Bryan Air Force Base

Former US military air field near Bryan, Texas

30°38′16″N 96°28′43″W / 30.63778°N 96.47861°W / 30.63778; -96.47861TypeAir Force BaseSite historyBuilt1942In use1942–1947; 1951–1958; 1960–1961

Bryan Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in unincorporated Brazos County, Texas, located west of Bryan. Today, the location houses The Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus (stands for Texas A&M's six core values: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, Selfless Service). It was also formerly named the Texas A&M University-Riverside Campus.

Bryan Air Force Base was originally activated in 1943 as a U.S. Army Air Forces installation known as Bryan Army Air Field. The base housed a flight instructors' school and was assigned the task of developing a standardized system of instrument flight training. The Full Panel Attitude System developed at the base was one of the most significant contributions the base made to pilot training. The instrument training school at Bryan AAF was the only one of its kind in the United States Army Air Forces.^[1]

The installation became Bryan Air Force Base upon the establishment of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service in September 1947. Assigned to the Air Training Command, it conducted advanced flight training in the T-33 Shooting Star.

Deactivated in May 1961, the land and buildings were leased to the Texas A&M University in 1962. In 1988, full ownership of the former base was transferred to Texas A&M University at virtually no cost.^[2]

References

^ "TSHA | Bryan Air Force Base".
^ "RELLIS Recollections".

Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas OCLC 71006954, 29991467
Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC. OCLC 57007862, 1050653629

External links

Bryan Air Force Base| The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

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

Army Air Forces Training Command

Flying training

Flying schools	Eastern Flying Training Command Central Flying Training Command Western Flying Training Command
Specialized schools	Bombardier Contract Flying Glider Training Gunnery Navigator

Technical training

v t e Bryan, Texas
Education	Bryan ISD Bryan HS James Earl Rudder HS Bryan Collegiate HS St. Joseph Catholic School Allen Academy Blinn College Bryan Campus
Landmarks	R. Q. Astin House Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History Federal Prison Camp, Bryan LaSalle Hotel Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church Saint Anthony's Catholic Church Temple Freda
Transportation	Brazos Transit District Coulter Field Easterwood Airport (in College Station, for commercial air service)
Media	The Bryan-College Station Eagle
Culture	Texas Reds Festival Bryan Bombers (defunct) Bryan Sports (defunct)
This list is incomplete. The former Bryan Air Force Base and Still Creek Ranch are not in the Bryan city limits, even though they have Bryan addresses.