Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Central Nevada
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 12/25/08.
(Orginal) Tonopah Airport / Lambertucci Airfield / Cavanaugh Airfield (revised 6/12/08)
Tonopah Aux #1 AAF (revised 6/13/08) - Tonopah Aux #2 AAF (revised 6/13/08)
Tonopah Aux #3 AAF (revised 6/13/08) - Tonopah Aux #4 AAF (revised 12/25/08)
Tonopah Aux AAF #5 / Mellan Airstrip (revised 12/25/08) - Tonopah Test Range (revised 9/11/08)
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Tonopah Test Range (TNX), Tonopah, NV
37.8 North / 116.8 West (Northwest of Las Vegas, NV)
The Tonopah Test Range Airfield,
as depicted on the July 1970 Air Force Tactical Pilotage Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
No airfield was depicted at this location on the 1952 USGS topo map.
The Tonopah Test Range first opened in 1957.
The Test Range has been a major test facility for Department of Energy funded weapon programs.
The facility is heavily instrumented with camera & radar tracking devices
that record data from artillery shell testing, bomb drops, cruise missiles, and rocket tests.
The Tonopah airfield was presumably originally built to support the DOE test programs,
and only later was taken over by the military for flight testing.
It was apparently not a WW2-era field,
as it was not listed in the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).
It was apparently built at some point between 1967-70,
as it was not depicted on the 1967 Mt. Whitney Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the airfield which has been located
was on the July 1970 Air Force Tactical Pilotage Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The 1971 Las Vegas Sectional Chart (courtesy of Vince Granato)
described the Tonopah Test Range Airfield as having a single 6,600' paved runway.
Chuck Ross recalled, "In about 1972 I landed a National Guard UH-1H Huey
at a place called 'Silverbow' in the Tonopah Test Range area.
We ran into headwinds ferrying a Huey & ran short on fuel,
back before most small-town airports carried Jet-A.
We got our fuel but we were not made to feel welcome.
It really was not multiple choice for them.
We showed up without enough fuel to get to another airport.
They put us in a van with no windows & drove us a few minutes to a waiting room with no windows.
After a while they took us back, pointed northwest & said 'fly that way'.
I did not feel real welcome.
The other pilot with me had been LBJ's helicopter pilot throughout his Presidency.
He probably had friends he could have called if it had turned unpleasant.
It was about 1972 I'd say.
Silverbow was a long hard-surfaced runway oriented northwest/southeast with a ramp on the east side.
The compound was across the valley via gravel road
and I don't recall any significant buildings at the airport.
For a time there were highway signs east of Tonopah
for 'Silverbow' & 'Golden Arrow' but I never attempted to drive in."
This description matches with the 1976 aerial photo of the Tonopah Test Range Airfield.
Furthermore, it has been reported that the TTR control tower uses the radio call sign of "Silverbow Tower".
The earliest photo which has been located of the Tonopah Test Range Airfield was a circa 1976 aerial view.
The original runway had not yet been lengthened at the time of this picture.
The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
described the Tonopah Test Range airfield as having a single 6,600' paved runway.
Aerial picture of Tonopah Test Range Airfield, circa 1980s-90s, from Nellis AFB official web site.
At an unknown date, the length of Tonopah's runway was nearly doubled, to 12,000'.
This was presumably done to support the testing & initial basing of the F-117 Stealth fighter squadrons,
which were based at Tonopah starting in 1984.
The airspace over Tonopah is covered by Restricted Area R-4809.
As depicted on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart, the runway length was 12,000'.
The F-117s were later moved to their present base at Holloman AFB, NM,
after the aircraft had been publicly acknowledged a few years earlier.
After the F-117 squadrons vacated Tonopah, it is not publicly known
what (if any) aircraft are currently based there.
It has been suggested in some aviation magazines that the multiple hangars built to house
individual F-117s are currently used to house the USAF's collection of SCUD missiles & launch vehicles,
which are used during exercises to teach tactical aircrews the fine art of "SCUD-hunting".
According to a Department of Energy Environmental Impact Statement,
"The USAF maintains an active base on the Tonopah Test Range.
The existing runway & navigation aids are open to the DOE & the USAF on an as-needed basis.
The facility is lighted for night operations.
The adjacent airfield is used by the DOE in support of its mission at the Tonopah Test Range.
This facility supports approximately 15 sorties per week for DOE operations.
The remaining sorties are in support of the USAF & other organizations at the Tonopah Test Range."
The Tonopah Test Range Airfield's current mission (as of 3/8/98)
is "Emergency Divert/Recovery Airfield Base in Caretaker Status."
A circa 2006 aerial view looking northwest at the Tonopah Test Range airfield.
Note the Janet 737 parked on the ramp in the foreground.
An August 2008 aerial view by Bryan Lipson looking southwest at the Tonopah Test Range airfield, taken from a commercial airliner.
The airfield is plainly visible from commercial airliners,
which are routed only a few miles north of the base on transcontinental flights.
The Tonopah Test Range airfield is located at the extreme
northern edge of the complex of Nellis Restricted Areas.
See also:
http://roswell.fortunecity.com/callanish/346/ttr.htm
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Tonopah Aux AAF #1, Mellan, NV
37.82 North / 116.06 West (Southeast of Tonopah Test Range, NV)
The 1952 USGS topo map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted the 2 runways of Tonopah Aux #1, labeled as “Landing Field (Abandoned)”.
Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.
Tonopah #1 Auxiliary Army Airfield was one of 5 satellite airfields
which supported flight training operations at Tonopah Army Airfield.
The date of construction of Tonopah Aux #1 has not been determined.
The earliest reference which has been located to Tonopah Aux #1
was in a 1945 AAF airfield directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
Tonopah Aux #1 was evidently abandoned after WW2 & never reused.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Tonopah Aux #1 was on the 1952 USGS topo map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted the field as having 2 runways, labeled simply as “Landing Field (Abandoned)”.
Nothing at all was depicted at this location on the 1988 USGS topo map.
The only photo which has been located of Tonopah Aux #1 was a circa 2006 aerial photo.
It depicted Tonopah Aux #1 AAF as having 2 runways.
There was no sign of remains of buildings or any other improvements,
nor any sign of recent usage.
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Tonopah Aux AAF #2, Mellan, NV
37.72 North / 116.16 West (Southeast of Tonopah Test Range, NV)
The 1952 USGS topo map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted the 2 runways of Tonopah Aux #2 as an “Abandoned Landing Strip”.
Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.
Tonopah #3 Auxiliary Army Airfield was one of 5 satellite airfields
which supported flight training operations at Tonopah Army Airfield.
The date of construction of Tonopah Aux #2 has not been determined.
The earliest reference which has been located to Tonopah Aux #2
was in a 1945 AAF airfield directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
Tonopah Aux #2 was evidently abandoned after WW2 & never reused.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Tonopah Aux #2 was on the 1952 USGS topo map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted the field as having 2 runways, labeled “Abandoned Landing Strip”.
Nothing at all was depicted at this location on the 1988 USGS topo map.
The only photo which has been located of Tonopah Aux #2 was a circa 2006 aerial photo.
It depicted Tonopah Aux #2 AAF as having 2 runways.
There was no sign of remains of buildings or any other improvements,
nor any sign of recent usage.
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Tonopah Aux AAF #3, Mellan, NV
37.63 North / 116.66 West (Southeast of Tonopah Test Range, NV)
The 1952 USGS topo map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted the 2 runways of Tonopah Aux #3, labeled simply as “Landing Field”.
Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.
Tonopah #3 Auxiliary Army Airfield was one of 5 satellite airfields
which supported flight training operations at Tonopah Army Airfield.
The date of construction of Tonopah Aux #3 has not been determined.
The earliest reference which has been located to Tonopah Aux #3
was in a 1945 AAF airfield directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
Tonopah Aux #3 was evidently abandoned after WW2 & never reused.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Tonopah Aux #3 was on the 1952 USGS topo map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted the field as having 2 runways, labeled simply as “Landing Field”.
Nothing at all was depicted at this location on the 1988 USGS topo map.
The only photo which has been located of Tonopah Aux #3 was a circa 2006 aerial photo.
It depicted Tonopah Aux #3 AAF as having 2 runways.
There was no sign of remains of buildings or any other improvements,
nor any sign of recent usage.
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Tonopah Aux AAF #4, Mellan, NV
37.76 North / 116.65 West (Southeast of Tonopah Test Range, NV)
Tonopah Aux AAF #4 was labeled simply as "Landing Field" on the 1952 USGS topo map.
Tonopah #4 Auxiliary Army Airfield was one of 5 satellite airfields
which supported flight training operations at Tonopah Army Airfield.
It was not depicted at all on a 1943 aeronautical chart.
The earliest reference which has been located to Tonopah Aux #4
was in a 1945 AAF airfield directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
Tonopah Aux #4 was evidently abandoned after WW2 & never reused.
The earliest depiction of this field which has been located was on the 1952 USGS topo map.
It depicted the airfield as consisting of two paved runways, labeled "Landing Field".
A circular bombing target was depicted immediately off the west end of the east/west runway,
along with an observation tower along the west side of the north/south runway.
No airfield was depicted at this location on aeronautical charts from 1959, 1970, or 1972.
The 1987 USGS topo map depicted two 5,200' runways, but did not label the facility at all.
It was not depicted at all (even as an abandoned airfield) on 2002 aeronautical charts.
A 2006 aerial photo (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Tonopah Aux #4 as having 2 unpaved runways,
but without any sign of recent use or improvements.
Tonopah Aux #4 is located within the Restricted Areas of the Nellis AFB Range,
only a few miles southeast of the Tonopah Test Range Airfield,
and just north of Tonopah Aux #5 / Mellan Airfield.
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Tonopah Aux AAF #5 / Mellan Airstrip, Mellan, NV
37.68 North / 116.63 West (Southeast of Tonopah Test Range, NV)
"Tonopah #5", as depicted on the August 1945 Mt. Whitney World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The date of construction of this airfield is unknown.
It may have been built at some point between 1943-44,
as it was not yet depicted on the August 1943 Mt. Whitney Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest reference to an airfield at this location which has been located
was in the April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).
It described the "Tonopah Bombing & Gunnery Range Auxiliary AAF #5"
at this location as having a 5,000' hard-surfaced runway.
The earliest depiction of this airfield which has been located
was on the August 1945 Mt. Whitney World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted “Tonopah #5” as an auxiliary airfield.
The February 1949 Mt. Whitney Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
labeled the airfield simply as "Tonopah #5",
and depicted it as having a 5,000' hard-surface runway.
It was labeled simply as "Landing Field" on the 1952 USGS topo map,
which depicted the airfield as having 2 paved runways & a small building in between the two strips.
It was depicted as the "Las Vegas Bombing & Gunnery Range" airfield
on the May 1957 Mt. Whitney Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
This airfield was apparently abandoned (at least officially) within the next two years,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the March 1959 Mt. Whitney Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
However, this airfield apparently got a new lease on life in the 1980s,
when the Nevada restricted areas began to be used for tests of classified aircraft.
It thus became the only one of the 5 WW2-era Tonopah auxiliary airfields to see any reuse.
It was labeled as "Mellan Airstrip" on the 1987 USGS topo map,
which depicted the airfield as consisting of 2 paved 5,300' runways.
It was not depicted at all on the 1990 NV Airports & Landing Strips Map (courtesy of Jim Mallery).
According to a Department of Energy Environmental Impact Statement,
"Mellan airstrip is located on the southern portion of the Tonopah Test Range.
This airstrip supports DOE & USAF training programs & is used sporadically.
There are no support facilities associated with this airstrip."
According to a USAF environmental assessment,
Mellan Airfield is currently used by the Air Force to conduct combat landing training for airlift forces.
The type of aircraft used are described as including "C/MC/AC-130, C-17, C-160, C-235, & C-222".
In spite of its active use by the USAF,
the Mellan Airstrip was not depicted at all (even as an abandoned airfield) on 2002 aeronautical charts,
and was not listed in the 2002 published FAA data as an airfield of any kind.
As of 2002, the Air Force was attempting to replace Mellan Airfield with a proposed airfield,
Cedar Pass (to be built 60 miles east of Tonopah),
due to its desire to conduct airlift training on a dirt runway, instead of the paved runways at Mellan.
A 2006 aerial photo (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) of the Tonopah Aux #5 / Mellan airfield
showed the field to have 2 paved runways, with the eastern runway appearing to have been paved at a more recent date than the western strip.
The Mellan airstrip is located within the Restricted Areas of the Nellis AFB Range,
only a few miles southeast of the Tonopah Test Range Airfield,
and one mile east of Antelope Dry Lake.
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(Orginal) Tonopah Airport / Cavanaugh Airport / Lambertucci Airfield, Tonopah, NV
38.09 North / 117.28 West (Southeast of Tonopah Test Range, NV)
The original Tonopah Airport (to the northwest of the town of Tonopah),
as depicted on the August 1945 Mt. Whitney World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.
The original civilian airport for the town of Tonopah was located to the northwest of the town.
The original Tonopah Airport was evidently established at some point between 1944-45,
as it was not yet depicted at all on the October 1944 Mt. Whitney Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of this airfield which has been located
was on the August 1945 Mt. Whitney World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted “Tonopah” as an auxiliary airfield to the northwest of the town of Tonopah.
The February 1949 Mt. Whitney Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
continued to depict “Tonopah” as an auxiliary airfield to the northwest of the town of Tonopah.
At some point between 1949-52, this airfield was evidently renamed “Cavanaugh” Airport,
as that is how it was labeled on the September 1952 Reno Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
This was after the much larger Tonopah AAF (to the east of the town)
had been relinquished by the military & reused as the new Tonppah Airport.
Cavanaugh Airport was depicted as having a 3,100' unpaved runway.
The status of the field was changed to a private field & it was renamed “Lambertucci” Airfield” at some point between 1952-54,
as that is how it was labeled on the October 1954 Reno Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Lambertucci was depicted as having a 3,100' unpaved runway.
The Lambertucci Airfield was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1954-57,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the September 1957 Reno Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The “Lambertucci Airstrip” was still depicted on the 1961 USGS topo map, with 3 runways.
The 1987 USGS topo map depicted 3 runways at the site of the former airport, labeled simply as “Landing Strips”.
The former Tonopah/Cavanaugh/ Lambertucci airfield was still remarkably intact as seen in the 1994 USGS aerial photo,
with three unpaved runways still well-preserved by the desert environment.
A cluster of what could be a few small buildings (or remains) was on the east side of the field.
A circa 2006 aerial view looking northwest along the runways of the former Tonopah/Cavanaugh/ Lambertucci Airport
shows the field to remain in the same condition.
The site of the original Tonpah Airport is located northwest of the intersection of Route 95 & Route 89.
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