In 1919 Tucson opened the first municipally owned airport in the United States. In 1928 commercial flights began with Standard Airlines, which was later renamed to American Airlines, and an airmail service was established in 1930. But when WW2 began the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Force(USAAF) Technical Service Command for their West Coast Training Center for contract flying school from July of 1942 to September of 1944. In 1948 the Tucson Airport Authority was created as a non-profit corporation to operate the airport and oversee policy decisions. The nine member board is elected by a group of up to 115 volunteer residents from Pima County, Arizona. The airport was moved to its current location south of Valencia Road and operated on the west ramp out of three hangars vacated by World War II military manufacturing companies. Saguaro National Park is a short 25 minute drive from KTUS and is home to the Saguaro cactus which is the iconic symbol of the Old American West.