Frankfurt Rhein Main Air Base

From the 1970s to closure

Frankfurt/M: Rhein/Main Air Base, Airport

For historical information only, do not use for navigation or aviation purposes!
CoordinatesN500213 E0083350 (WGS84) Google Maps
Federal stateHessen (Hesse)
Location indicatorDDFR (195x, civ), DBRM (195x, mil), EDDF (civ), EDAF (mil)
Map with location of Frankfurt Rhein/Main Air Base
Germany during the Cold War Map

In the 1970s

Situation

Frankfurt airspace
Rhein/Main Air Base on a map of the US Department of Defense from 1972 - (ONC E-2 (1972), Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin /PCL MC/)

Overview

Frankfurt/M Rhein/Main Airport and Air Base, Germany, on a US satellite image 1977
Frankfurt/M Rhein/Main Airport and Air Base on a US satellite image from 03 July 1977
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Air Base
Enlargement: Air Base
Beginning of the runways in the east
Enlargement: Beginning of the runways in the east
Terminals and Gateway Gardens housing area, Frankfurt Rhein/Main, Germany
Enlargement: Terminals and Gateway Gardens housing area
Western end
Enlargement: Western end

Units

1971: 322nd TAW: 55th AAS (C-118A, C-131A), 7406th SS (C-130B-II); 7407th CSW: 7407th SS (RB-57F)
1975: 435th TAW; 601st TCW: 7th SOS (C-130E-I), 7405th OS (C-130E)

In the 1980s and early 1990s

Overview

Map of Frankfurt Airport, Germany, 1984
Map from 1984 - The runway 18, which will be put into operation a few months later, is not yet shown here.

Units

1980: 435th TAW; 7575th OG: 7th SOS (MC-130E), 7405th SS (C-130E)
1985: 435th TAW; 7575th OG: 7405th OS (C-130E)
1990: 435th TAW: 37th TAS (C-130E), 55th AAS (C-9A); 7575th OG: 7405th OS (C-130E); 39th SOW: 7th SOS (MC-130E)

Additional information

EDAC: USAFE Flight Service Center, EDAE: USAFE Notam and AIS Center

Images

Air Base

Autobahn exit to the Rhein/Main Air Base, Germany
Autobahn exit (1988) - Source: /National Archives/
Main gate - United States Air Force Rhein Main Air Base Gateway to Europe
Main Gate (1980) "United States Air Force - Rhein-Main Air Base - Gateway To Europe" - Photographer: MSGT Don Sutherland, Source: /National Archives/
Frankfurt Rhein/Main Air Base main gate
Main Gate (1985) - Photographer: TSGT Patrick H. Nugent, Source: /National Archives/
Rhein/Main gate
Looking over the gate into direction west - Photographer: MSGT Patrick H. Nugent, Source: /National Archives/
Northeastern part of the base
Northeastern part of the base - Photographer: TSGT Patrick H. Nugent, Source: /National Archives/
Aerial view Consolidated Open Mess
Aerial view of the Consolidated Open Mess (1983) - Photographer: TSGT Rod Prouty, Source: /National Archives/
Aerial picture direction northeast
Looking over the base into direction northeast (1993). - Source: /National Archives/
Aerial view Frankfurt Rhein/Main Air Base, Germany
Aerial picture from 1988 - Photographer: MSGT Patrick H. Nugent, Source: /National Archives/

Aircraft

MC-130E Hercules of 7th Special Operations Squadron with Fulton
A MC-130E Hercules, assigned to the 7th Special Operations Squadron, equipped with Fulton surface-to-air recovery system, on the runway (1983) - Photographer: Varner, Source: /National Archives/
Special Air Mission at Rhein/Main, Germany
Special Air Mission (1983) - Photographer: MASTER Sergeant Don Sutherland, Source: /National Archives/
C-9A Nightingale of 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing
A C-9A Nightingale of 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing and a German Air Force C-160 Transall (1986)
C-23A Sherpa US Air Force
A C­2A Sherpa prepares to take base personnel for an orientation flight (1986) - Photographer: SSGT Fernando Serna, Source: /National Archives/
C-130E Hercules 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron
C­130E Hercules aircraft of the 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron (1989) - Photographer: SSGT F. Lee Corkran, Source: /National Archives/
C-130E Hercules 37th TAS Rhein/Main
A line of C­130E Hercules aircraft of the 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron takes off for Italy (1989) - The planes will be air dropping soldiers on an Army training and evaluation program (ARTEP) mission. Photographer: SSGT Perry Heimer, Source: /National Archives/

Construction of underground shelters in 1988

Construction of a bunker at the Rhein/Main Air Base
Prefabricated sections of the bunker are pulled into place - Photographer: AMN Kimberly Green, Source: /National Archives/
Construction of a shelter made of prefabricated sections
The bunker is made of prefabricated sections - Photographer: AMN Kimberly Green, Source: /National Archives/
Shelter construction Frankfurt Rhein/Main
A nearly completed shelter with a Atlas 102 wheeled ecavator - Photographer: SGT John E. Lasky, Source: /National Archives/
Underground shelter under construction at Rhein/Main
Underground shelter under construction - Photographer: SGT John E. Lasky, Source: /National Archives/
Bunker construction
Shelter under construction (28 September 1988) - Photographer: SGT John E. Lasky, Source: /National Archives/
Entryways to the underground shelter
Overview of entryways to the underground shelter - Photographer: SGT John E. Lasky, Source: /National Archives/

Others

Deicing of a USAF C-23A Sherpa
Deicing of a C-23A Sherpa (1988) - Photographer: SGT John E. Lasky, Source: /National Archives/
Rhein/Main Air Base firefighter
A firefighter from the 435th Combat Support Group points a water canon on a P-15 fire engine - during a 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron C­9 Nightingale egress training exercise (1984) Photographer: SSGT Fernando Serna, Source: /National Archives/
Mobile command post
Mobile command post (1985) - Photographer: SGT Glenda K. Pellum, Source: /National Archives/
Battle tank M-60A1
An M­60A1 main battle tank in an experimental NATO camouflage paint scheme (1985) - Source: /National Archives/

Airlift memorial

Berlin Airlift Memorial under construction
Scaffolding surrounds the Berlin Airlift Memorial while under construction (01 April 1985) - Source: /National Archives/
Aircraft C-47 Skytrain Frankfurt Rhein/Main, Germany
A C­47 Skytrain aircraft passes the Berlin Airlift Memorial. The aircraft will be restored and put on display at the memorial (28 March 1986) - Photographer: MSGT Patrick H. Nugent, Source: /National Archives/
C-47 restauration
Members of the 435th Organizational Maintenance Squadron and the 435th Field Maintenance Squadron paint a C­47 Skytrain aircraft (01 April 1987)  - Photographer: MSGT Patrick H. Nugent, Source: /National Archives/
Ceremonies 40th anniversary Berlin Airlift
Ceremonies on the 40th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift (23 June 1988) - Photographer: SGT Paul Tubridy, Source: /National Archives/

From the mid 1990s

In the 1990s

Images

C-141 62nd Airlift Wing, McChord AFB at Frankfurt Rhein/Main
A C­141 from the 62nd Airlift Wing, McChord AFB (1995) - Photographer: A1C Lee E. Rogers, Source: /National Archives/
Planes for operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Planes for operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1995) - Photographer: SRA Ken Bergmann, Source: /National Archives/
C-17A Globemaster III of 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB at Rhein/Main Air Base
A C-17A Globemaster III of 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB (1995) - Photographer: SRA Ken Bergmann, Source: /National Archives/
USAF J-STARS planes
Two J-STARS planes (1996) - Photographer: SGT Larry Aaron, Source: /National Archives/
Planes for the humanitarian mission in Central Africa
Planes for the humanitarian mission in Central Africa (1996) - Photographer: TSGT Billy W. Johnson, Source: /National Archives/
C-5 Galaxy and Follow-Me car Frankfurt Rhein/Main
C-5 Galaxy and Follow-Me car (1996) - Photographer: SRA Sean Worrel, Source: /National Archives/
C-5 Galaxy, Base Operations and control tower Frankfurt Rhein/Main
A C-5 Galaxy in front of the Base Operations and the control tower - Photographer: A1C Betty M. Leonard, Source: /National Archives/
469th Air Base Group's Contingency Lodging Rhein­Main Air Base
The 469th Air Base Group's Contingency Lodging building on Rhein­Main Air Base (1989) - There are 4 contingency lodging buildings on Rhein­Main Air Base, with a total of three hundred twenty­five rooms and one thousand eleven hundred and two bed spaces. Photographer: Tsgt G.M. Kobashigawa, Source: /National Archives/

In the 2000s

Images

Aircraft C-17A Globemaster III ENDURING FREEDOM
Aircraft C-17A Globemaster III during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (2002) - Photographer: SSGT Ricky A. Bloom, Source: /National Archives/

Today

Use

International airport.

Approach and airport charts

The development of Frankfurt Rhein Main Airport / Air Base over the years can also be seen from historical maps. Here is a collection of approach and airport maps from the 1950s and 1960s:
Approach maps + aerodrome maps Frankfurt Rhein/Main

Sources

Bibliography

  • Ries, Karl; Dierich, Wolfgang: "Fliegerhorste und Einsatzhäfen der Luftwaffe" Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1993 - Alliierte Planskizze

Recommended

Image credits are shown on the respective target page, click on the preview to open it.
Contents
Page 2: From the 1970s until today ← you are here
Diese Seite auf Deutsch