Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, founded in 1916, is one of the oldest continuously active bases in the country. Today, as the home of the 1st Fighter Wing, and because of its location near the nation's capital, it is also one of the best-known bases. Langley has often played an important role in America's history.

A Legacy of Innovation

Langley is named in honor of Samuel Pierpont Langley, an air pioneer who attempted to launch a craft from a houseboat catapult in 1903. During World War I, Langley hosted the JN-4 Curtis Jenny, used by Langley's School of Aerial Photography, the deHavilland DH-4 bomber and a fleet of hydrogen-filled dirigibles. The dirigibles, like the Jennys, were used for photo reconnaissance.

In the early 1920s, famed Brigadier General Billy Mitchell developed a new role for air forces--strategic bombardment. To test his theories, he led bombing runs from Langley over captured German warships anchored in the waters off Virginia. During World War ll, Langley personnel worked to develop new equipment for detecting submarines off the US coast.

In 1946 Langley became the headquarters of the newly formed Tactical Air Command. The command's mission was to organize and maintain combat-ready forces for air sovereignty in peacetime and air defense in time of war. The arrival of Tactical Air Command was concurrent with the beginnings of jet aircraft and the modern era began. Today, Langley is the headquarters of Air Combat Command, and the 1st Fighter Wing flies the F-15 Eagle.