1944 P-51D & 1940 P-40E Make Fuel Stop at Bishop Airport (KBIH) - stock photo

Bishop California, USA, May 13, 2010. Bishop Airport, (KBIH). WWII American Fighter AircraftThe North American P 50D Mustang (Blue) armament, two 100lb. Bombs and six 50 Cal Guns. Top speed of 362 Mph and could fly over 2000 miles. The Curtis P 40E Hellcat (Brown) armament two 100 lb. Bombs and six 50 Cal Guns. Top speed of 296 Mph and could fly over 1,200 miles. Both aircraft currently registered in Idaho. Aircraft were in transit and stopped at Bishop Airport for fuel. Bishop Airport was built in 1928 and expanded and operated by the Army Air Corps during WWII. During the war it was used as a military flight training base and boasted a chow hall and barracks for pilots during training. Because of its strategic location east of the 12,000 foot tall Sierra Nevada Mountain range Bishop would be used as a Fall Back Base in the event the Japanese military attacked the California coast.