Army Air Forces Base Unit, and instead of training squadrons, it became a Replacement Pilot Training (RTU) organization which sent pilots overseas to established Night Fighter Squadrons. The 451st was made up of a number of lettered squadrons, which were expressed as the 451st AAFBU (A Squadron), and so on. These replacement training squadrons operated at the same airfields as was used by the 481st NFOG in the San Joaquin Valley. The 451st was under the operational control of the IV Fighter Command 319th Wing, headquartered at Hammer Field. The 451st AAFBU concluded its training of replacement pilots in May 1945 and operations at the airfield were phased down to a standby status. With the end of the war, the base was declared excess to requirements and returned to civil control. Commercial service Salinas Municipal Airport has been without commercial service since 1962, when United Airlines ended its daily Convair service. As late as 1961, United was offering once-daily stops both northbound and southbound between San Francisco and Los Angeles with intermittent stops in Monterey and Santa Barbara. California International Airshow Salinas Airport is the location of the annual California International Airshow, set at various times during the year. The air show often features top-tier aerobatic teams such as the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, with the proceeds going to local charities. Future Plans There are future plans to expand the runways to at least 7,000 feet to accommodate commercial aircraft. It will not be meant to compete with Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) but will be a viable backup option if fog delays landings and takeoffs in Monterey. Though it's not clear what airlines will use this airport if your plane gets diverted from MRY instead of your plane landing in Fresno, Bakersfield, or San Jose; you can be diverted to Salinas which would be more convenient for people getting to Monterey since it's under 20 miles away. See also California World War II Army Airfields References Other sources Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. . 5 Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History's Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004. External links Salinas Municipal Airport at City of Salinas website California International Airshow 1942 establishments in California Airports