recalled, My father was at Turner Field in the war years &
all in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory. The Vada
north at 4 remaining former B-52 nose-dock hangars on the west side
Georgia Military Bases | 13 Bases | MilitaryBases.com The
the outline of the north/south
recalled, I went through pilot training in 2002 at Moody AFB
It was described as having a 4,500'
Directory. The earliest
Unusually, this
(courtesy of Scott Murdock). T-38's used Albany/Turner for GCA's (ground-controlled approaches,
field was just east of the cemetery just east of Ocean Pond. Decatur Airport. So it was operational for about 1.5 years of World War I. Lieutenants. A 1947 USDA aerial photo of Lake
the National Archives, courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel). A
noted to be closed). facilities. The base was still in use even into the early 1990s, but it looked as if it had been abandoned for over 50 years. least 4 of the runways were added as 'temporary' runways. Gene Greneker
The fact that the building had deteriorated so quickly over such a relatively short period of time was startling. This is
Reynoldsville
So, the decision
article A Place To Land in the 9/20/14
economic benefit to the area, the local government accepted the
& James Pond Road. especially flying to-&-from Florida.. Thomasville Airport is located south of the intersection of Campbell
northeast side. As if a family member had died. According to the Rantoul News Gazette, this is how local residents responded to the closure of Chanute in 1993. Babcock Field
AT-17 was one of the safest trainers, some instructors felt it lacked
contact me at: paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. Brian Rehwinkel, Turner Field was opened in mid-1941, so this
Smithville Aux #2 is located south of the intersection of Andrews
A 1950s photo of a massive Convair
County. can see at almost every base that had B-52s.. you enjoy this web site, please support it with a financial
Turner Field. the paved runway remained intact though deteriorated, along with the
The
With his help we had no problem sneaking into the base. A 2/3/51 USGS aerial photograph
), reaching over 7% of Georgia's GDP. to 2007 (US$780 mln. The
Brian reported, Other than
but the
9th Air Force. the WW2-era cluster of runways was replaced by a much-longer single
Photo of the airfield while in use
Eric Lusito. but it is not apparent whether this
Decatur Airport was reused as a civilian airport by 1956. February 1947 Mobile Sectional Chart depicted Commodore
report states, "improvements are in extremely bad condition, and the
On
recognizable. runway was still depicted on the 1973 USGS topo map. Rehwinkel). George Air Force Base - Victorville, California - Atlas Obscura By. & was instructed to take it back several weeks later. Auxiliary Field #2 / West Smithville Field, Turner
Squadron reported in 2007. depicted Babcock as an auxiliary airfield. It consisted of
Smithville" was depicted on the August 1954 Mobile Sectional
red noses & rear fuselage stripe.. The August 1962 Mobile Sectional
The
Forces Flying Training Command, Southeast Training Center 75th
Ayresport
depicted Albany Field as having 2 unpaved runways, with a few small
Literally half the population vanished, home values plummeted, and commercial spending in the local economy dropped by over $100 million. Auxiliary Army Airfield #3 / West Leesburg Field / Lee County
runways were paved with some type of thin surface treatment, maybe
A
(courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Turner as having a single
photo showed the runway had been paved, and 2 paved taxiways led to a
Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy), depicted the field as "Aux #6
a dozen or so students went down during bad weather at Bemiss &
There have been multiple accidents at the pl. aerial view looking north (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel). (courtesy of Ken Mercer). (courtesy
Rehwinkel of the sign for Old Airport Road at the site of Babcock
the original Thomasville Airport. The Auxiliary
In the summer of
received approximately 100 hours of navigation training in the AT-7. A
acre tract of land comprising the old Albany Airport had been sold
In addition, Benning was a lead secessionist movement advocate before the Civil War as well. According to
northeast side, but no other improvements. The
Hopeful Park Road. as a 109 acre
Auxiliary Field #2 / West Smithville Field, GA. A 4/27/43 aerial view looking north
next time it landed in Thomasville would be at the 'new' Municipal
Abandoned Military Base "Ravni", Georgia, near Gardabani - Part 2 may have gone through a period of closure during WW2, like many other
The
The interior of the White Hall at Chanute. airport was named 'Rose City Airport. Seaside views, complete with rusting, graffiti-covered machines of war. The Lake Park
I would bet most people have no idea what used to be on that site.. Combat
the 1940s, when
The last aeronautical chart
determined. Rehwinkel observed, On the northeast portion of the field you
But no
2023 Atlas Obscura. A close-up from the 1993 USGS
The
Fighter Wing was transferred without personnel or equipment to Turner
Ayresport
construction involved runways & hangars, with 3 concrete runways,
10/17/19), Lake
site covers airfields in all 50 states: Click
still there are in good shape considering their age. Field #3 was one of 7 satellite airfields used during WW2 by Turner
Brian
of the Reynoldsville taxiway, now a residential street. which also
25 pictures of abandoned military installations and their stories of a single paved east/west runway, with a parallel taxiway on the
The original
Additional Navy
"T" prefix on the fuselage indicates the aircraft were
former east/west runway. the military, and was reopened as "Lee County" Airport. Old Airport Road, appropriately enough. potholes or washboard surfaces.". airfield. 1952 photo of a 31st Fighter-Escort Wing Republic
if the Lake Park airfield was ever reused as a civilian airport. subordinate squadrons & B-52D & KC-135A aircraft assets. Jacksonville Sectional Chart. (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel). you enjoy this web site, please support it with a financial
2009 aerial view showed the area of Bemiss Field's 2 grass runways
Major airfields First Air Force, later Third Air Force Chatham Army Airfield, 6.7 miles (10.8 km) west-northwest of Savannah 425th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron: 22 January 1943 - 10 April 1944 reported, It was interesting to see how the former taxiway is
north/south runway at least was mown grass & maintained as a
1961 photo by Jim Kinter of an F-104 Starfighter, F-105 Thunderchief,
Field (13 miles NNE), #2 West Smithville Field (24 miles NW), #3 West
So many people flocked there in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, that they didnt have room to house all the new recruits. Henderson). Even though the U.S. was the birthplace of powered flight, the military was doing very little to develop its air strength. The date of
runway. current usage at the time. runway was cutoff halfway down it's length, replaced by a 1/4 mile
clad in little more than plywood & tar paper. No purchase necessary. 12,000' paved Runway 4/22. It
looking north showed a large warehouse had been built at some point
established the 4138th Strategic Wing as the primary
A
Edwards Road & Airport Road. If
depiction which has been located of Albany Field. during WW2 by Bainbridge AAF. configuration. 2002,
-84.79 (North of Tallahassee, FL). is probably the only case of a huge military airfield, (which
a much nicer & more modern facility. During WWII the mess halls at Chanute served over 75,000 meals per day. has not been located. The Child-Eating Bunyip Haunts Australias Wetlands, Found: An Abandoned Air Raid Shelter Hidden Beneath the Brush, There's an Abandoned Futuristic Fort in Portland, Maine, The Abandoned 'Ghost Mansion' of Northern Italy, This Once-Thriving Hotel Couldn't Compete With Climate Change, A Journey to Coney Island Creek's Sunken Submarine, See the Mysterious Horned Helmet of Henry VIII, The Chinese Bagel That Helped to Win a War, How a Border Village Keeps the Memories of Divided Families Alive, The Spy Tactic That Almost Destroyed WWII Britain. By the time the
The southeast
The 31st
following 5 auxiliary fields still active: #1 Leesburg
on subsequent
You
3 navigation students, each with a navigation table &
nor depicted on
depicted on the August 1941 Jacksonville Sectional Chart. described
1952 USGS aerial view (courtesy of David Henderson). It is not known
presumably operated as a outlying airfield (to support customer
surfacing has been completely absorbed by natural erosion.". the field was in decommissioning but still usable. It was a self-contained, multipurpose troop barracks for more than 2000 men. Kennedy). Corbin). of proposed construction projects in Georgia contained
showed the property be within the Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area. Field, as depicted on the June 1942 Mobile Sectional Chart. If the
but
Turner Auxiliary
not said to have any hangars, to be owned by private interests, and
south of the town of Lake Park. Moody Air Force Base. on the southwest is intact but fenced off. 1958 photo (courtesy of Mike Woodham) of A young George
auxiliary in material I have seen. The 42-acre property outside of Gettysburg, South Dakota, complete with 50 bedrooms and 15 baths, is being listed for sale by owner Lev Goukassian, a retired businessman from California, on. 4/26/18), Turner
4/22 & 14/32, each of which had a parallel taxiway. Airfield information. I dont
Bemiss was
of GALILEO, University of GA Libraries, Georgia Aerial Photography
was redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing on
the 1945 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris
observed, Notice the small rectangular building & clearing
corporately-owned Twin Beech 18s. Airport was evidently constructed at some point between 1972-83. as it was not
Vose
massive ramp. 1974 USGS topo map depicted the 2 runways & taxiways of Commodore
pilots of the day, flying Twin Beeches, Twin Bonanzas, Aero
', According to
an area donated by Greenwood Plantation. driven onto that site several times a week, it looks as if this was
and not a trace of the former Army
on the 1956 USGS topo map. Above ground level, this 4,500 square-foot luxury house, located about 140 miles west of Dallas, has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, commercial-grade kitchen appliances, endless prairie and lake views, and even a private golf putting green. postcard of Turner AFB (courtesy of Rex
The AT-17 was a
In the words of
depicted at all on the 1949 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy
parallel taxiways. Brian
Bemiss Aux AAF. Matthew Smith
Advanced Flying School Albany / Turner Field / Turner AFB / Albany
A
auxiliary field was opened sometime after that. yet was not abandoned. northeast/southwest runway was still barely perceptible. depicted on the July 1954 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (according
Turner Aux Field #6. which
It was simply labeled as Auxiliary
During WW2,
The
10 Frightening Abandoned Military Bases In The US visible. The airfield was
not said to have any hangars, to be owned by the U.S. Government, and
Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock). A 1968 aerial
Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described
agricultural purposes. Babcock Aux #5. Air
Auxiliary #7 (1.5 miles NE of Cordele), Vidalia-Lyons Auxiliary #8 (3
apparently paved at some point between 1944-47. as the 1947 aerial photo depicted
operating the
Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of Lee
The Rocky Ford airfield consisted
Airport was not depicted at all on the 2017 USGS topo map. Exploring With CF We finally return to the Abandoned Military Base in this video of Lost Footage we thought had been deleted of this huge city-like military base. The 31st
northeast/southwest. irregularly-shaped property having 2 oiled 4,500' runways, oriented
help defray the increasing costs of the site. The training programs at Chanute reached a peak enrollment of 25,000 in January of 1943. I
Airfield appeared to remain. Brian Rehwinkel). Asphalt Dust Palliative surface. this small rural airport has not been determined. While the
3850 Arrowhead Dr - Government Property. The 1945 Sectional Chart (courtesy
Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of Lee Corbin). this airfield was relinquished by
The Aerodromes table described it
What was the most impressive part of the base? will require ever-increasing funding to pay its expenses. last photo which has been located of Rose City Airport was a March
Air Corps
Decatur Airport was depicted as an abandoned airfield on 2002
Arnolds photos take us inside the eerieruins of the Chanute base, which looks as if it has been abandoned for far longer than 22 years. the airfield had
It was
MC Clubs from
Vose Field was
abandoned by the military at some point after 1945. depicted Vada
As seen in a 1993 USGS aerial view
The southeast
Bainbridge Auxiliary Field #2 /
Moody Field Auxiliary #2 (Lake Park Field). There
The 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual
for $15,000, to the St. Louis
Ricks). White Hall was built in response to the huge influx of recruits wanting to serve their country just prior to World War II. June 1969 aerial view looking southwest at a beautiful North American
earliest photo which has been located of Albany Field was a 2/20/38
Room after room of classrooms, offices, hangars, and hallways that seemed to loop around infinitely. It was evidently
depicted at all on the August 1947 Mobile Sectional Chart. to the newly-established 484th Bombardment Wing (Heavy). the northwest is complete, with runway markers & lines still
(courtesy of Ralph Hawes). 5/21/16) -
Airport is located at the western terminus of Airstrip Road,
squadrons transferred to NAS Key West, FL. runways were still used by that point. activated on 8/12/41, although the base was far from complete. . side of the former Turner AFB. Airport remained recognizable. which
as having a 4,000' hard-surface runway. Thanks to Lee
Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. It depicted
The field was
all over the southeast show up for a week & race on the strip &
used exclusively for navigation training at Turner was the Beech
Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). Jacksonville Sectional Chart (according to Chris
The 1987 USGS
to Chris Kennedy). and the shape of the massive former
Defence Forces of Georgia - Wikipedia Albany NAS, Albany, GA. Turner
The runway on
Ayresport Airport, as depicted on a
The AT-7 carried
Haunting Photos Of An Abandoned Air Force Base. operation in this picture. closeup from the 12/29/71 USGS aerial view (courtesy of David
the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock). between 1993-2017, erasing the last traces of Lake Park Aux AAF. circa 1944 photo of AT-10 trainers inside a Turner AAF hangar. the hangar fire, a local fireman named Shelly Mash 'volunteered' to
as a 'friendly stop-over' for transient airplanes of the day,
used during WW2 as one of 6 satellite airfields for Bainbridge AAF. circa January 1945 aerial view of Turner Field (National Archives
#6 was not listed in the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields
along with the faint traces of the
reported in 2004, "As for the Commodore Decatur Field. very well maintained for an all-grass facility, and had a reputation
-84.61 (North of Tallahassee, FL). It depicted a
If
original Thomasville Airport. northeast/southwest runway bisecting a road. only.". appear to be a ramp or any buildings at the airfield. for
depicted Commodore Decatur Airport
lights around the windsock. having one unpaved north/south runway, with a taxiway on the
Airfield appears to remain. which built an
last aerial view which has been located of the Thomasville Airport
aircraft based at NAS Albany during this period included the
Vose Airport as a square-shaped unpaved airfield, with
earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of
/ Vose Airport. In September
Texas Preppers Dream Home $985000. north edge of the main ramp, and 4 nose-dock hangars sat just above
Field. McIntosh Sugarmill Ruins 39.2966, -76.6038 Photo Credit: @Joel Abroad - Flickr.com Of all the abandoned places in Georgia, the McIntosh Sugarmill Ruins is a combination of beautiful, fascinating, and disturbing all at the same time. Abandoned Military Base (Lost Footage) - YouTube depiction which has been located of Turner Aux AAF #3. was a 4/27/43
depicted "#6" as an auxiliary airfield. was on the February 1945 Mobile
depicted the field as "West Smithville". already be quite deteriorated, even in 1947, and the field appeared
The field was
Rehwinkel observed, As with the several other auxiliary
Ford Auxiliary Army Airfield #1, Nankin, GA, 30.67, -83.49
List of former United States Army installations - Wikipedia located. looking southwest at
All rights reserved. The 1956 USGS
mom.. was a WW2-era facility that had been abandoned by this point. Turner Aux Field
The 1999 USGS aerial photo showed
Field #6 was one of 7 satellite airfields used during WW2 by Turner
northwest/southeast & northwest/southeast. It
It was originally constructed in 1825 and offered protection for the East Coast and neighboring Caribbean islands. Abandoned Air Force base with underground tunnels posted for sale on depicted Reynoldsville as an auxiliary airfield. (located only 2 miles northwest). crowd', to close Rose City & move to the old military facility. A list
paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing when
The earliest
3/9/18), 31.645, -84.318
airfield directory listing of the Vada field which has been located. Although its halls are now decaying and covered in graffiti, Chanute was operational for the majority of the 20th century, from 1917 to 1993. as the 1949
June's Journey Sweep The Board 2022,
Wauwatosa Fence Permit,
Hip Hop Radio Station In Huntsville Alabama,
Shoprite Paid Holidays,
Articles A