between Turner and Darr over airspace. Generally, Turner's airspace was north of Albany and Darr's south of Albany. Where the areas overlapped, Turner's aircraft flew above 5,000 ft. and Darr's below 5,000. Darr's three auxiliary fields were south of Albany. During the first year of operation Darr Aero Tech graduated 559 American and 86 British cadets. The last British class graduated on October 10, 1942. The seven British cadets killed at Darr and Turner Field, were interred at Albany's Crown Hill Cemetery. A granite monument and flagpole erected by the Albany American Legion Post 30 mark the graves today. On December 11, 1941, the Defense Plant Corporation bought the school from Mr. Darr for $408,000 and the airfield was called Albany Army Airfield. Anticipating an increase in training, an additional $100,000 was spent on improvements in 1942 that included a dispensary, cold storage building, additional barracks and a Link Trainer building. After the end of 1943 training began to decrease, eventually ending with the closing of the school on December 28, 1944. In September 1945 control of the airfield was turned over to the City of Albany, and Eastern resumed service in 1945. Southern arrived in 1949; Eastern pulled out in 1971 and the DC-9s of Southern's successor Republic left in 1984. The airport eventually received paved runways. In 1959 a new terminal building was completed and named in honor of Mayor Bill McAfee, who had recently died. In 2004, the only structures of Darr Aero Tech remaining are the three hangars. No trace of the cantonment area exists. Albany Army Airfield and Darr Aero Tech is remembered by a display inside the terminal building plus a memorial and flagpole outside. Facilities The airport covers 980 acres (397 ha) at an elevation of 196 feet (60 m). It has two asphalt runways: 4/22 is 6,601 by 148 feet (2,012 x 45 m) and 16/34 is 5,219 by 148 feet (1,591 x 45 m). In the year ending July 30, 2011 the airport had 34,980 aircraft operations, average 95 per day: 68% general aviation, 24% military, 8% air taxi, and <1% airline. 32 aircraft were then based at the airport: 66% single-engine, 28% multi-engine, and 6% jet. The production facilities for Thrush Aircraft are next to the airport. Airlines and destinations Passenger Cargo Statistics See also Georgia World War II Army Airfields 29th Flying Training Wing (World War II) References External