Merced Army Air Field auxiliary fields were built to support pilot training at the Merced Army Air Field. In 1940 the US Army wanted to build near Merced, California a 30,000 per year basic pilot training base. The former city of Cuba, Merced County, California near the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway rail line was chosen at at an elevation of for the main base, in Atwater, California. United States Army Air Corps leased the land from the City of Merced on 16 June 1941. Building the airbase school started on 8 July 1941 and opened on 20 September 1941 as a sub base of Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command at Moffett Field. First called Air Corps Basic Flying School, Merced. The US Army moved part of the: 98th Bombardment Group, 539th School Squadrons, 540th School Squadrons, 541st School Squadrons, the 90th Air Base Squadron, and the 340th Material Squadron at Moffett Field to the new base in November 1941. The Air Corps Basic Flying School was renamed the Merced Army Flying School on 7 April 1942. To support the training auxiliary fields near the Merced Army Flying School were to be built for the flight training program. Merced Army Flying School was renamed the Merced Army Air Field in May 1943 and became part of the Western Flying Training Command.
Merced Army Air Field
Merced Army Air Field runway was long enough and strengthened to handle training for Boeing B-29 Superfortress in 1944. At its peak, 539 planes were based at Merced Army Air Field and its auxiliary fields. In April 1944 the 3026th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Pilot School Basic) was given command of the Merced flight school. Some of the pilots and crews that were trained at the Merced Army Airfield during the war were from the Women's Air Service Pilots (WASPs). The Fourth Air Force took command of the Merced Army Air Field on 1 July 1945. On 17 January 1946 the Merced Army Air Field was renamed Castle Field, after Brigadier General Frederick W. Castle, who on 24 December 1944, continued flying his B-17 Flying Fortress so his crew could bail out, he was killed when the aircraft exploded. Castle Air Force Base was closed in 1995. The Merced County Fairgrounds was also used for training.
The most common plane to land and take off at Merced Army Airfield auxiliary fields was the Vultee BT-13 Valiant and BT-15 Valiant. Cadets trained for 8 hours a day at the Auxiliary Fields. Flight instructors also were the air traffic controller from their planes. The other planes used at the fields were Boeing-Stearman Model 75 (called Kaydet) and North American T-6 Texan.
Merced Army Air Field auxiliary fields were :
Merced Auxiliary Field
Merced Auxiliary Field No. 1 or Merced Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field was a sub base to support training at the Merced Army Airfield. Merced Auxiliary Field No. 1 was the 1932 Merced Municipal Airport located at . The 66-acres Airport was located off California State Route 99 near the Santa Fe Railroad tracks, three miles northwest of the city of Merced, California. The city airport was dedicated on 3 April 1932 and operated by George Voight until 1936 when the city took over operation. Works Project Administration improved the site in the later 1930s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the US War Department leased the Airport for the US Army in 1942. The Merced Auxiliary Field was the main training headquarter while the main Merced Army Airfield was being built. A temporary tents were put up for cadets and staff lived in the hangars and local hotels. The Merced Army Airfield was completed on 20 September 1941 and operations move to the new airbase. Merced Auxiliary Field was then used for landing and take off training, also as an emergency landing strip. After the war on 23 August 1945 the Merced Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field No. 1 was returned to the City of Merced. With the completion of the New Merced Regional Airport, the Merced Auxiliary Field was closed. The current site of the Merced Auxiliary Field now farmland and housing.<ref>[http://www.militarymuseum.org/MercedMuniAirport.html militarymuseum.org Merced Auxiliary Field No. 1]</ref>