Chiang Klang Airport

Chiang Klang Airport
Chiang Klang Airport
สนามบินเชียงกลาง
Chiang Klang district, Nan province in Thailand
	Chiang Klang Airport Shown within Thailand
Coordinates	19°18′00″N 100°51′00″E / 19.30000°N 100.85000°E
Type	Military airstrip
Site information
Operator	United States Air Force; Royal Thai Air Force
Condition	Decommissioned, now managed by Wat Phra That Cho Hae
Site history
Built	1957
Built by	United States with Thai support
In use	1957 - August 1, 1976
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Events	CIA operations in the Cold War
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: VTCD
Runways
01/19	Marston Matting

Chiang Klang Airport (ICAO: VTCD) is a former military airport located in Chiang Klang district, Thailand.

History

In 1957, Chiang Klang Airport was established to support transportation for operations of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Cold War. Afterwards, it served as a small airstrip for military and transport. In 1962, the airport was expanded to accommodate larger aircraft with a longer gravel runway. The runway was reinforced with Marston Matting for operations of the United States Air Force and Royal Thai Air Force.^[1]

Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, the airport supported flights and operations from Nakhon Phanom and Udorn. It was mainly used to aid in military operations along the border. During the Vietnam War, the base supported flights and operations from bases in Nakhon Phanom and Udorn. It was mainly used to aid in military operations along the border. From 1969 to 1970, Chiang Klang Airport was used by Air America’s de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribous to shuttle rice across the border to an airstrip designated as LS-60A, Xieng Lom.^[2]^[1] On 13 January 1970, an RTAF Douglas C-47 Skytrain took off at the airport and crashed. There were 6 occupants and 1 fatality was recorded, and the aircraft was written off.^[3]

After the conflict, Chiang Klang Airport ceased operations and was later given to Wat Phra That Cho Hae, a royal temple, to be managed by the local authorities. The ownership transfer was finalized on August 1, 1976. ^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Border Patrol Police Division 325. Chiang Klang Airport was established in 1957 to support transportation for “CIA” operations. It served as a small airstrip for military and transport planes. Later, in 1962, the airport expanded to accommodate larger planes with a longer gravel runway. The runway was reinforced for use by both the Royal Thai Air Force and the U.S. Air Force. The airstrip area covers approximately 208,000 square meters. During the Vietnam War, the base supported flights and operations from bases in Nakhon Phanom and Udorn. It was mainly used to aid in military operations along the border. This airstrip ceased operations after the conflict and was later given to Wat Phra That Cho Hae, a royal temple, to be managed by the local authorities. The ownership transfer was finalized on August 1, 1976., Memorial
^ "Airport Information: Chiang Klang". Thai Flying Club. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
^ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2A1 9M-MHT". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved October 31, 2024.

[“Div325”-1] Border Patrol Police Division 325. Chiang Klang Airport was established in 1957 to support transportation for “CIA” operations. It served as a small airstrip for military and transport planes. Later, in 1962, the airport expanded to accommodate larger planes with a longer gravel runway. The runway was reinforced for use by both the Royal Thai Air Force and the U.S. Air Force. The airstrip area covers approximately 208,000 square meters. During the Vietnam War, the base supported flights and operations from bases in Nakhon Phanom and Udorn. It was mainly used to aid in military operations along the border. This airstrip ceased operations after the conflict and was later given to Wat Phra That Cho Hae, a royal temple, to be managed by the local authorities. The ownership transfer was finalized on August 1, 1976., Memorial

[2] "Airport Information: Chiang Klang". Thai Flying Club. Retrieved October 31, 2024.

[3] "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2A1 9M-MHT". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved October 31, 2024.

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