Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Northeastern New Mexico
© 2002, © 2005 by Paul Freeman. Revised 1/23/05.
Fort Sumner Aux AAF #5 (revised 10/28/04) - (Original) Taos Airport / Kachina Airport (added 1/23/05) - Zia Field (added 1/10/05)
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(Original) Taos Airport / Kachina Airport, Taos, NM
36.38 North / 105.59 West (Northeast of Albuquerque, NM)
Taos Airport, as depicted on the March 1949 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.
The original airport for the town of Taos was located on the southwest side of the town.
The Taos Airport was evidently established at some point between 1944-49,
as it was not yet listed among active airfields in the April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).
The earliest depiction of the Taos Airport which has been located
was on the March 1949 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Taos as having a 2,900' unpaved runway.
The Taos Airport may have been closed at some point between 1949-57,
as it was not depicted at all on the November 1957 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).
At some point between 1957-59, the airport was evidently reopened under the name of "Kachina"
as that is how it was listed in the 1959 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Kachina as having two unpaved runways: 3,871, Runway 7/25 & 2,812' Runway 5/23.
Several buildings were depicted around a ramp at the northeast corner of the field.
Kachina Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1959-79,
as the field was labeled simply as "Landing Strip" on the 1979 USGS topo map,
which typically indicates that the airfield was closed by that point.
A single runway at the former Kachina Airport were still depicted on the 1996 USGS topo map,
but it was labeled simply as "Landing Strip".
In the 1997 USGS aerial photo, the outline of Kachina's primary runway was still somewhat recognizable,
even though the majority of the property had been covered with new construction.
The site of Kachina Airport is located west of the intersection of Route 585 & Route 68.
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36.37 North / 105.64 West (Northeast of Albuquerque, NM)
Zia Field, as depicted on the March 1949 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.
This general aviation airport was evidently established at some point between 1944-49,
as it was not yet listed among active airfields in the April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).
The earliest reference to Zia Field which has been located
on the March 1949 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Zia as having a 4,700' unpaved runway.
Zia Field had three unpaved runways:
4,700' Runway 8/26, 4,600' Runway 5/23, and 3,800' Runway 17/35.
The November 1957 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks)
depicted Zia Field as having a 4,700' unpaved runways.
Zia Field was described in the "Unattended Airports" section of the 1967 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy)
as having three unpaved runways: 4,600' Runway 5/23, 2,700' Runway 8/26, and 3,800' Runway 17/35.
The last chart depiction of Zia as an active airfield which has been located
was on the February 1968 Trinidad Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
Zia Field was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1968-79.
The three runways of Zia Field were still depicted on the 1979 USGS topo map,
but they were labeled simply as "Landing Strips", which typically indicates that the airfield was closed by that point.
The three runways of Zia Field were still depicted on the 1996 USGS topo map,
but it was labeled simply as "Landing Field".
An unpaved ramp was also depicted, east of the runway intersection,
but no buildings were depicted.
As can be seen in the 1997 USGS aerial photo, the site of Zia Field has been covered with residential streets & houses.
However, remarkably, the outline of all three former runways were still apparent,
around & through the streets which have otherwise covered the site.
It does not appear as if any airfield buildings have remained at the site.
Zia Field is located west of the intersection of Cuchilla Road & West Romero Road.
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Fort Sumner Auxiliary Army Airfield #5, Taiban, NM
34.59 North / 104 West (East of Albuquerque, NM)
Fort Sumner Aux #5, as shown in relation to its parent airfield
on the 1945 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.
This airfield was used during WW2 as one of two auxiliary airfields for Fort Sumner AAF (to the southwest),
which was used as a training field for fighter pilots.
It was also known as Taiban Airport.
The date of construction of Fort Sumner Aux #5 has not been determined.
It was most likely not a pre-war civilian airport,
as no airfield was listed at this location in The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
Its parent airfield, Fort Sumner AAF, was established in 1942.
The earliest reference to Fort Sumner Aux #5 which has been located
was in the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer),
which described the field as having a 6,000' hard-surface runway.
The field was depicted simply as "No 5" on the 1945 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
At some point between 1945-55, the field was apparently reused as a civilian airport,
as "Fort Sumner #5" was depicted as a civilian airfield on the 1955 Albuquerque Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
and described as having a 6,100' hard-surface runway.
Fort Sumner #5 was still depicted on the December 1968 Albuquerque Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
but it was marked as "Emergency only".
Fort Sumner Aux #5 was apparently abandoned at some point between 1968-80.
The former airfield was not depicted at all on the 1980, 1982 or 1984 USGS topo maps,
or the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart,
which is unusual, for such a large abandoned airfield which still remains largely intact.
As seen in the 1997 USGS aerial photo, this airfield had a somewhat unusual configuration,
with three paved runways connected by three paved taxiways which all intersected in the center.
The does not appear to have been any ramp area, or indication of any former hangars or other buildings.
Tim Tyler visited the site of Ft. Sumner Aux #5 on October 20, 2004,
and reported that it appeared as a "Large, grassy field.
What appeared on Street Atlas USA to be the former road that led into the site
was completely obscured with what looked to be the remains of a small cattle loading pen.
No foundations or anything else was visible."
Fort Sumner Aux #5 is located northeast of the intersection of Route 252 & Route 36.
Thanks to Chris Kennedy for pointing out this airfield.
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