Ulithi Airport

Ulithi Airport (IATA: ULI, FAA LID: TT02) is a public airport serving the island of Falalop, located in the Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia. It was previously Falalop Airfield or Naval Air Base Ulithi (NAB Ulithi), when used as a World War II airfield.

Ulithi Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
ServesFalalop
LocationFalalop Island, Ulithi Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia
Elevation AMSL6 ft / 2 m
Coordinates10°1′39″N 139°47′20″E
Map
ULI
Location of the airport in Federated States of Micronesia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 914 3,000 Concrete
Source: Division of Civil Aviation [1]
Aerial view of Falalop Airfield in 2008

History
Marines walk past a flight line of SB2Cs on Falalop December 1944.

The Japanese had built an airstrip on Falalop. Ulithi Atoll was captured unopposed on 20 September 1944. On 8 October the 51st Naval Construction Battalion began to improve the former Japanese airfield on Falalop, creating a coral-surfaced 3,500 feet (1,100 m) by 150 feet (46 m) runway, six taxiways, hardstands, lighting, a traffic-control tower, operations buildings, tank farm and a seaplane ramp. The airfield was fully operational by 1 December 1944.[2]

Marine Air Group 45 (MAG-45) deployed to Falalop in late September to establish base operations.

Units stationed at Falalop included VMD-354 operating photo-reconnaissance F4Us and VMF(N)-542 operating F6F-3N night-fighters.

Fleet Air Wing One (FAW-1) was based at Falalop from 15 October until 30 December 1944 when it was relocated to Saipan.[3]

On 7 December 1944 a detachment of two PBYs of VPB-23 was deployed to Falalop for air-sea rescue missions. A further 3 aircraft were deployed on 20 June 1945. All VPB-23 aircraft were transferred to Tanapag Harbor on Saipan on 13 December 1945.[3]:431–2 It was expanded and resurfaced, the runway running the full width of the island. The east end of the strip was extended approximately twenty feet past the natural shoreline. A number of small strips for light aircraft were built on several of the smaller islands.[4]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Caroline Islands Air Charter: Chuuk, Yap
Pacific Mission Aviation Fais, Yap

References
  1. "Ulithi Civil Airfield". 2012.
  2. Building the Navy's Bases in World War II History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps 1940-1946. US Government Printing Office. 1947. pp. 332–4. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons - Volume 2. Naval Historical Center. p. 811. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. Tim Lanzendorfer (November 2003). "Ulithi in the western Carolines". The Pacific War: The US Navy.


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