History of Flight
1906
Camp Bullis
More Info
Camp Bullis was established when the U.S. military purchased over 17,000 acres from local ranchers to be used as a maneuver and training area for troops based at Fort Sam Houston. Today, Camp Bullis is nearly 28K acres and is used as maneuvering grounds for U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marine combat units. It is also used as a field training site for the various medical units stationed at Brooke Army Medical Center in nearby Fort Sam Houston.
1910
Sam Houston Military Flight
More Info
The first independent military flight took off from Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio on March 2, 1910, flown by Army Lieutenant Benjamin Foulois in the Army’s Wright Flyer.
Photo Credit Courtesy Joint Base San Antonio
1915
Katherine and Marjory Stinson
More Info
Katherine and Marjory Stinson established the Stinson School of Flying (SSF) in San Antonio in 1915. Today, still known as Stinson Field, it is the second oldest active airfield in the U.S. and is home of the “Tex” Hill Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, Alamo Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, and the Texas Air Museum.
1916
1st Aero Squadron
More Info
The 1st Aero Squadron of the Army was organized at Fort Sam Houston and was the first unit employing aviation in support of an Army in the field as General Pershing pursued Poncho Villa into the interior of Mexico.
1917
Kelly Field
More Info
Kelly Field, established in 1917, trained thousands of early military pilots and later became a major supply and maintenance facility for the U.S. military. “Keep ‘em Flying” became Kelly’s motto. Kelly AFB operated until 2001, when it was closed and turned over to the City of San Antonio. Today Kelly Field is known as Port San Antonio and is home to both major and entrepreneurial aerospace, defense, robotic, and cyber companies.
1917
Brooks Field
More Info
Brooks Field, also established in 1917, served as a major pilot training base. Charles Lindbergh, the first pilot to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic, graduated from Brooks Field. Many important military aviation innovations came from efforts at Brooks AFB. The Brooks Center for Aerospace Medicine supported NASA with the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Decommissioned in 1995, Brooks is still known for its medical center and tech industries and its new identity as Brooks City Base neighborhood.
1930
Randolph Field
More Info
Randolph Field was established to train pilots and aircrew quickly and became known as “The West Point of the Air.” Today Randolph AFB still has a significant training mission and is home to the Air Force Education and Training Command and the Air Force Recruiting Command.
1942
Lackland AFB
More Info
Lackland AFB is known as the gateway to the Air Force, being the home of all Air Force and Space Force Basic Military Training, graduating approximately 35,000 Airmen and Guardians each year. It also provides many training programs, such as Security Forces, and is the home of the Air Force Cyber Command.
1964
Dee Howard
More Info
The Dee Howard Co. (DHC) based at San Antonio International Airport. DHC soon became the industry leader in engineering and production of performance improvements and quality products for the emerging business and commercial jet aircraft markets. Many aviation innovators were inspired by Dee Howard.
2001
Kelly Air Force Base Closes
More Info
Kelly Air Force Base (AFB) in San Antonio, Texas closed in July 2001. The base was established in 1917 and was the oldest military airstrip in the United States until it closed. The base was closed as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's (BRAC) realignment of Air Force assets in 1995.
The land and runway west of the base became the Kelly Field Annex and was transferred to Lackland Air Force Base, which is part of Joint Base San Antonio. The remaining land was transferred to Port San Antonio, which was created to redevelop the base into a multi-purpose facility. Port San Antonio is now a thriving aerospace complex, industrial hub, and residential center. It's home to major aerospace and high-tech companies like Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Standard Aero and Knight Aerospace.
TODAY
Today
More Info
Legendary and innovative aerospace and defense companies, including The Boeing Company, CACI International, General Electric, General Dynamics, Knight Aerospace, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, RTX, SAIC, and Standard Aero have a major presence in San Antonio.