Nellis Air Force Base, from the 1940s to today — PHOTOS
By Taylor Lane Las Vegas Review-Journal
Photograph of construction workers at the Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, July 21, 1941. (Nellis Air Force Base Collection, University of Nevada, Las Vegas University Libraries)
Image of Las Vegas Flexible Gunnery School aircrafts during World War II. The aircraft seen here include the Bell P-39Q, Serial #44-24-2343. The P-39 operated from Indian Springs in 1944-1945. (Nellis Air Force Base Collection, University of Nevada, Las Vegas University Libraries)
Western Air Express Air Field, pictured here in 1941, was a central hub for passengers and mail going to and from Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Today, Western Air Express Air Field has become Nellis Air Force Base. (Courtesy of Nellis Air Force Base)
This elevated fuselage-type simulator was used to train gunners how to fire from a B-29 at the Las Vegas Army Air Corps Gunnery School, located on Nellis Air Force Base (that was named the Las Vegas Army Air Field at the time). The gunnery school was the nation’s first school aimed at teaching men how to shoot from fast-moving aircraft for combat operations. Photo from April 26, 1945. (Las Vegas Gunnery School Historic Photo)
Airmen check vehicles at the front gate of Nellis Air Force Base in the 1950s. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Nellis Air Force Base in the 1950’s. (File/Las Vegas Review Journal)
At the end of the Korean War, Nellis Air Force Base had expanded exponentially since its pre-World War II days, as seen here in 1956. The base was renamed to Nellis AFB in 1950. (Nellis Air Force Base)
The newest model of the F-4 Phantom series the F-4-E (FT-4-E) airplane arrives from McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis, Missouri. Location is the Nellis Air Force Base. (File/Las Vegas Review Journal
Nevada Senator Howard Cannon becomes the first non-active military duty flyer to pilot the newest and fastest tactical fighter in the Air Force the F-111A in October 1967 at Nellis Air Force Base. He was a Major General in the Air Force Reserve and compiled over 5,000 hours as a command pilot. (File/Las Vegas Review Journal)
Nevada Senator Howard Cannon becomes the first non-active military duty flyer to pilot the newest and fastest tactical fighter in the Air Force the F-111A. He was a Major General in the Air Force Reserve and compiled over 5,000 hours as a command pilot. In this photo Senator Cannon is in a helmet in the cockpit of the F-111a after his flight at Nellis Air Force Base in October 1967. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A parachuter descends onto Nellis Air Force Base on Dec. 2, 1976. (File/Las Vegas Review Journal)
Phantom F-4’s at Nellis Air Force Base in 1979. (Scott Henry/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The Royal Air Force (RAF) participates in a training excercise called Operation Red Flag on Feb. 5, 1980. Over 150 RAF airmen were deployed at Nellis Air Force Base since mid January. This was the 5th Red Flag mission at Nellis Air Force Base. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The Thunderbirds are the United States Air Force air demonstration squadron. They are stationed at Nellis Air Force Base and travel the country doing aerial exhibits. In this file photo, a child is pictured with a Thunderbird T38a jet in February 1980. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The Royal Air Force (RAF) participates in a training excercise called Operation Red Flag in February 1980. Over 150 RAF airmen had been deployed at Nellis Air Force Base since mid January. This was the 5th Red Flag mission at Nellis. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Instructor Captain Scott Van Cleef teaches Captain “Tank” Payne in the pilot’s seat about the F-4 Phantom jet at the Fighter Weapons School of the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing in October 1980. Training required 239 classroom hours, 32 flights with two to three hours of briefing and debriefing each. All of this training was placed in an intensive four month session at Nellis Air Force Base. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Red Flag monitoring room at Nellis Air Force Base on Nov. 22, 1985. (Gary Thompson/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Taking a rest before the jump in 1985 during a Red Flag exercise. (Gary Thompson/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Aircrew members take a jump during a Red Flag exercise in 1985. (Gary Thompson/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Nevada State Prison at Nellis Air force Base in 1990. The prison opened in 1989 to provide a labor force for the air force base. After 9/11, security at Nellis was beefed up considerably. The government did not want federal prisoners and their visitors in such a secure area and the prison was closed in 2006. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
An estimate crowd of 100,000 attended the unveiling of the F-117A Stealth fighter at Nellis Air Force Base on April 21, 1990, near Las Vegas, Nevada. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The Gunsmoke ’93 “Loadeo” competition where ground crews see how fast and safe they can service fighter jets or bombers in combat situations. This is called a “pit stop” or an “integral combat turnaround.” This image is of members of the 917th Tactical Fighter Wing from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana loading ammunition into an A-10 Thunderbolt at Nellis Air Force Base in October 1993. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A goodbye ceremony for outgoing Air Force Secretary Sheila Widnall. Widnall arrived at the base in the back seat of Thunderbird One with Thunderbird Commander Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Mumm flying. In 1993, Widnall became the first female to be the top civilian leader of a military service. This image is of Widnall and Mumm arriving in Thunderbird One at Nellis Air Force Base in October 1997. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A B-2 Bomber sits on the flight line during a media tour of the aircraft at Nellis Air Force Base on Oct. 18, 2002. (Amy Beth Bennett/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The tarmac at Nellis Air Force Base is nearly empty on March 2, 2003. (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The United States Air Force Thunderbirds practice at Nellis Air Force Base Friday, Nov. 14, 2003, in preparation for Aviation Nation air show at the base Friday and Sunday. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
An F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter jet lands at Nellis Air Force Base Monday Feb. 13, 2006, after participating in a Red Flag exercise. The entire fleet of revolutionary, radar-evading aircraft are slated for retirement from their service with the U.S. Air Force in 2008. The aircraft was developed at Area 51 in the 1970’s and 1980’s. (Gary Thompson/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The largest solar photovoltaic power system ever built at the time in the U.S at Nellis Air Force base in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, Dec 17, 2007. The 140-acre installation contains 72,000 solar panels. San Jose, California, based SunPower installed the system in record time (under six months) and provided the solar panels, which will generate over 25 million kilowatt hours of energy annually to the base saving the Air Force over a million dollars a year. (File/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Four members of the U. S. Air Force Thunderbirds take off in unison during Red Flag media day at Nellis Air Force Base, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. (Jerry Henkel/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A Royal Air Force Typhoon takes off at Nellis Air Force Base as part of Red Flag exercises, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. (Jerry Henkel/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
A Lockheed T-33 Ace Maker II performs during the Aviation Nation air show at Nellis Air Force Base on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Las Vegas. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco
An F-15 takes off from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas during Red Flag air combat exercise Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. (K.M. Cannon Las Vegas Review-Journal) @KMCannonPhoto
Airman first class Jonathon Covey, not pictured, operates the boom in order to refuel an F-16 in-flight from a KC-135 Stratotanker flying around the Nevada Test and Training Range as part of Red Flag exercises based out of Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto
Willians Urrutia-Mejia Jr., 12, operates an explosive ordnance disposal robot with Airman First Class Jasper Coble, left, and Airman First Class Daniel Haslem during the Check-6 Foundation’s Pilot for a Day program at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas Tuesday, March 29, 2022. Urrutia-Mejia received the VIP treatment, toured aircraft along the flight line and participated in a demonstration by the Nellis AFB explosive ordnance disposal team. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @KMCannonPhoto
Nellis Air Force Base opened as the Las Vegas Army Air Field in 1941. The airfield was first established as the Las Vegas Airport in 1929 and was purchased by Western Air Express in 1932. Western Air Express would take passengers between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
In 1940, the U.S. Army surveyed the airfield for use as the potential site of the Army Air Forces Flexible Gunnery School. The U.S. Army Air Corps ultimately picked the airfield for the school in 1941 because of the area’s optimal flying weather for most of the year and the availability of vacant land.
In January 1941, Las Vegas bought the airstrip from Western Air Express for $10, and leased it to the U.S. Army Air Corps with the plan to use the strip for both military and civilian aircrafts. Later that same month, Las Vegas Mayor John L. Russell signed over the property to the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps to develop the gunnery school, with World War II putting pressure on the base to train aerial gunners for combat.
Training at the gunnery school reached its height between 1943 and 1944 with over 15,000 people located at the base. The gunnery school closed in September 1945.
After the end of World War II, the base was put in stand-by status in 1946. The base then reopened in 1949 for advanced pilot training, and the Aircraft Gunnery School opened that same year.
In 1950, the base was renamed Nellis Air Force Base after 1st Lt. William Harrell Nellis, a Searchlight native who was killed during World War II.
In 1956, the 3595th Air Demonstration Flight, now know as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron or the Thunderbirds, was assigned to Nellis.
In 1975, the RED FLAG combat training exercise with the U.S. air forces and its allies was established. The exercise’s goal is to improve combat readiness and survivability with realistic training, according to the Nellis Air Force Base website. Airmen from 28 countries have participated in the exercise.
In 1981, Green Flag air-land combat training exercises began, which are also conducted with the U.S. air forces and its allies.
Today, Nellis continues to host many operations and the U.S. Air Force Weapons School as part of its mission of “Testing, Training and Tactics.”
To learn more about Nellis Air Force Base, check out the Review-Journal’s lookback at the history of Nellis from our Nevada 150 series.
