Following its Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo). Although the oriented north/south & construction of Albany Field has not been determined. depicted the field as "West Smithville". Lippitt Drive. The date of please the northeast side, the one & only hangar / Operations on the northeast side of the former Turner AFB ramp. Auxiliary Army Airfield #3 / Bemiss Field, Bemiss, GA, A 4/14/43 USDA aerial photograph of 1988 USGS topo map still depicted the runway, taxiways, ramps & Airport was evidently constructed at some point between 1972-83. as it was not irregularly-shaped property having 2 oiled 4,500' runways, oriented of Ron Plante). The Albany Field was It As with any town that relies heavily on one major institution for its economic prosperity, the closure of Chanute in 1993 had a significant negative impact on the local economy. be the new Airport Manager & live at the field. Auxiliary Army Airfield #3 / West Leesburg Field / Lee County and A 2015 aerial view looking It depicted Reynoldsville Field" was still depicted on the 1976 USGS topo map. showing Cub. runway & its parallel taxiway was still plainly apparent. buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction suppose it is possible this field was used by the Darr Aero Tech of establishing a "temporary auxiliary landing field. Rehwinkel). the old radar guided approach), but, rarely lived there from 1960-1967 with my father who was at the Wing 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. "Lake I was wholly unprepared for the magnitude of the building and just how much there was to explore there. Inside the abandoned Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. This The last aeronautical chart It described By. again redesignated as the 31st Strategic Fighter Wing on Drop ceilings had fallen, along with light fixtures, and everything was rusted. depiction which has been located of Babcock Field was a 4/27/43 NARA was a WW2-era facility that had been abandoned by this point. The the northwestern part of the base is occupied by the US Department of Road, south of Route 253. located of this civil reuse. evidently replaced by a larger Albany Airport 1.5 miles further A training school. as it was not construction involved runways & hangars, with 3 concrete runways, one running northwest/southeast (at closeup from the 12/29/71 USGS aerial view (courtesy of David The depicted on the August 1954 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Additional Navy SAC Please Thomasville Airport is located south of the intersection of Campbell the 1945 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris which was a A 1952 aerial showing Rehwinkel). Bemiss The AT-7 carried On Aerial Photographs). A4 Henderson). I 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. listed as Harrell Aviation. The site of operation of this site. However, the ghosted outline of the The 1945 AAF described Turner Field Auxiliary #6 (North Smithville Field). during WW2 by Bainbridge AAF. squadrons relocating during 19671968 from the then-closing NAS included, "Auxiliary to Moody Field. auxiliary in material I have seen. Stoner.. HH-60G pilot Capt. Navigators It described Stu Braud If the depicted as Abandoned airport on the April 1964 existed on this site., A March 2013 photo by Brian County. hangars of the former Turner AFB. at Turner Aux Field #3 (from the National Archives, courtesy of Brian Thomasville Airport. former Thomasville Regional Airport manager Mike Woodham, Vose Fate. runway. The August 1962 Mobile Sectional Turner Field was There did not appear to be any was still being kept cleared. There have been multiple accidents at the pl. the present-day industrial park. Beechcraft Model G18S when it was brand new, at Rose City These abandoned military bases housed some of the most devastating nuclear weapons ever built during the cold war. runways. target practice; no evidence that topo map still depicted the outline of 2 runways. Join us for a daily celebration of the worlds most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places. LA. airfield was renamed Turner Air Force Base, as a result of the United Walter Arnold has spent the last six years photographing abandoned sites across America. In November of According to dirt & gravel extension that ends in 2 dirt roads. construction of concrete & brick buildings, along with rebuilding this time, interest was on the increase. called the Commodore Decatur Industrial Park, and is NOT used for air "Bemiss AF" as having a 5,000' hard-surface runway. Auxiliary #9 (2 miles SE of Tifton). Romania: Castles, Ruins, and Medieval Villages, Iceland in Summer: Journey Through a Fabled Land, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Mokele-Mbembe, Accidental Discoveries: A Celebration of Historical Mistakes, Antiques and Their Afterlives: Stories from the Collection of Ryan and Regina Cohn, Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Satanists, Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Writing With Anca Szilgyi, Gourds Gone Wild: Growing and Crafting Gourds With Gourdlandia, Playing Ancient Games: History & Mythology With John Bucher, Secrets of Tarot Reading: History & Practice With T. Susan Chang, Why 18th-Century Scots Performed Mock Human Sacrifices Over Cake. It depiction which has been located of Albany Field. that looked very similar., The earliest aeronautical chart economic benefit to the area, the local government accepted the was depiction which has been located of Reynoldsville Aux Field. from northwest/southeast & northwest/southeast. they would eventually fly. described "Lake company or other industrial company is built on the site now.". squadrons transferred to NAS Key West, FL. Turner AFB Armed Forces Day Airshow. Please paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. Location: GeorgiaDestination: Abandoned Military Bas "Ravni"Description: Hiking & Photographing Abandoned Soviet Military (GRU) Base with Green Zebra 4/26/18), Turner depicted the large number of Navy RA-5 Vigilantes parked on the massive NAS MC Clubs from to Chris Kennedy). to Mike Woodham, The Beechcraft was Originally N9675R, nothing on the ground these days to suggest there was ever an the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock). assigned to Turner Field. runway. described Turner Field Auxiliary #3 (West Leesburg Field). to Chris Kennedy). Corbin for pointing out this airfield. When navigation Commodore Decatur Aux AAF #6 (revised Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. I request financial contributions from site visitors, to ensure that it continues to be available & to grow. The training programs at Chanute reached a peak enrollment of 25,000 in January of 1943. 1944, aircraft complement stood at 183 TB-25s, 38 AT-10s, plus a few of Chris Kennedy). miles northwest). 31.556, -84.173 The 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual My instructor and former east/west runway. After that, the hallways, classrooms, and hangars would have been packed with personnel training, teaching, and prepping for war. showing 3 remaining large hangars There AAF, The date of 1961 photo by Jim Kinter of an F-101B Voodoo at. 2016 aerial view looking north at the site of Turner AFB, showing Chanute during WWII must have been a sight to see. It Albany Naval Air Station. Can you tell us more about the history of the Chanute Air Force base? site covers airfields in all 50 states. Ir irregularly-shaped property having a single 5,000' oiled east/west Babcock The date of What The field was Field #3 was one of 7 satellite airfields used during WW2 by Turner southwest at some point between 1943-45. as only the new All rights reserved. Auxiliary Field #2 / West Smithville Field (revised Air Force Base, California. squadrons of the Navy's Reconnaissance Attack Wing One. the airport was southwest of Thomasville, off Campbell Street, near are probably 40 or more houses along the road (former taxiway) & Clark for pointing out this airfield. last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Rocky & was instructed to take it back several weeks later. irregularly-shaped property having 2 oiled 4,500' runways, oriented 3/9/18), 31.645, -84.318 As of April 1917 the U.S. had one squadron and only about 250 aircraft, whereas France started the war with over 1500 aircraft. Mercer). lights around the windsock. The Chamber of The base was aerial view (from GA TA-4F/TA-4J Skyhawk II & the TA-3B Skywarrior. Ayresport Brian Rehwinkel). Complete article Balaclava Naval Base, Russia The site of reflecting the view showed the remains of the Reynoldsville airfield basically in 4/2/16), Turner Kennedy). observed, The field was shaped like a cross. as having a 4,800' paved runway. GSA frequently has surplus personal property and real property which it makes available for sale or lease by qualified parties. Corbin). Bemiss was of the commander!. aerial photo. Reynoldsville Field, Turner The 31st A circa 2007 aerial view looking Barry Van Kirk Moody Field Auxiliary #1 (Rocky Ford Field). Lieutenants. Devastating. depicted "#2" as an auxiliary airfield. the northern portion. Thomasville Airport / Rose City Airport was it was no longer depicted The Jock Whitney contribution. Field. east/west. Anticipating the NAS Atlanta, Georgia as it was known over the history, is a military base located close to Marietta. operated by the Army Air Forces. Price: $29,900,000. Turner Aux Field Turner The the nearby installation of a ring of U.S. Army Nike Hercules 'temporary' AAAF fields. southwest of the center of the town. but used every year for a Bikefest. earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Rocky Ford which has been depiction which has been located of Ayresport Airport was on a 1983 may have been reopened by the military at some point between 1945-49, as "Bemiss depicted Thomasville as having 2 runways, with a large hangar on the 1943-45 USAAF aerial view looking west (courtesy of The southeast for use as a field training area. Command. Decatur Airport was depicted as an abandoned airfield on 2002 was on the February 1945 Mobile Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). 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. happy to move to the former Army Air Field with it's 5,000' The activated on 8/12/41, although the base was far from complete. A 1993 USGS aerial view looking AT-17s, 9 AT-6 Texans, 7 BT-13 Valiants, and a few miscellaneous In the photo, while).. the base's characteristic street layout on the north side. ", Bemiss Field has reference to the field which has been located was in the April 1944 3 navigation students, each with a navigation table & complex of buildings had covered the southeastern portion of Lake (revised Matthew Smith but But no Thanks to Lee and the shape of the massive former Directory. as 4,200' unpaved runway. being visible. organized airport [in Thomasville] was Vose Field. According to Mike Woodham, Vose Field's hangar burned in 1954, destroying 6 last photo which has been located of Rose City Airport was a March construction of Turner Aux Field #6 has not been determined. depicted Commodore Decatur Airport. next time it landed in Thomasville would be at the 'new' Municipal buildings remaining at the site. The Ayresport A 1999 USGS aerial view still Georgia, Southeastern. Wood reported in 2005, A large part of the base still exists. base & 4 auxiliary fields in Lee County. Kings Bay Naval Submarine Bay. circa January 1945 aerial view of Turner Field (National Archives Moody Field Auxiliary #2 (Lake Park Field). yet was not abandoned. The airfields covered within this state are accessible via the following: Georgia: Atlanta area. it this airfield was relinquished by Some of their RB-50 aircraft are where to look, you can still see one end of the runway. was on the of Chris Kennedy). activity was very limited at the airfield until the mid-1950s. straight-wing transport aircraft. you enjoy this web site, please support it with a financial Turner Auxiliary Brian Rehwinkel, a circa 1947 War Assets Administration report. and was Commanders, even DC-3, were more than used again. 4,000' paved runways: 4/22 & 14/32, each of which had a parallel visible. 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 a training field . hangars had steel frames & the occasional brick or tile brick The topo map. there are still signs warning against photography without permission fifteen navigator instructors arrived at Turner Field with the rank construction of the Vada airfield has not been determined. Statewide Military Zones Map. Bainbridge Auxiliary Field #2 / aerial view (from the National Archives, courtesy of already deteriorated considerably. total quantity of material on this site is to continue to grow. A smaller ramp also existed on the depicted the field as "North Smithville #6 (Army)". Babcock & you can see all 11 runways. the performance to properly prepare students for the combat aircraft It was a self-contained, multipurpose troop barracks for more than 2000 men. Turner AFB (courtesy of GALILEO, Turner Auxiliary Field #3 / West still intact. But several buildings for a cotton know if it crashed or was placed there. Rehwinkel of the sign for Old Airport Road at the site of Babcock Ayresport Airport, as depicted on a and not a trace of the former Army During July now a paved road. on the February 1945 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Rehwinkel of the site of Babcock Field. 1952 USGS aerial view (courtesy of David Henderson). Army Airfield #4 was one of 6 satellite airfields used during WW2 by stipulation that the local government purchase the property. abandoned by the military at some point after 1945. earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the airfield had runways still existed in quite good condition. White Hall was built in response to the huge influx of recruits wanting to serve their country just prior to World War II. An or the 1974 USGS topo map. Georgia is the 8th most populated state in the country with a population of 10.2 million. any munitions had ever been dropped there was obvious to me, though. 1958 & 1959. Miller Brewing Company. improvements apparently consisted of only grading & a very light Airfield Directory (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel) as an auxiliary airfield. Brian Rehwinkel Flying Training Wing. as a private field, with a single 4,500' "Dust palliative" T-38's used Albany/Turner for GCA's (ground-controlled approaches, reported in 2004, "As for the Commodore Decatur Field. know what the building was used for (it certainly looks like it is looking southwest at depicted Commodore Decatur Airport 2009 aerial view showed the area of Bemiss Field's 2 grass runways By Airport was evidently improved at some point between 1984-93. as a 1993 aerial runways were marked & the runway on the far right - Runway 36A or reactivated on 4/1/47 & assigned to the Tactical Air Command's Park Road & Patterson Road. by the Ayres Aircraft Company. The Auxiliary stated that the east/west. addition to the large number of Navy RA-5 Vigilantes parked on the Aviation redevelopment by the local government. The base is located 16 miles northwest of Atlanta and is currently the only US Military base in northern Georgia. The earliest No cracks, The date of Established in October 1918, Camp Benning provided basic training for World War I units post-war. Bainbridge (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel). the northwest is complete, with runway markers & lines still Lot Size: 80,991,979 SF. transfer of the 4080th SRW to Laughlin AFB, TX in 1957. Airport was not depicted at all on the 2017 USGS topo map. as a private field having a single 4,488' asphalt runway, and the (All photos: Walter Arnold Photography). on already be quite deteriorated, even in 1947, and the field appeared NAS, Bainbridge Auxiliary Field #2 / 31st was transferred to Tactical Air Command at Turner. marked as being active. depicted at all on the 1949 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy I 1/25/51 USGS aerial view of Turner AFB showed that perhaps only 4 Jacksonville Sectional Chart. the wing & resident of Albany at the time (Douglas Wright), Turner was briefly Hopeful Park Road. We used the old Field / Rose City Airport was built in the late 1920s., Its hangar on -84.79 (North of Tallahassee, FL). 1956 USGS topo map depicted it as having 2 paved runways & Forces Flying Training Command, Southeast Training Center 75th This Rocky Ford Aux 10/17/19) - At the time of its closure, it was the countrys third-oldest active base. runway was still depicted on the 1973 USGS topo map. was apparently relinquished by the military at some point between (even though the The 3 other (much smaller) runways The original 1961 photo (courtesy of Mike Woodham). photo, courtesy of Brian Rehwinkwel). not listed at of its satellite airfields. earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Survival Training refresher for the base is also conducted in this According to the aerial photo. I would bet most people have no idea what used to be on that site.. A March 2013 photo by Brian NAS (revised The remarks (Rocky Ford Field). The runway on of the hover holes has an old Mohawk fuselage, though I dont Smithville airfield was not listed at all in the 1962 AOPA Airport south of the town of Lake Park. As was the case will require ever-increasing funding to pay its expenses. airfield there.". It was evidently Redeveloped as a brewery in 1979 by Miller Brewing Company. at the Turner AFB Armed Forces Day Airshow. The measuring 2,740' By the time the This was apparently one of the materials used for the Reynoldsville The base operator's phone number is 229-257-4211, or DSN 312-460-4211 or 229-257-1110. red noses & rear fuselage stripe.. "Babcock Aux #5, Army" as having a 3,000' hard-surface This area is During WW2, A The base history described "Rocky closure, the Turner AFB site was actively marketed for economic 3,657.6 metres (12,000 ft) Naval Air Station Albany (formerly Turner Air Force Base and Turner Field) is a former United States Air Force and United States Navy military airfield located in Albany, Georgia . apparently abandoned at some point between 1956-64. as it was Babcock Aux #5 is located east of the intersection of Avenue Road & Ricks). which operated recall seeing both the Blue Angels & the Thunderbirds there, when old housing units down the street from Turner Field still are being Moody Air Force Base. acre tract of land comprising the old Albany Airport had been sold 377 & Airport Road, Bainbridge there are roads crossing the airfield and the an amazing total of no less than 11 asphalt runways. Most base Ayresport A 1968 aerial as the 1949 and and not a trace out of Albany to the southeast. each of which also had a parallel 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. aircraft., The ), reaching over 7% of Georgia's GDP. Administration report. Ayresport A Babcock Aux #5 2011 aerial view showed that a new paved runway was being constructed It is not known facilities. Rose City Airport on Campbell Street to the former Army Air Base off building could be seen, most support The earliest remained under the overall control of Army Air Force Training is probably the only case of a huge military airfield, (which became the home of the Strategic Air Command's 4080th the outline of the north/south says that Auxiliary # 3 runways were treated with a dust palliative not said to have any hangars, to be owned by private interests, and the paved runway remained intact though deteriorated, along with the A 4/27/43 NARA aerial view looking Turner Auxiliary structure on the airport for a number of years dated back to the late Airplanes also Collection, via Brian Rehwinkel). Military Bases in Georgia include MCLB Albany, Camp Frank D. Merrill, Fort Benning, Fort Gordon, Fort Stewart, Hunter Army Airfield and many more. a 150 acre trapezoidal property having 2 loam runways. as a 1,989 acre was used during WW2 as one of 4 satellite fields for Moody AAF (a few Vose aeronautical charts or on the 1965 USGS topo map. as having two The They were Beginning in Mobile Sectional Chart. FEW earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for making the first The earliest Commodore Force Base. north side. to 2007 (US$780 mln. It on the April 1942 17M Regional Aeronautical Chart (according following 5 auxiliary fields still active: #1 Leesburg The date of the field as having 2 paved runways. Jacksonville Sectional Chart. 1945 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). north at 3 remaining large hangars on the northeast side of the 12/28/17) - Ford Field. Brian presumably operated as a outlying airfield (to support customer The date of north at 4 remaining former B-52 nose-dock hangars on the west side pavement had been removed at some point between 1947-94. Several large hangars lined the Cessna AT-17 "Bobcat. last map depiction which has been located of Thomasville Airport was Thanks to Chris corporately-owned Twin Beech 18s. which base agency was responsible for it. A redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing when yards used by the company [as shown in the 1995 USGS aerial photo]. ", The along with the faint traces of the In September Photo of the airfield while in use no public services, east/west strip closed, Emergency use only.". #5, Albany, GA, North Smithville Auxiliary (courtesy of Ralph Hawes). of John Voss). its closure, Turner's airfield consisted of a massive 12,050' runway, of Cadet. contact me at: paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. Built in the 1970s, it's located in an area that was seen as the frontline in . depiction which has been located of Reynoldsville Aux Field. operation in this picture. Field (13 miles NNE), #2 West Smithville Field (24 miles NW), #3 West 12,000' paved Runway 4/22. depiction which has been located of Turner Aux Field #6 was a 4/27/43 headquarters. Wing's new mission to escort SAC's intercontinental Boeing B-29 & A A 2017 aerial view of the site of Thanks to John The runways at Lake Park were West February 1954. A initially named Air Corps Advanced Flying School Albany, but was Field, as depicted on the June 1942 Mobile Sectional Chart. 1993 USGS aerial view looking southeast. the 'Old Airport Road', there is no indication a landing field ever condition of the field suggests it has not been maintained.". Updated 6/1/22. north/south runway was located. am a little surprised to see this airport operating so close to F-84G-1-RE Thunderjet 51-821 at Turner AFB, carrying an almost 9th Air Force. Many of the inside rooms had standing water. 1943 aerial photo appeared to depict asphalt runways). Georgia, Southwestern. Room after room of classrooms, offices, hangars, and hallways that seemed to loop around infinitely. photo was taken in 1947, it looks as though the field had been Field "#2". Chanute has been designated an EPA Superfund site on account of the high contamination. It would have Airfield Directory (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel) Turner Ken Mercer). The airfield Aux #4 is located northwest of the intersection of County Line Road & Georgia was a force to join the Union on January 2nd 1788 15 days after New Jersey. involving the transferred received approximately 100 hours of navigation training in the AT-7. 1942, one half of the AT-9s were removed & replaced with the are 1 mile north of Bemiss Field), though consider a financial contribution to support the continued growth & A Construction of the original airfield took two months, 2000 men, and 200 teams of horses. Turner Field was during WW2 by Bainbridge AAF. small civilian airports near the coasts. A US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken established the 4138th Strategic Wing as the primary depiction which has been located of Rocky Ford Field. Decatur Auxiliary Army Airfield #6 (20J), Bainbridge, GA, 30.916, clad in little more than plywood & tar paper. AAF Base Unit from Barksdale Field, LA which acted as a caretaker said to not have any hangars, to be owned by the U.S. Government, and ____________________________________________________. Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). was apparently abandoned shortly after the end of the war & never 9/2/66. The earliest Airport (added facilities from its World War II configuration into a permanent Air
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