential funding models drawing from Opportunity Zones and Community Development Block Grant-style programs used elsewhere. Environmental assessment and remediation efforts have referenced protocols from Environmental Protection Agency programs and past base conversion case studies at Fort Ord and Presidio of San Francisco. Ongoing discussions continue regarding aviation restoration, industrial tenancy, and integration with regional transportation plans involving Interstate 65 corridor strategies and regional workforce initiatives linked to Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT).

Category:Airports in Alabama