During World War I, Payne Field was used as a training facility for military pilots.
 In November 1917, the Department of War sent a cadre of officers to the Columbus, Mississippi area to survey sites for an aviation school.
The group  decided on a location about 5 miles northeast of West Point, Mississippi.
 An agreement to lease the land for the Army was concluded.

The field consisted of 533 acres and was constructed at a cost of $891,340 and  could accommodate up to 1,000 personnel.
Dozens of wooden buildings served as  headquarters, maintenance, and officers’ quarters.
Enlisted men had to bivouac in tents.
 
The commander of Payne Field was Lt.
Col.
Jack W. Heard.
Heard was a career army officer, a West Point graduate (class of 1910), and the son of Medal of Honor John W. Heard, a native of Woodstock, Mississippi.
After graduation from West Point, Heard was assigned to the 7th Cavalry (George Custer’s old regiment) and was sent to the Philippines.
It was here that Heard first became interested in the new phenomenon of flying, and after several applications for transfer he was finally approved for the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps and earned his pilot's certificate.
Quickly rising in the ranks of the Air Corps, he went on to command three training bases during the First World War: Kelly Field in Texas, Scott Field in Illinois, and Payne Field.

The first units stationed at Payne arrived in April, 1918, being transferred from Kelly and Ellington Fields, Texas.
However, only a few U.S. Army Air Service aircraft arrived with the squadrons.
  Most of the Curtiss JN-4 Jennys to be used for flight training were shipped in  wooden crates by railcar.

Payne Field served as a base for flight training for  the United States Army Air Service.
In 1918, flight training occurred in two  phases: primary and advanced.
Primary training took eight weeks and consisted of  pilots learning basic flight skills under dual and solo instruction with a  student capacity of 300.
 After completion of their primary training,  flight cadets were then transferred to another base for advanced training.
 Training units assigned to Payne Field were:
Post Headquarters, Payne Field
175th Aero Squadron,   April, 1918 (Transferred from: Ellington Field, Texas)
Re-designated as Squadron "A",  July–November 1918
238th Aero Squadron (II), April 1918  (Transferred from: Kelly Field, Texas)
Re-designated as Squadron "B",  July–November 1918
239th Aero Squadron (II),   April 1918  (Transferred from: Kelly Field, Texas)
Re-designated as Squadron "C",  July–November 1918
252d Aero Squadron,  April 1918 (Transferred from: Ellington Field, Texas)
Re-designated as Squadron "D",   July–November 1918
Flying School Detachment (Consolidation of Squadrons A-D), November 1918- November 1919
In all some 1,500 pilots trained at the field during its operation.
 Accidents were frequent and in the first four months of operation there were four fatal plane crashes.
Airplane crashes, however, were not the primary health concern.
In June 1918, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service stated that Payne Field; "was located in one of the worst malaria belts of the United States."
Physicians there reported that 20 percent of their practice consisted of malaria cases.

With the sudden end of World War I in November 1918, the future operational  status of Payne Field was unknown.
Many local officials speculated that the U.S.  government would keep the field open because of the outstanding combat record  established by Payne-trained pilots in Europe.
Cadets in  flight training on 11 November 1918 were allowed to complete their training,  however no new cadets were assigned to the base.
Also the separate training  squadrons were consolidated into a single Flying School detachment, as many of  the personnel assigned were being demobilized.
During World War I, Payne Field was used as a training facility for military pilots.  In November 1917, the Department of War sent a cadre of officers to the Columbus, Mississippi area to survey sites for an aviation school. The group  decided on a location about 5 miles northeast of West Point, Mississippi.  An agreement to lease the land for the Army was concluded.
The field consisted of 533 acres and was constructed at a cost of $891,340 and  could accommodate up to 1,000 personnel. Dozens of wooden buildings served as  headquarters, maintenance, and officers’ quarters. Enlisted men had to bivouac in tents.  
The commander of Payne Field was Lt. Col. Jack W. Heard. Heard was a career army officer, a West Point graduate (class of 1910), and the son of Medal of Honor John W. Heard, a native of Woodstock, Mississippi. After graduation from West Point, Heard was assigned to the 7th Cavalry (George Custer’s old regiment) and was sent to the Philippines. It was here that Heard first became interested in the new phenomenon of flying, and after several applications for transfer he was finally approved for the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps and earned his pilot's certificate. Quickly rising in the ranks of the Air Corps, he went on to command three training bases during the First World War: Kelly Field in Texas, Scott Field in Illinois, and Payne Field.
The first units stationed at Payne arrived in April, 1918, being transferred from Kelly and Ellington Fields, Texas. However, only a few U.S. Army Air Service aircraft arrived with the squadrons.   Most of the Curtiss JN-4 Jennys to be used for flight training were shipped in  wooden crates by railcar.
Payne Field served as a base for flight training for  the United States Army Air Service. In 1918, flight training occurred in two  phases: primary and advanced. Primary training took eight weeks and consisted of  pilots learning basic flight skills under dual and solo instruction with a  student capacity of 300.  After completion of their primary training,  flight cadets were then transferred to another base for advanced training.  Training units assigned to Payne Field were:
Post Headquarters, Payne Field
175th Aero Squadron,   April, 1918 (Transferred from: Ellington Field, Texas)
Re-designated as Squadron "A",  July–November 1918
238th Aero Squadron (II), April 1918  (Transferred from: Kelly Field, Texas)
Re-designated as Squadron "B",  July–November 1918
239th Aero Squadron (II),   April 1918  (Transferred from: Kelly Field, Texas)
Re-designated as Squadron "C",  July–November 1918
252d Aero Squadron,  April 1918 (Transferred from: Ellington Field, Texas)
Re-designated as Squadron "D",   July–November 1918
Flying School Detachment (Consolidation of Squadrons A-D), November 1918- November 1919
In all some 1,500 pilots trained at the field during its operation.  Accidents were frequent and in the first four months of operation there were four fatal plane crashes. Airplane crashes, however, were not the primary health concern. In June 1918, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service stated that Payne Field; "was located in one of the worst malaria belts of the United States." Physicians there reported that 20 percent of their practice consisted of malaria cases.
With the sudden end of World War I in November 1918, the future operational  status of Payne Field was unknown. Many local officials speculated that the U.S.  government would keep the field open because of the outstanding combat record  established by Payne-trained pilots in Europe. Cadets in  flight training on 11 November 1918 were allowed to complete their training,  however no new cadets were assigned to the base. Also the separate training  squadrons were consolidated into a single Flying School detachment, as many of  the personnel assigned were being demobilized.
Payne Field