Historic California Airfields Lockheed Air Terminal


Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Lockheed Air Terminal
(Burbank Air Armory, Burbank Air National Guard Base)


This airport, in the northwest corner of Burbank, was built in 1930. By 1934 the airport had become Los Angeles' primary airport known as Union Air Terminal. During the1930's Lockheed Aircraft Company, adjacent to the field, evolved into one the nation's largest aircraft manufacturers, and in 1940 Lockheed purchased the airport. It was then renamed Lockheed Air Terminal and used to test and delivery Lockheed aircraft. It also remained Los Angeles' primary civil airport and remained the area's only civil airport throughout the war. During the war Lockheed built P-38 fighters, Hudson and B-17 bombers. The Royal Air Force's Air Technical Services Command and US Army Air Forces Western Technical Training Command had operations at the field. The airport and the Lockheed plant were extensively camouflaged during the war. The main Lockheed plant and runways were made to appear as grain fields and houses, and the parking lot was covered over with netting to appear as alfalfa fields. In addition, an extensive smoke screen system was installed to hide the plant under smoke. See photographs below for examples of this deception.

In 1947, when Mines Field was expanded to become Los Angeles' primary airport, this facility became a secondary airport. In 1975 the cities of Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena bought the airport and renamed it Burbank Glendale-Pasadena Airport. Lockheed continued in operation at the field for many years.

Source: World War II Sites in the United States: A Tour Guide and Directory by Richard E. Osbourne

Additional Historical Information: The US Air Force (USAF) facility at Lockheed Air Terminal is shown in a 1952 Headquarters, USAF installations directory as occupying 409 acres and operated by the Air Pictorial Service. The 1354th Video Production Squadron activated there in December 1952 and moved to Orlando AFB in late 1953 according to a 2002 Air Force News Service story. Lockheed Air Terminal transferred from Military Air Transport Service to Air Materiel Command (presumably inactive), March 1, 1954 by Department of the Air Force General Order 21, May 21, 1954.

Burbank Air Armory/Burbank Air National Guard Base

On April 2, 1941, the California National Guard obtained 8.89 acres of land on the south side of the Lockheed Air Terminal from the Lockheed Aircraft Corportation for the establishment of a modern facility for the 115th Observation Squadron. Designed to replace the obsolete Griffith Park National Guard Aerodrome, this armory consisted of a single building that combined a hanger, administration, maintenance shops to support the newly issued North American O-38 observation aircraft. Unfortunantly, the 115th Observation Squadron would not see its new home until after World War II.

It appears that sometime between 1941 and 1948, the armory was partially built without its planned northern wing. It is not known if the California State Guard occuplied the armory during World War II.

From 1 February 1948 to 1 May 1951, the newly formed California Air National Guard occupied the site as the Burbank Air National Guard Base (ANGB) until units were mobilized for the Korean War. It appears that many World War II buildings were added to the site. Upon the return of those units from active duty, demobilized at their new home, the Van Nuys Air National Guard Base. The Army National Guard also occupied part of the site until the Burbank Vahalla Drive Armory was opened in 1951.

Known units operating from the Burbank ANGB have been identified as:
Air National Guard

Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 62nd Fighter Wing

115th Bombardment Wing (Light)
115th Weather Flight
Detachment D, 211th Air Service Group

Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 162nd Aircraft Control & Warning Group

147th Aircraft Control Squadron
112th Communication Squadron
112th Radar Calibration Detachment
615th Signal Contruction Company (Light) (Special Catagory Army with Air Force [SCARWAF])
652nd Air Force Band

Army National Guard

2nd Battalion, 223rd Infantry Regiment
Service Company, 223rd Infantry Regiment

Today, only the southern wing of the building remains at 4531 Empire Avenue in Burbank. It is not known when the hanger portion was razed.

Architectural rendering dated May 1941 (California State Archives)

Extract, 1948-1950 Report of the Adjutant General (California Military Department Historical Collection)

Images of Lockheed Air Terminal during World War II

Extract, War Department Inventory of Owned, Sponsored and Leased Facilities, 1945

Army Air Forces Technical Training School, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Capacity:
- Enlisted:
  - Permanent:
  - Mobilization:
  - Theater of Operations: 969
  - Hutments:
  - Tents:
  - Total: 969
- Officers: 17
- Station Hospital:
Acreage
- Owned: 150 acres
- Leases: 9 acres (1 lease)
- Total: 159 acres
Storage:
- Covered:
- Open:
Cost to Government Since 1 July 1940:
- Annual lease payments: $1.00
- Land: $353,029.00
- Construction: $384,610.00
- Total (less annual leases): $737,639.00
Remarks:

Additional Online Histories

Lockheed-Martin Corporation


Army Units Assigned to Lockheed Air Terminal

Data Source
Date(s)
Unit(s)

Army of the United States Station List 1 June 1943

Air Depot Detchment (Pacific Airmotive Divition of Airplane Manufacturing and Supply Corp.) (AAF)
Air Depot Detchment (Western Airlines) (AAF)
Training Detachment Vega Aircraft Corporation (Civilian Contract Factory School, Airframes) (AAF)
Headquarters, 13th Transport Transition Traing Detachment (Western Airlines) (AAF)
74th Chemical Smoke Generator Company (Colored) (WDC)
174th Chemical Smoke Generator Company (Colored) (WDC)
733rd Military Police Battalion (Zone of the Interior) (Colored) (WDC)
603rd Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft) (Semi-Mobile) (less Band and 3rd Battalion) (WDC)

Army of the United States Station List 7 April 1945

63rd Signal Radar Maintenance Unit, Type C (AAF)
3715th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Factory School) (Lockheed Aircraft Factory School)
AAF - Army Air Forces units AGF - Army Ground Forces ASF - Army Service Forces units WDC - Western Defense Command

Extract, US Army Air Forces Airfield Directory, January 1945




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Updated 18 January 2021

Data Source	Date(s)	Unit(s)
Army of the United States Station List	1 June 1943	Air Depot Detchment (Pacific Airmotive Divition of Airplane Manufacturing and Supply Corp.) (AAF) Air Depot Detchment (Western Airlines) (AAF) Training Detachment Vega Aircraft Corporation (Civilian Contract Factory School, Airframes) (AAF) Headquarters, 13th Transport Transition Traing Detachment (Western Airlines) (AAF) 74th Chemical Smoke Generator Company (Colored) (WDC) 174th Chemical Smoke Generator Company (Colored) (WDC) 733rd Military Police Battalion (Zone of the Interior) (Colored) (WDC) 603rd Coast Artillery Regiment (Anti-Aircraft) (Semi-Mobile) (less Band and 3rd Battalion) (WDC)
Army of the United States Station List	7 April 1945	63rd Signal Radar Maintenance Unit, Type C (AAF) 3715th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Factory School) (Lockheed Aircraft Factory School)