Wouldn’t you know?! My daughter #1 and #2 have come through for me yet again. So next couple (at least) will be doors by donation. Today’s post will be a recent one that sparked some conversation between us. Probably because, for most world travelers, these aren’t such big doors. But I thought they were share-worthy simply because of their location.

There are some blue doors up ahead. But don’t strain your eyes. I’m counting car doors in the foreground too. And a flag for our leader, Dan.

Smack dab in central Kansas. Not a traveler’s paradise to most. But there’s a beauty in wide open spaces that you cannot understand til you’ve seen them.

Word of warning. Kansas has big winds and each Kansas landing for our girl was pretty rough. Thanks to the expertise of pilots of smaller planes if any are reading today.

So a little history about Salina’s airport. From the Kansas Tourism site:

After The B-17s were eventually replaced with B-29s, the airport’s extremely long runway proved to be one of the few in the entire country capable of handling the new bomber. Upon completion of WWII, the base was home to 45 B-29s and 20 tanker planes.

The name of the base was changed to Smoky Hill Air Force Base in January of 1948. The Defense Department deactivated the base in August of 1949. However, in 1951 the Department of Defense reopened the base as a prestigious Strategic Air Command Base that would be home to new B-47 jet bombers and Atlas F Missiles. In 1955 the base was named a “Golden Anniversary of Flight Base” primarily as a result of good base-community relations. In 1957 the base was renamed again, this time to Schilling Air Force Base, in honor of Col. David C. Schilling, the famed WWII fighter pilot, and native Kansan.

In 1959, the Department of Defense began a major renovation of the base and also began construction of the 12 silos intercontinental ballistic missile complex. During the next year, millions of dollars were spent preparing the runways and taxiways for the next generation of bombers and tankers, namely the B-52 and KC-135.  On November 19, 1964, the DoD announced that Schilling along with 574 other bases around the world would be closed. At this time the base was home to approximately 5,090 men. Within the next six months, all planes and men were relocated, including the Atlas F ICBM Squadron, and the base was closed on June 30, 1965.

The City of Salina worked hard at formulating a plan that would lessen the economic blow to the community of the closed base. The newly created Schilling Development Council announced plans for an airport-education-industry complex to replace the military operations. Special enabling legislation allowed the City to acquire, own, maintain, operate, improve and dispense with portions of the base. By May of 1965, the Salina Airport Authority had been created and the conversion of Schilling Air Force Base to the Salina Regional Airport and Salina Airport Industrial Center began.

https://www.travelks.com/listing/salina-regional-airport/50244/

Just wanted to include a link to Dan’s No Facilities here for more Thursday Doors entries. We don’t even have to try, it’s always a good time!