Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Texas, Amarillo area

Texas, Amarillo area

(Original) Amarillo Municipal Airport (revised 7/7/05) - Dalhart Aux AAF #1 (revised 11/18/06)

Dalhart Aux AAF #2 / Miller Field (revised 11/18/06) - KFDA-TV Airfield (revised 2/4/06) - Pampa AAF - Reeves Aux AAF #1

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KFDA-TV Airfield, Amarillo, TX

35.29 North / 101.84 West (North of Downtown Amarillo, TX)

The KFDA-TV airfield, as depicted on the March 1962 Oklahoma City Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

According to John Fullingim, “The KFDA strip was established by a KFDA weather man in the 1950s.

His name was Dan True & he was a local celebrity.

He had a Piper Cub & lived down near Palo Duro Canyon & flew to work many days.

I worked with him at KGNC in 1974. He often talked about his flying on the air & was quite a character.”

The KFDA-TV Airfield was not yet depicted on the 1961 Oklahoma City Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks).

The earliest depiction of the KFDA-TV Airfield which has been located

was on the March 1962 Oklahoma City Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).

It depicted KFDA-TV as a private airfield having a 1,500' unpaved runway.

The 1966 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of David Brooks) depicted the KFDA-TV Airfield

as having 2 turf runways: 1,800 Runway 8/26 & 1,600 Runway 17/35.

The runways were located immediately adjacent to the southeast of the tower & supporting wires of the television transmitter,

which must have made approached to the runways quite interesting.

A single building of T-hangars was located northwest of the runway intersection.

The operator was listed as Dan True [who was also the weatherman at KFDA-TV].

The 1966 AOPA Airport Directory (according to David Brooks) described the KFDA-TV Airfield

as having 3 runways, all turf/sod, with the longest being the 1,500' Runway 9/27.

The operator was listed as Dan True,

and warnings were included for high towers & electrical power lines around the edges of the airfield.

No hangar facilities were described - just tie-downs.

The February 1970 DFW Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks)

depicted the KFDA-TV airfield as having a 1,700' unpaved runway.

The last chart depiction of KFDA-TV as an active airfield which has been located

was on the 1972 DFW Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks).

The 1973 USGS topo map depicted the KFDA transmitter,

but did not depict an airfield of any kind.

According to John Fullingim, “The gigantic transmission towers were built in the early 1970s,

and were not there when Dan was at KFDA.

I have been to the KFDA site many times.”

The KFDA-TV Airfield was evidently closed at some point between 1972-78,

as it was no longer depicted on the 1978 DFW Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks).

The 1995 USGS aerial photo showed that a new transmitter tower had been built somewhat to the east of the old one,

roughly over the northern portion of the former airfield.

In the 2002 USGS aerial photo, traces of the 2 former runways were still apparent.

No airfield buildings appeared to remain.

The site of the KFDA-TV Airfield is located southeast of the intersection of West Cherry Avenue & Broadway Road.

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(Original) Amarillo Municipal Airport, Amarillo, TX

35.23 North / 101.78 West (Northeast of Downtown Amarillo, TX)

The original Amarillo Airport, as depicted on the 1944 Oklahoma City Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).

The town of Amarillo had a short-lived municipal airport located 6 miles northeast of the center of the town.

The date of construction of Amarillo Municipal Airport has not been determined.

It was evidently established at some point between 1937-44,

as it was not yet listed among active airfields in the Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airport Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).

The earliest reference to the Amarillo Municipal Airport which has been located

was in the April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).

It described Amarillo Airport as having a 1,500' hard-surface runway, with a "5,200' x 4,500' all-way field available".

It also indicated that Army flight operations were conducted from the field.

The original Amarillo Airport, as depicted on the 1945 Escado Plain World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).

An undated aerial view of the original Amarillo Airport from the Haire Publishing Company's 1948 Airport Directory (courtesy of David Brooks).

The directory described the field as consisting of an area measuring 5,200' x 4,500' x 3,000',

within which were 3 paved runways.

The photo depicted several hangars (one of which had “Amarillo Flying Service” painted on the roof),

along with dozens of light aircraft.

The last chart depiction which has been located of the original Amarillo Airport as an active airfield

was on the 1949 Albuquerque Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks).

The original Amarillo Airport was evidently closed at some point between 1949-54,

as it was no longer depicted on the 1954 Albuquerque Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks),

nor on the 1956 USGS topo map.

It was most likely closed after the much larger English Field (3 miles to the east, known today as Amarillo International Airport)

was opened by the military to civilian air traffic.

In the 1995 USGS aerial photo, not a trace of the former airfield was recognizable.

In the 2002 USGS aerial photo, not a trace of the former airfield was recognizable.

The site of the original Amarillo Airport is located northeast of the intersection of Route 50 & Route 136.

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Dalhart Aux AAF #1, Dalhart, TX

36 North / 102.69 West (Northwest of Amarillo, TX)

A 1943 Army plan of Dalhart Aux AAF #1, courtesy of John Voss.

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

This very large abandoned airfield was built during WW2 as one of 2 auxiliary fields for Dalhart AAF,

(a few miles to the east), which conducted training in the B-17, B-24, B-29, B-32, and also the Waco glider.

The airfield consisted of 3 paved 8,000' runways,

taxiways & a large concrete ramp (measuring 211,000 square yards).

A single hangar was located on the east edge of the ramp,

and a substantial number of buildings were situated on a street grid to the east of the ramp.

The 1944 Albuquerque Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss) depicted Dalhart Aux #1 as having its own control tower.

Dalhart AAF & its 2 auxiliary fields,

as depicted on the 1945 Trinidad Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

According to Matthew Byrd (who grew up adjacent to Dalhart AAF),

Auxiliary Field #1 was known as the West Base among locals.

There were several other areas designated for dropping dummy munitions spaced in between the bases

(one of them northeast of Conlen).

According to Byrd, the West Base was also used as a camp for German prisoners of war.

"Dalhart AF #1" was still depicted as an active military airfield

on the 1949 Trinidad Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

It was described as having an 8,100' hard-surface runway.

Dalhart Aux #1 was closed at some point between 1949-63,

as it was labeled "Abandoned airport" on the October 1963 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

As of the 1996 USGS aerial photo,

the outlines of the runways & taxiways were still plainly apparent,

but most of their pavement had been removed.

The ramp pavement still remained,

as the ramp may have been used as a makeshift runway after the runways themselves were removed (as was done at Dalhart Aux #2).

It appears as if the single hangar had been removed,

but its walls remained standing (also just like the hangar at Dalhart Aux #2).

The locked gate at the entrance to Dalhart Aux #1, 1998.

A water tower & the concrete sides of a hangar still remain.

A circa 2001-2005 aerial photo showed that the majority of 2 of the runways still remained intact,

with the pavement of the 3^rd runway having largely been removed.

The ramp pavement also still remained.

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Dalhart Aux AAF #2 / Miller Field (2E1), Dalhart, TX

36.09 North / 102.42 West (Northwest of Amarillo, TX)

A 1943 Army plan of Dalhart Aux AAF #2, courtesy of John Voss.

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

This field was built during WW2 as one of 2 auxiliary fields for Dalhart AAF,

(a few miles to the southwest), which conducted training in B-17s, B-24s, B-29s & B-32s.

It was also known as Witt Field.

As constructed during the war, the airfield consisted of 3 paved 8,000' runways,

taxiways & a large concrete ramp (measuring 205,000 square yards).

A single hangar was located on the east edge of the ramp,

and a substantial number of buildings were situated on a street grid to the east of the ramp.

"Dalhart AF #2" was still depicted as an active military airfield

on the 1949 Trinidad Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

It was described as having an 8,000' hard-surface runway.

According to Matthew Byrd (who grew up adjacent to Dalhart AAF),

Auxiliary Field #2 was known as the East Base among locals.

Dalhart Aux #2 was apparently closed by the military at some point between 1949-63,

as it was labeled "Abandoned airport" on the October 1963 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

However, the former Dalhart Aux #2 field was apparently reopened as a civilian airport at some point between 1963-70,

as it was listed as Miller Field in the 1970 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Ray Brindle).

It was named for Delmar Miller, a WW2-era instructor.

According to Matthew Byrd, Miller Field "used to be a hopping place in the 1960s & 1970s."

In the 1985 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Steve Cruse),

it can be seen that the runways of the former AAF were abandoned,

with the former ramp & a taxiway being reused as a 6,500' Runway 17/35.

The manager was listed as Delmar Miller.

In the 1996 USGS aerial photo, the remnants of the 3 former paved runways were still discernible,

although most of their pavement had been removed.

The paved ramp & taxiway on the east side of the field remained intact,

but there was no sign of any based aircraft.

The still-standing concrete sides were the only remaining portions of a hangar at Dalhart Aux #2 in 1998.

They were being used for storage.

In a circa 2001-2005 aerial photo, the remnants of the 3 former paved runways were still discernible,

although most of their pavement had been removed (except oddly for the very ends of most of the runways).

The paved ramp & taxiway on the east side of the field remained intact.

As of 2002, the field was still in use as Miller Field, which supports infrequent crop-dusting operations.

It was described as being nearly deserted by general aviation pilots who have visited,

although the FAA Airport/Facility Directory listed a total of 4 aircraft as being based at the field.

Miller Field was evidently abandoned (for reasons unknown) at some point between 2002-2006,

as it was no longer listed in the FAA Airport/Facility Directory as of 2006 (according to Chris Kennedy).

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Pampa Army Airfield, Pampa, TX

35.53 North / 100.76 (Northeast of Amarillo, TX)

Facility area map of Pampa AAF, US Army, 1942.

A circa-1943 postcard from Pampa Field (courtesy of Steve Cruse).

An AT-17 trainer being prepared for a night flight inside a Pampa hangar during WW2.

This site was a pre-WW2 airfield which was taken over in 1942 by the AAF

as part of the 70,000 Pilot Training Program.

It was used by the Army Air Corps as a twin-engine flying school,

offering advanced twin-engine training in AT-10s.

Also stationed at the field were AT-9s, B-25s, and AT-17s.

The military airfield site encompassed 2,545 acres.

It was also known as the "Eagles' Nest of the High Plains".

Calvin Casteel recalled, “I did Advanced Flight Training in AT-9, AT-10, and AT-17s at Pampa Army Air Field,

graduating in February 16, 1943.”

During its 3 years of operation the base graduated 6,292 cadets.

Improvements to the site included four 3,500' runways, a large paved ramp area, hangars,

a street grid with numerous buildings, water wells & a tower, a sewage disposal plant,

and ordnance areas & a skeet range.

Pampa AAF & its satellite fields, as depicted on the 1945 Oklahoma City Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).

During WW2, Pampa had a total of four satellite fields:

Reeves Aux #1 (6 miles south of Pampa, TX),

Thompson Aux #2 (6 miles NNW of Pampa, TX), later reused as Perry Lefors Airport,

Hoover Aux #3 (9 miles northwest of Pampa AAF), of which no trace remains,

and Laketon Aux #4 (9 miles ENE of Pampa AAF), of which no trace remains.

Pampa AAF was closed in 1945,

and transferred as surplus to the Corps of Engineers in 1947.

It was then acquired by the Air Force in 1948 & redesignated Pampa AF Auxiliary Field #1.

It was depicted as "Pampa AF #1" on the 1949 Oklahoma City Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

The Pampa airfield remained on the Air Force property rolls until at least 1952, but was then closed again.

It was declared excess in 1955, and the last tract of land was sold in 1957.

Calvin Casteel recalled, “I visited what was remaining of Pampa Army Air Field in 1963 -

all that remained was a couple of hangars & part of the ramp which was being used as a cattle feeding lot.”

By 1978, the large Pampa airfield was no longer depicted at all (not even as an abandoned airfield)

on the DFW Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ray Brindle).

In 1982 a Texas Historical Commission historical marker was placed near the site,

at the intersection of Rt.152 & Farm Road 3302.

As seen in the 1996 USGS aerial photo,

the only remaining elements of the former airfield were portions of the paved ramp area,

at least one hangar & several other buildings, and portions of the street grid.

All of the runways had been removed, with their location reverted to farmland.

The outline of the northeast/southwest runway was still barely discernible in the farmland.

Recent photo of the remains of the Pampa ramp.

Recent photo of a remaining hangar at Pampa.

Scott Murdock visited the site of Pampa AAF in 2003,

and reported that "Most of the airfield is fenced off & used for farming.

The runway patterns are faintly visible in aerial photos, but the ground is now farmland.

The most obvious remnant of AAF use is the concrete water tower."

A 2003 Army Corps of Engineers diagram of the WW2-era property boundaries of Pampa AAF.

The airfield at Pampa was not depicted at all (even as abandoned) on recent aeronautical charts or topo maps.

The remnants of Pampa AAF are located southeast of the intersection of Route 152 & Ranch Road 1474.