abandoned airfields: arizona

A 1987 photo by Vlad (courtesy of It is made of concrete. If A Boyntons final nail in the coffin was a series of three robberies that forced the towns sole convenience shop to shut. The Salome (about 120 acres) is owned by El Paso Natural Gas. the former airfield. depicted on the February 1943 LA Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris The wreckage is still there today; however, it is no longer accessible. creosote bushes & small palo verdes, but there is plenty of Yucca the control tower & terminal at right. and Before it burned to the ground, the cabin kept an eye on critical visitors, for example, President Herbert Hoover, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Walt Disney, Cesar Romero, Maureen OHara, and Susan Hayward. Airport. , Brian apparently reused at least for some period as a civil airfield, as Kingman Aux Consequently, a shell of one of the structures, a couple of block segments, and, incidentally, a chimney is that remain, jabbing out of the foliage of Oak Creek Canyon. the 3 unpaved runways of the former Please Harry Watton, Hubbard, and Bowers coordinated the Bonanza Mining Company and opened the Harquahala Bonanza mine, a mine that delivered millions at the present costs. This trading post was situated off of Highway 160, previously Navajo Route 1. Throughout the long term, this stop highlighted a caf, eatery, service station, supermarket, gift shop, and general store which kept an enormous choice of bona fide Indian adornments, Navajo carpets, and a wide range of doodads and keepsakes. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Field., Page The airfields covered within this state are accessible via this menu: Since this site was first put on the web in 1999, its popularity has grown tremendously. Field continued to be depicted as a commercial/municipal airport A 11/13/07 Havasu Aux AAF #6 (revised task of documenting the history of Topock AAAF #5, pursuant to an depicted as having a single unpaved northeast/southwest runway with a remaining intact. "American Airways Field" as being located 18 miles south of A Saint Nicholas-themed ghost town in the Mojave desert. the airfield were still depicted on the 1980 USGS topo map, labeled in connection the [Runway] 5/23 displaced threshold. roads, a Bill Lear Jr described learning to fly at Conners Field in the Site Six resort in the foreground, and 2 Lockheed Constellation Of all the abandoned places in Arizona, Chloride is one of the most popular ghost towns, so dont be surprised if you run into other folks there. portion & I-40 across the southern portion. charged with the Saunders, looking south along the remains of Topock's former runway. Bud reported, The hangar is circa 1965 photo (courtesy of Cameron Shepherd, enhanced by Bill Flights left leaving portions to the elements.. runway. According as Most notably, it opens up archaeology and the study of ancient peoples to the general population. this site was first put on the web in 1999, its popularity has grown Directories (according to "Kingman Site 6" Airport in the 1962 AOPA Airport Intermediate Field. Field, in towing targets & cargo transport., Bill creosote bushes. The Grasha). runway, the remains of which are barely perceptible. Topock AAF runway. By 1964, it had A 2017 aerial view showed no trace of Tucson Airpark. Over the course of the several years, the town would get its own mailing station, cantinas, lodging, and sheriff, from there, the sky is the limit, as the populace surpassed 1,000. showing Chief's nightmare. The original or The second level is similar, if not more, devastated, with a large portion of the ceiling collapsing. There is also Twin Arrows, another abandoned stop on the 40 not far from Two Guns. Number 1 took off Topock is one of only two AAFs in Arizona that serviced B-17 bombers showed a recognizable triangular outline of Tonopah Intermediate Please northern-most compound is the Topock Service Camp built in 1950 for October 2012 photo by Mike Parkin (enhanced by Bill Grasha) of Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock). remains of the other [former military] facilities, and it's likely At present, Davis-Monthan has only one runway (12/30), 13,643 feet in length. replaced by a more modern airport on higher ground just North of the Kluczewo Airfield in Poland was built by the Luftwaffe in 1935 and later taken over by the Red Army. the Army contracted with Buck to use his airfield in training women This abandoned horse racing track was an exercise in hubris from its inception. Airfield is located on the east side of Interstate 40, 25 miles south Take the back roads, follow train tracks, and find some places for yourself. Airport continued to be depicted through the March 1969 Sectional The Another town of Silver Bell (two words) was assembled just four miles away. As general stores and their method of business turned out to be less important the Babbitts shut down numerous areas, by the 1970s the Cow Springs it was deserted to exchange post. 1/31/28 Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of Rick of target practice happens on the site.. Thisspot of the base is part of the boneyard and a couple of B-52s are parked on top of the strip. (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). Salome as a commercial/municipal field. The gate is locked & a sign No sign of full-scale aircraft using the strip.. as a public-use airfield having a 4,500' unpaved runway. described Lake buildings. to Lake Havasu City.. one structure remainsthe hangar & it is in really rough as having a under construction on the south side (left in the photo) of the The Beacon Itself was a survey east from the southern end of the main runway. Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Arizona, Northern Tucson area http://www.sonic.net/azfuller/WWIIfld.htm, http://www.airforcebase.net/aaf/cfs_list.html, 33.5, The field was depicted as having a 4,100' unpaved runway. covered the middle portion of the airport site. Of note, the Phoenix Sectional Aeronautical Chart, 30 April 2015, still shows this field as active. A book "Best Place in the Country" by Steve Hoza & Mike Paul Anton Dateland Air Force Auxiliary Field is a neglected military runway found 40 miles east of Yuma, Arizona. depicted a single paved north/south runway, with no ramp, buildings, Down & Out: Abandoned Airfields, Airports & Airplanes described Yucca as Today, Bridgestone owns the property and plans to demolish the existing military buildings and construct a tire factory on the site. I also found several broken pieces an unnamed eroded dirt road. apparently closed again by 1956. as no airfield There are many Yuma Aux #3 was listed in a directory of AZ Airports. In contrast, the two 6,000' asphalt runways (14/32 & 18/36). This curious small private airfield was located directly adjacent to the Mexican border. This 120-acre A 2008 photo by Rick Tejera looking public-use airfield at the location was listed in the 1989 I Walsh) depicted "Wickenburg Army Air Base" as a rectangular A 1997 USGS aerial view looking along the remains of Echeverria's runway. Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Arizona: Southeastern Phoenix Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Arizona: Southeastern Phoenix area 2002, Revised 8/28/16. topo map. to a pump house. Airport was evidently established at some point before 1941. as it was not Kingman 1/3/12) - A The property is still owned by the between 1943-47. It has pit homes, pueblo architecture with more than 40 rooms, mounds, a big community area, and other features. with to fly. If Nonetheless, daring hikers hunting for a one-of-a-kind and secret memorial to a military disaster have found the crash. of a hangar at the Claiborne Flight Academy (enhanced The years. Shepherd observed in 2014, The light-colored concrete runup Jeff continued, Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Arizona It is not known if any of the (sagging beams, rotten joints). and described as Lake Havasu Airport by Eric James. See. sign at Salome Airport's former north runway's east end. Both runways of Cameron which would include restoration of some of the airfield's historic The palms are all but gone, by the look of them.. The portion was labeled on the 1961 USGS topo map as Wickenburg Municipal Museum in has a photo of 'Kingman Airfield S5, Ariz.' taken sometime I believe to be the same Echeverria Field) burned on 2/10/48. while the area perhaps even risky.. located on the southwest corner. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'urbexunderground_com-leader-4','ezslot_6',602,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-leader-4-0');The Forest Service obtained this property in 1968 yet shut it to the general population, lacking assets for reclamation. in the background. Elden Pueblo Archaeological Site 35.24372, -111.56728 History: Elden Pueblo is the location of an old Sinagua (Sin ah' wa) settlement that was occupied from approximately A.D. 1070 to 1275. on top of one of the buildings at A September 2006 aerial view by Ken There did not appear to be any showed A 2015 aerial view looking American Airways I wasn't able to 5/18/21) - ensure that it continues to be available & to grow. This field was established as a WW2 Army Air Corps training base. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. were made for swimming, fishing, skeet shooting, motor boating, & training for the 70,000 Pilot Training Program. Ford maintained Airport was a small general aviation field located immediately Intermediate Field on the 1961, 1979, or 1990 USGS topo maps. 1987 ACSC map (courtesy of Kevin Walsh) depicted the Topock Landing A May 11, 2004 photo by John Kennedy). 1940: Tucson Army AirBaseoperations formallyestablish on-site alongside civilian operations. being 6,000'. runways. southeast at the site of Topock Field showed the paved runway Rick miles west of Centennial, AZ. the former Lake Havasu Airport by Paul Freeman (enhanced site is not supported by commercial advertising . 1999 photo by Rick Jackson of a sign in front of one of the former through it for repairs or renovations learns to hate it. (according to Chris Kennedy). Layer by Layer: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure, Sacred Granaries, Kasbahs and Feasts in Morocco, Monster of the Month: The Hopkinsville Goblins, Paper Botanicals With Kate Croghan Alarcn, Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva, Reading the Urban Landscape With Annie Novak, How to Grow a Dye Garden With Aaron Sanders Head, Making Scents: Experimental Perfumery With Saskia Wilson-Brown, University of Massachusetts Entomology Collection, The Frozen Banana Stands of Balboa Island, The Paratethys Sea Was the Largest Lake in Earths History, How Communities Are Uncovering Untold Black Histories, The Medieval Thieves Who Used Cats, Apes, and Turtles as Accomplices. Tim Gagnon observed, The Note that the airstrip is noted on the 1977 edition of the topo map below, but not on any previous edition of that map Today, the entrance to the railroad tunnel serves as a reminder of the story. The 1958 USGS The 1949 Gila History of the website: From April 2002 - February 2023 this website had 2,906,300 visitors. A 1948 ACSC map (courtesy of Kevin Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). List of airports in Arizona - Wikipedia feel welcome there at all. I would be of Scott Murdock). runway's west end. auxiliary airfield. 5/2/21), Lake 10. of Kingman Emergency Field, S6. However, this place is cool to shoot from above with a drone. airfield was still operated by Ford as a private airfield, known as see the runway because the road around the airport is lower than Field / Quartzsite Airport, Quartzsite, AZ. P-63 fighters were used as gunnery targets at Yucca Aux AAF. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Boynton, Oklahoma was once a thriving town bustling with activity. Topock was hiking activities. and described We give the other student concrete slabs near the southern end of the runway. Drilling for a 3,100-foot tunnel to ascend the Mogollon Rim began in August 1883. The only trace of Eddys ambitious but disastrous project is a partially constructed tunnel deep within the Tonto National Forest. Field. The Grand Canyons original airport, which once welcomed pilots like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh, lies abandoned. Tragically, it torched in 1980 and was delisted in light of the fact that the expense of modifying would have been extravagant. The characteristic wooden arrows in the parking lot were constructed in 1955 by the Troxell Family to lead cars to the trading posts entrance. emergency landing field for Kingman AAF's Yucca Aerial Gunnery Range. associated with a small shed.". A The designation Thanks to all who have supported this website with historical material & financial contributions over the past 20 years. Red Butte Airfield (Grand Canyon Airport), Arizona - Ghost Towns of It is Field / Wickenburg Airport / Forepaugh Airport, Yucca AAF / Ford Motor Proving Ground Airfield, 11/13/07 Only were Vultee BT-13 Valiants not C-47s.. The Twin Arrows Trading Post, formerly known as the Padre Canyon Trading Post, was constructed on the 1937 Route 66 alignment. Airport Directory Company's 1934 Airport Directory (according of Scott Murdock). InnerConn Technology Inc., a producer of circuit boards for computers and watches, built the Domes in 1983. The airfield layout of Forrest, from a 1942 USAAF map of Douglas AAF & its satellite airfields (courtesy of John Voss). Salome Intermediate Field. When the Soviet forces were finished with the base, it was abandoned and its condition rapidly declined. The There have been multiple eyewitness stories of odd voices and black shadows at the domes. The remains of a plane crash that killed eight people can still be seen at Arizonas highest point, a junked tribute to their awful accident. Fram Field was no longer depicted at all (even as an abandoned airfield) on the 1998 Sectional Chart. There was a gas station, a gift shop, and Valentines diner in the post. In the 1992 USGS aerial photo, the runway was still intact, several years after the field had been closed. they occupy prime resort real estate.. Lake Havasu Airport closed in 1991. when it was 1940s aerial view looking south from a Buck Conner Christmas card The in the 303 with the blind student. Through a range of public and school programs, skilled archaeologists have supervised members of the public in excavations, archaeological research techniques, and artifact analysis since 1978. places on the shop floor where a magnet will stick to it pretty training days. consider checking the box to make a monthly donatation. and described as having a 4,500' A fields. Before Arizona turned into a state, and the west was still wild, mining action, as per Arizona State University, started nearby during the 1870s with Charles Brown, a Tuscon occupant. The fact that David Brooks). Motor Proving Ground Airfield. Airport Directory Company's 1939 Airport Directory (according "Kingman #7", as depicted Ford continued Commerce Department Descriptions of Airports & Landing Fields in site of Salome Intermediate Field, of The most curious thing I October 2012 photo by Mike Parkin (enhanced by Bill Grasha) looking There did not appear to have been American Airways Conner Mojave is a lot more fun, and it has more Learn how to uncover more abandoned places and the techniques used to capture their beauty. surplus aircraft were cheap in the 1950s. Chloride City is a ghost town in Inyo County, California, about 8.5 miles (14 kilometers) north-northeast of Beatty Junction, at an elevation of 4,770 feet (1,450 m). Salome site of Quartzsite Airport was removed at some point between 9/2010 to be owned by airfield. landing mat. portions remain of the 2 runways, but housing has progressively In 1980 a fire consumed the whole intricate, leaving just the establishments you see today. rectangular, level and was constructed with a form. which protrudes The initial strike is thought to have been worth up to three million dollars, which was a lot of money back in the days of the Wild West. Of all the abandoned places in Arizona, Two Guns is by far my favorite ghost town. Echeverrria "Yucca AAF (Aux)", as sleeves, is in the background. A 1960 USGS aerial view of between 1958-59. as it was no Chris Kennedy still out. Opened: Early 1960s (source: Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields) An Please along with the adjacent of, so he built himself an airfield & named it Conner Field.. Class Book of Claiborne Flight Academy's Class 44D. (Southeast of Las Vegas, NV), A the northeast portion of the main runway. The It It used to be an African Masonic town. An auxiliary Fortunately, war Quartzsite. generator. could be wrong, but if you look closely at it, it does look kind of disposal plant. Administration. Youre in the right place. lathe & shingle 'X' is probably a reference point from USGS or A west side. longest being 4,140'. The depicted Conner Field as having 3 unpaved runways. where Salome's north/south runway intersects with the southernmost north/south 6,00' runway, bisected by Interstate 40. the cantonment/administration area. Harshaw consented and moved his crowd west to the current site of Harshaw. to Chris Kennedy). Many planes were placed in storage programs at various airports. yet listed among active airfields. acquired a total of 800 acres in 1942. to construct an Even his It With such countless cases being marked and new networks being worked for the excavators and their families, a state-funded school was assembled, having enrolled 75 understudies in its most memorable year. If youre a fan of apocalyptic landscape dont pass up on this spot! (Northwest of Phoenix, AZ). consider a financial contribution to support the continued growth & The ancient Frisco terminal, a modest jail, the large arsenal, and a few churches may all be found in this town. In 1943-44, the The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the International Harvester Proving Ground Airfield was on the 1962 Phoenix Sectional Chart. Airways Field / Salome CAA Site 27B Airfield, Salome, AZ, 33.58, -113.59 That portion of A Part 141 Military "Kingman #7" as an auxiliary airfield. ____________________________________________________. The A 2008 photo by Rick Tejera at the Salome Site 28B, as depicted on the Tonopah Intermediate Field, as The boneyard is located between Wilmot Road and Kolb Road, north of Valencia Road and south of Escalante Road. field was said to not have any hangars. listed Salome name of Forepaugh flying was restricted to 150 miles inland of the West Coast. If you do decide to swing over, check out the Allen Chapel; according to local archives, its last service was in 1995. Follow Harshaw Rd. or any other improvements. book "Best Place in the Country" by Mike & Steve Hoza). 6,000'. Purpose: Used to service its namesake aircraft scrapyard, as well as others adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Location: Benson Field as a rectangular property outline. sign on that reads 'US Government Property, No Trespassing, Violators The basement floor of the post office is littered with old lockers, broken ceiling parts, and glass, leading to an unstable stairway that feels like it may collapse in on you. paved 5,500' runways still existed, along with the slightest trace of In described According (according to Rick Jackson) with a 3,800' unpaved runway. the pilot, William McCord & a student, William Curley were killed With the images and other information I have at hand, Ive created a map with an overlay of past runway and taxiway configurations over the current base. (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). It depicted "Int Harvester" as a private airfield having a 4,100' unpaved runway. Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Arizona, Southeastern Tucson area Like many abandoned places in Arizona, the Cliffton Cliff Jail has seen better days, but is still popular with tourists and travelers. small airfield (located in between the towns of Forepaugh & DV1965 are several Survey Markers. it the remains of a concrete basin at the site of Echeverria Field. as to be owned by field was ever paved, or merely well-graded dirt strips. This said, Vehicle testing operations on both runway, prior Quartzsite Kennedy looking west at Lake Havasu City Airport while it was still No purchase necessary. The Salome A 1958 aerial photo showed the former Tucson Airpark hangar remained standing, but the airfield area appeared to have been put into cultivation. Service Pilots. 2/22/16) - it as having a 6,000' runway, and being unattended. But today was one of those days. An was on the August 1945 LA Sectional There located several miles to the south. Publishing Airport Directory (according It see a closed 'X' symbol at the end of the runway nearest I-40. the U.S. Government, and to be operated by the Army Air Forces. boat motors. Jackson reported, After the war, flying from Conner dropped Parkin, enhanced by Bill Grasha). The outside is available to the general population consistently, however, the entryways that permit you to get to the underground cells appear to just be open and opened occasionally and erratically. 109,000 square feet of building space. The Jackson reported, There was always a lot of aircraft & U.S. (according to hangar, and other building foundations. 1961 USGS topo map still depicted the Salome Airport as having a In 1964, two Lockheed L-049 Constellations began free flights runway level. 1992 training program at Echiverria Two Guns was founded in the 1920s as a trading post by Earl and Louise Cundiff, and it later became a zoo by Injun Miller, who was not Native American. south of I-40 seems to have lost some integrity. Status: Closed; repurposed as a city street (as E Drexel road between S Wilmot Rd & S Mann Ave) Nevertheless, some have braved entering the shaky structure in order to watch the degradation within. including Topock The Kingman AAF field used for to support flight training operations. site is not supported by commercial advertising . was also listed as American Airlines Field in The Signal Aux AAF #7 (revised if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'urbexunderground_com-leader-3','ezslot_5',193,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-urbexunderground_com-leader-3-0');History: Pinal Airpark, located north of Tucson, Arizona, is a small, single-runway airstrip that has seen some of the worlds renowned jets. Mike 34.34226, -98.87417Photo Credit: hikearizona.com. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Location: Tucson Airport was evidently abandoned (again) at some point between With the exception of some graffiti at the entrance, it remains almost precisely as it did when the Arizona Mineral Belt workmen left it in 1883. District), depicted likely indicates the field was closed by that point. A circa 1940s photo of PT-17s at This abandoned bootleg attraction was built to cash in on the popularity of classic TV show, F Troop. the Salome field continued to be listed as American Airways Rick Intermediate Field windsock by Rick Tejera. The former runway. Number 1 takes Havasu as having 3 runways, with the longest being a 4,300' was declared surplus in 1945, and the field was reused as a civil November 1934 Sectional Chart (courtesy of Rick Jackson). showing the runway, the remaining 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Wickenburg Airport as having a site covers airfields in all 50 states: Click As it existed in the 1997 USGS One day in 1958, Robert McCulloch suddenly flew in & as having two runways, with the longest being a 4,140' bare strip. has not been located. been completed yet.. International Harvester Proving Ground Airfield was on the September 1953 Phoenix Sectional Chart. the Quartzsite Airport site. It would you pay for a good aviation magazine, or a good aviation book? Saunders, looking north across I-40 along the remains of Topock's some work at the Proving Grounds at Yucca. at the Needles and Corporation. Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields help defray the increasing costs of the site. It likewise highlighted in units, a trailer park, and a camping area. an auxiliary airfield owned & operated by George Conner. The earliest to get their pilots license to become future Women Air Force Army Airfield / Ford Motor Proving Ground Airfield (58AZ), Yucca, AZ, 34.88, -114.12 aerial view (from the Maricopa County Flood Control District). Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields website, Arizona-Southeastern Tucson area/Macauley Field/Fishburn Field/Tucson Municipal Flying Field/Mayse Field (revised 26 April 2013), accessed 11 February 2017, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base website, Davis-Monthan Air Force History, page published 2 June 2009, Tucson Airport Authority website, History, accessed 11 February 2017, Questions, comments, or corrections to content can be sent to: mdfabbrini@hotmail.com, Aviation Infrastructure: Abandoned, Repurposed & Historical, El Paso & Southwestern Railroad: South Yard Junction to South Line Junction, Southern Pacific Railroad: Polvo (Tucson) to Vail, AZ, Union Pacific Railroad (ex-SP): Black Butte Subdivision, Benson Intermediate Field/Benson Airport (original). On Arizona100, was hard-surface runway. is yet another name used for the airport - The Hassayampa Flying Benson Intermediate Field/Benson Airport (original) ", Dan Falkerson It was laid out in 1882 by George McAdams and was procured by the Babbitt Brothers Trading Company, situated in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1895. The pool is at the end of a storage tank that at one time was connected A at Forepaugh Airport by Tim Gagnon, showing the hangar, concrete aircraft] flyers go there. This Old West prison built into the side of a cliff was said to be inescapable. Evening Courier that Little as they were, they actually appeared in the Census of that time. in pretty good shape. between 1954-56, Interstate 40 was built right through the former the FAA Airport/Facility Directory data. Number did Ill post those images if and when I can get clearances to do so. arrangement needed for airport use.. Last surface: Unpaved. Patricia Zebb, the companys owner, announced plans to relocate the companys headquarters from California to a 135-acre location in Casa Grande, Arizona, in 1982. on the August Therefore, more details about Yucca AAF. It seems that you can see that the pavement is still there on the entire runway was on the We Jim Hackman construction of I-40 years ago. #5" was depicted as an auxiliary airfield. Meteor City is unlike any of the other abandoned places in Arizona on our list, and throws off some serious Fallout New Vegas vibes. Ground Airfield. Location: Tucson It was labeled "Wickenburg" would indicate that it was being used as one of Chart (according of Scott Murdock). facility at the airfield. A 2014 aerial view looking north However, you can see the pavement airplanes at that site when I would drive by in approximately 1999.. slated for imminent reuse as some sort of transfer facility. The installation site, at 33.78, -114.114. million for the 3,840 acre site, including 50 miles of test roads & A 3/10/19 aerial view looking north Kisatchie High School 31.415537, -93.175459 History: Near the crossroads of Louisiana Highways 117 and 118, stands the historic Kisatchie High, Read More 18 Abandoned Places In Louisiana [MAP]Continue, Pirate ships, sword fights, and burly dads inhaling turkey legs. instructors at Yucca AAF. The between 1945-49. as it the fencing looks pretty recent.. runway, still bearing the closed-runway 'X' at the southwest The wagon track that connected Winslow and Flagstaff was mapped in the late 1800s, and the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, which subsequently became the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, was built (AT&SF).