Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:

Texas: Western Corpus Christi area

© 2002, © 2011 by Paul Freeman. Revised 3/26/11.

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Please consider a financial contribution to support the continued growth & operation of this site.



Aransas Pass Municipal (revised 7/5/10) - Cabaniss NOLF (revised 3/26/11)

Cliff Maus Airport (revised 7/6/10) - Cuddihy NAAS (revised 3/26/11) - NOLF 26832 / Field #36 (revised 3/26/11)

Orange Grove NALF (revised 3/4/06) - Rodd NAAS (revised 3/26/11) - Waldron NOLF (revised 7/6/10)



Naval Outlying Landing Field #26832 / Field #36, Driscoll, TX

27.68 North / 97.78 West (West of Corpus Christi, TX)

A December 1942 aerial view looking southeast at NOLF 26832 (courtesy of Gerry Asher),

with the wing float of an unidentified floatplane in the foreground.



This field was one of a large number of satellite airfields built during WW2

to support Navy flight training in the Corpus Christi area.

The date of construction of Field #26832 has not been determined.



The earliest depiction of the field which has been located

was a December 1942 aerial view looking southeast (courtesy of Gerry Asher).

It depicted NOLF 26832 as having 4 paved runways.



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction of NOLF 26832 which has been located

was on the July 1943 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).



Brian Rehwinkel reported, “According to a 1943 Navy memo, this field consisted of 250 acres of land.

During most of its use during WWII, Field # 36/ Designation 26832 was assigned to NAAS Cuddihy Field.”



A WW2-era aerial view looking southeast at NOLF 26832.



"26832 (Navy)” was still depicted as an active airfield

on the 1949 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It was described as having an 1,800' hard-surface runway.



A December 22, 1951 aerial photo of In the photo of Field # 36 / OLF 26832 (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel).

Brian observed, “You see the repeat of the partial star-shaped runway layout.”

The field had a total of 4 runways.

There did not appear to be any buildings at the site.

Also note the “36” - the field # painted in large numerals.

Brian observed, “Similar to the Pensacola area fields, the large concentration of training fields necessitated the marking of fields for pilots.”



Field 36 NOLF 26832 was evidently abandoned by the Navy at some point between 1949-44,

as it was labeled as “Naval Auxiliary Field 36 (Inactive)” on the 1954 USGS topo map.



NOLF 26832 was no longer depicted at all on the July 1969 Brownsville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

nor on the 1969 USGS topo map.



The telltale star-shaped outline of a Corpus Christi auxiliary airfield was still discernible in the 1995 USGS photo.



The outline of the airfield was still perceptible in a 2003 aerial photo as well.



The site of Field #26832 is located southeast of the intersection of Route 665 & CR-85.

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Cliff Maus Airport, Corpus Christi, TX

27.77 North / 97.44 West (Southwest of Houston, TX)

A 1929 photo of the first meeting of the Corpus Christi Aero Club,

founded by Cliff Maus & R. J. Roberts (courtesy of Steve Cruse).

 

According to the 2/20/02 issue of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times,

Corpus Christi didn't get around to building its first airport until 1928.

That was after Charles Lindbergh flew over Port Aransas on his "goodwill hop" from Washington to Mexico City.

Lindbergh could have landed in Corpus Christi, city leaders thought, if there had been an airport.

 

Voters passed a $50,000 bond issue in 1928 to build an airport

and the city bought a 180 acre pasture off old Brownsville Road.

The airport consisted of a hangar, business office, and shell runway.

The runway had not been completed when aviator Cliff Maus landed his plane

at the new field with his business partner Bob Maverick on board.

 

Shortly afterwards in 1928, a new airline company moved to the airport.

It was the Texas Air Company (TAC) owned by Maus & Maverick.

It was mainly a crop-dusting operation,

but on the first day at Corpus Christi the company was hired to fly 2 golfers to a tournament in San Antonio.

 

Maus' first crop-dusting job was on the Weil farm near the airport.

Corpus Christi also hired Maus to spray the city with mosquito insecticide.

 

Maus & Maverick began a flying school, the Southern Academy of Aeronautics,

with lessons priced at $5 a flight.

After one month, the school graduated its first 2 pilots: J. A. Knolle & J. Luther Petty.

 

Regular passenger service began in 1929.

Southern Air Transport, using a six-seater Fokker,

operated between San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville.

A round-trip flight cost $27.

 

By the end of 1930, the city's airport was humming,

with some 250 planes (military & commercial) landing per month.

The Army Air Corps, flying out of Kelly Field in San Antonio,

began using Corpus Christi as a stopover for training flights.

The airport was enlarged & 3 runways forming a large "A" were added.

Cliff Maus was named the airport manager at a salary of $250 a month.

 

For 3 days in 1930, an exhibition team led by Clyde "Upside Down" Pangburn gave demonstrations at the airport.

People were taken up for flights over the city for $1 each.

In 1931, a brief stop was made by Jimmy Doolittle,

who touched down for 16 minutes during his attempt to set a new speed record from Ottawa, Canada, to Mexico City.

 

But the biggest event for the airport in those early years occurred in 1932,

when American Airways (later to become American Airlines) began air mail & passenger service to Corpus Christi.

The American Airways plane was a 10-passenger Fairchild.

It landed at Corpus Christi on an afternoon flight from Brownsville.

When it took off for San Antonio, the plane was carrying 360 pounds of mail,

inaugurating regular air-mail service for Corpus Christi.

 

Maus left as airport manager in 1934 to take a job with Braniff Airways.

He was killed soon afterwards when his plane crashed in a thick fog on the outskirts of Fort Worth.

After his death, the City Council voted to change the name of the airport to Cliff Maus Municipal Airport.

 

Braniff began flying out of Corpus Christi in 1935 with a six-passenger Lockheed Vega.

Later that spring, it switched to a 10-passenger Lockheed Electric on its Dallas-Brownsville flight.

The following year, Braniff added a Corpus Christi-Houston flight.

Eastern Air Lines began flying out of Corpus Christi in 1939.

 

Cliff Maus Airport, as depicted on the July 1943 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).

 

David Brooks recalled, "I flew in & out of there several times on Braniff & Trans Texas before it was shut down.

It was small from my recollections, the 'long' runway being only about 4,000 ft.

I had a Braniff pilot friend who flew to Corpus Christi

and he complained about its small size; he flew Convair 340s.

The terminal building was very small, each carrier had about 10 feet of counter space.

Eastern, Braniff and Trans Texas were the only carriers & there were less than 20 flights per day."

 

In 1947, the city of Corpus Christi assumed operation of Cuddihy Field, a former WW2 Navy airfield.

Cuddihy competed with Cliff Maus, and the city considered enlarging Cuddihy & making it the city's major airport.

Many private aircraft moved to Cuddihy after 1947.

 

The earliest photo which has been located showing the facilities at Cliff Maus Field was a 1949 view of a DC-3 at in front of a hangar (courtesy of Steve Cruse).

 

The 1949 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

described Cliff Maus Airport as having a 4,500' hard-surface runway & a control tower.



The 1951 USGS topo map depicted Cliff Maus Airport as having 3 paved runways,

taxiways, ramps, and several hangars on the northwest side of the field.

 

Victor Gonzalez recalled, “I was 4 years old when we moved to Airport Road & Navajo Street.

The landing / take-off patterns were right over our rooftops.

Those Convairs, DC-3s, DC-6s shook our old house on a daily basis.

At night, when there was a prevailing southern wind, they would light up our yards with their powerful landing lights.

I spent most of my spare time at the airport visiting all the buildings,

from the check-in counters to the kitchens, the hangar, the Government small building (weather bureau).

I made friends with Leslie, a porter for Braniff Airways.

I would help him sweep the DC-3s and fit new white cloth seat protectors

for some fountain soft drinks served right out of the stainless steel food & drink containers on board.

I would spent days around the airport, and also wave 'bye'

to the pilots passing north on Airport road on their way home or to the Driscoll Hotel.”



Victor continued, “One of my biggest thrills was in October of 1952,

when campaigning Richard Nixon stopped by Corpus Christi on his leased Braniff Airways DC-6.

They cut the barbed wire fence at the end of the north runway next to airport road

and made a make-shift driveway for cars to go in to the airport near the runway.

School was let out half day & I went to see the speech this man gave from a wooden platform they had constructed.

Two beautiful Braniff stewardesses were waiting by the top of the stairs to the plane waiting there.

They invited me and a friend to sit in the pilot's seat...

From the captains' seat I could look down to Mr. Nixon speaking for Dwight Eisenhower.”



A 3/4/54 aerial view depicted Cliff Maus Field as having 3 paved runways,

with a ramp with several buildings on the northwest side.

A single aircraft was on the ramp, and a DC-3 was visible was visible on a taxiway on the north end,

taxiing for takeoff on Runway 17.



In the early 1950s, the need for a larger airport became evident;

there was not enough room to expand Cliff Maus.

The city began looking for a new location.

The Portland area was considered, but it was decided that this would conflict with the Navy's flight paths.

The city decided in 1955 to build a new airport in the Clarkwood area.

 

A 1960 photo of dignitaries boarding a DC-3 at Cliff Maus Field

for the short flight to the new Corpus Christi International Airport (courtesy of Steve Cruse).

 

Corpus Christi International Airport opened in 1960.

Mayor Ellroy King & Eastern Airlines President Eddie Rickenbacker were flown on a DC-3

for the short flight from Cliff Maus Field to the new Corpus Christi International Airport.

Cliff Maus Airport presumably closed after the opening of the new field.



A 3/5/61 aerial view showed that the runways & buildings remained intact at Cliff Maus,

but the airport appeared abandoned, with no aircraft visible.



Cliff Maus Airport was still depicted on the 1964 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss),

although it was labeled "closed".

The Aerodromes table on the chart described the field as having a total of 3 runways,

with the longest being a 4,503' asphalt runway.

 

In 1970, the Corpus Christi State School was opened,

built on 201 acres that formerly were the site of the Cliff Maus Airport.

 

Kent Dyer recalled, "I used to live in Corpus Christi, and worked at the Corpus Christi State School.

The story I hear is that as TDMHMR was building the State School,

it was hampered by constantly digging up tarmac.

To this day, if you want to plant a tree, they pull out the backhoe."

 

The remains of the 2 runways were still depicted along the southeast end of the airport property in the 1975 USGS topo.



A 3/5/79 aerial view showed that a north/south road had been built through the center of the runway,

and a golf course had begun to cover the western portion.



The remains of the 2 runways at the southeast end of the former airfield were still visible in the 2002 USGS aerial photo.

Several ball fields had been built among the remains of the runways.



A circa 2001-2005 aerial view looking north at the remains of 2 runways

at the site of Cliff Maus Airport.

 

Eric Patrick reported in 2006, “There are 3 hangars that are still sitting there,

but they are in quite a bit of disrepair.

I think the control tower is still standing too.”



The southern portion of the former airport is labeled "Airport Park" on recent street maps.

 

The site of Cliff Maus Airport is located southeast of the intersection of Old Brownsville Road & Airport Road,

appropriately enough.

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Aransas Pass Municipal Airport (O3R), Aransas Pass, TX

27.88 North / 97.12 West (Northeast of Corpus Christi)

Aransas Pass Airport, as depicted in the 1970 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Ray Brindle).

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.



This general aviation airport was evidently built at some point between 1954-63,

as it was not yet depicted at all on the 1954 USGS topo map.

The earliest reference to the airport which has been located is the 1963 TX Airport Directory,

which describes the field as having a 2,000' hard-surface runway.

The manager is listed as Paul Lomax, of the First State Bank.



By 1970, the runway had been slightly lengthened,

as the 1970 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Ray Brindle)

depicted Aransas Pass as having a 3,200' asphalt Runway 15/33,

as well as a parallel taxiway & a ramp area on the northeast side of the runway.



The only photo which has been located showing aircraft on Aransas Pass Municipal Airport

was a 3/5/85 aerial view looking south.

Three light aircraft were visible on the ramp on the northeast side of the field.

 

The 1985 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Steve Cruse) depicted the runway configuration as basically unchanged.

 

USGS aerial photo 1995.

 

According to local pilot Jeffery Sternberg,

Aransas Pass Airport was still an active municipal airport up to 1996.

It was closed sometime after that,

and the runway is now completely lined with trailer homes.

 

Aransas Pass was depicted as an abandoned airfield on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart.



A circa 2001-2005 aerial view looking north at the former Aransas Pass Airport

showed the runway remained completely intact, lined with trailers.



A circa 2001-2005 aerial view looking east at the former terminal building / hangar

on the ramp of the former Aransas Pass Airport.

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Cuddihy Naval Auxiliary Air Station / Cuddihy Field Airport (07TE), Corpus Christi, TX

27.72 North / 97.51 West (South of Corpus Christi International Airport, TX)

A 1941 aerial view looking northeast at Cuddihy Field.



This airfield was used during WW2 as one of 3 satellite fields for Corpus Christi NAS,

which conducted primary & advanced flight training for American cadets & those of several foreign countries.



The date of construction of Cuddihy Field has not been determined.



The earliest depiction of the field which has been located was a 1941 aerial view looking northeast.

It depicted the field as having 4 asphalt runways, a large paved ramp area on the north side with 3 large hangars,

and a housing area with buildings north of the hangars.



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Cuddihy Field which has been located

was on the July 1943 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).



A WW2-era aerial view looking northeast at the 3 Cuddihy hangars,

with large numbers of Navy single-engine aircraft parked on the ramp.



A 1944 aerial view looking north at Cuddihy (National Archives photo).



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Cuddihy Field

as an 803 acre irregularly-shaped field having 4 asphalt 5,000' runways.

The field was described as having 3 steel 96' x 28' hangars.

Cuddihy was listed as having a total of 7 outlying fields: 27221 Outlying Field #30 (6 mi W), 28523 Outlying Field #31 (7.9 mi NW),

27325 Outlying Field #32 (10 mi W), 28327 Outlying Field #33 (11 mi WNW), 26426 Outlying Field #34 (12 mi WSW),

28131 Outlying Field #35 (16 mi WNW), and 26832 Outlying Field #36 (17 mi W).



Cuddihy was closed at an unknown date after WW2.

It was used for a few months in 1947 as the temporary campus

of the Arts & Technological College (later to become Texas A & M University at Corpus Christi).

 

In 1947, the city of Corpus Christi assumed operation of Cuddihy Field,

and it began to be used as a civil airport.

Most private aircraft were moved from Corpus Christi's Cliff Maus Airport to Cuddihy Field in 1947.

 

The 1949 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

described Cuddihy Field as having a 5,000' hard-surface runway & a control tower.



The 1954 USGS topo map depicted Cuddihy Field as having 4 paved runways, 3 hangars, and a large number of buildings.



A 3/4/56 aerial view depicted at least 4 aircraft on the ramp at Cuddihy Field.

The runways appeared to be painted with markings subdividing them into aircraft carrier practice outlines.



A December 1961 aerial view no longer showed any aircraft on the field at Cuddihy.

All 4 runways remained largely intact.



Cuddihy was listed among active airfields in the 1963 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Steve Cruse),

which depicted the field as having 2 of the 4 original runways still maintained.

The operators were listed as Coastal States Aviation Inc & Coastal States Aircraft Corp.



A December 1979 aerial view showed that Runways 4/22 & 8/26 had been removed at some point between 1963-79.



Cuddihy had become a private airfield by 1982,

as that is how it was listed in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury),

with a single 5,000' asphalt Runway 13/31.



The 1989 USGS topo map depicted Cuddihy Field as having one full-width runway (13/31),

whereas the former Runway 17/35 was shown as being considerably narrower than its original width.



A 1990 photo by John Voss of the 3 ex-Navy hangars which remain at Cuddihy.

 

As seen in the 1995 USGS aerial photo,

the ramp area is in very poor condition, but all 3 hangars are still standing.

Only one runway is still maintained (13/31, 5,000' long), but appears to be in poor condition.

The north/south runway still exists, in a similar state.

All of the east/west runway & most of the northeast/southwest runway have been broken up.



According to Jeffery Sternberg (who visited the site in 2001),

numerous small industrial buildings line the remaining active runway.



A circa 2006 aerial view looking south at what appears to be the only hangar adjacent to Cuddihy's only remaining runway (31/31).



A circa 2006 aerial view looking south at the remains of Cuddihy's Runway 17 pavement.



A circa 2006 aerial view looking west at the southern-most of Cuddihy's 3 hangars, with the attached control tower.



A sad sight for anyone with an appreciation of our nation's aviation history -

a circa 2006 aerial view looking south at the northern-most of Cuddihy's 3 hangars, which has had most of its roof cave in.

Note the lettering “Cuddihy Field” along the top of the near side of the hangar,

as well as the lettering on the sides, which appear to say “Cuddihy Aviation” (?) & “Radio Shop”.



As of 2008, Cuddihy is still listed as an active private airfield, Cuddihy Field Airport,

with a single 5,000 asphalt Runway 13/31.

The owner is listed as Jimmy Adair, with one multi-engine aircraft based at the field.



A 12/22/09 view above the deteriorating hangars at Cuddihy.



A 12/22/09 view of a hangar with the control tower at Cuddihy.

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Orange Grove Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NOG), Alice, TX

27.9 North / 98.05 West (Northwest of Kingsville NAS)

NALF Orange Grove, as depicted on the 1964 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).

 

This field was built to serve as a satellite airfield for nearby Kingsville & Corpus Christi Naval Air Stations.



According to Ken (who was stationed at NALF Orange Grove from early 1966 to the end of 1967),

“NALF Orange Grove was opened in 1957.

I looked in all the logs while on duty & to the best of my knowledge this is when it opened.”



The earliest depiction of Orange Grove which has been located

is the 1964 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).

"NALF Orange Grove" was described as having a single 8,000' paved runway & a control tower.

 

Ken recalled, “I was a Navy Airman in the crash crew [from 1966-67].

While a minimum of 3 personnel were on duty at all times - no one lived on station.

Everyone lived in Alice, TX.

During Huricane Buella in 1967, sustained winds reached 126 miles / hour on station.

During a hot spell in summer 1967 operations were suspended for a day when the temperature was 112 degF.

The asphalt roll-offs following the concrete tough & go pads were too hot.

Just for fun, Navy & Marine Instructors would fly 'wheels up' below the tower's telephone line (about 25 feet high)

and the administration building just across from the tower.

An average of 21 enlisted personnel were assigned to this landing field at any one time during my duty years.

The highest ranking person on station was a Chief Petty Officer.”



Ken continued, “Operations were conducted by squadron instructors. Aviation officers in training were bussed in.

Day & night & carrier landings were simulated (touch & go) using the 'ball system' & later a fresnel lens system.

This took place from about 6:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Elapsed time between touchdowns was 12-15 seconds (non stop) group rotation.

An exception was when the carrier was in the Gulf for a training exercise.

Aircraft were Navy Grumman TF9J Cougars from Kingsville & Beeville.

No aircraft remained on station overnight unless it was not in condition to fly.

An S-2F is buried upside down, just after the roll-off of one runway (southern end).

The nose wheels & part of the landing gear were still exposed in 1967.

Remains of a crashed Cougar are buried in a pit north of the tower.”



An undated patch commemorating NALF Orange Grove.



A second runway was constructed at Orange Grove at some point between 1964-69,

as the July 1969 Brownsville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted the field as having 2 paved runways, with the longest being 8,000'.

 

USGS aerial photo 1995.

 

As of 2003, the airfield consisted of two 8,000' runways: 1/19 & 13/31,

and it is still used as a satellite airfield for NAS Kingsville & NAS Corpus Christi.

 

According to Naval Aviator Jeffery Sternberg,

Orange Grove is used mainly for jet touch & go training from Kingsville,

and for IFR training using its radar facility (it has a TACAN & PAR approach).

The field's Fire Department kitchen also makes a good breakfast for about $2.

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Rodd Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Corpus Christi, TX

27.65 North / 97.38 West (Southeast of Cabanis NOLF, TX)

A December 1942 aerial view looking southwest at the Rodd Field ramp (courtesy of Gerry Asher),

showing over a hundred biplane trainers, along with hangars, a control tower, runways, and the circular landing mat.



The federal government acquired 861 acres on this site in 1940,

and activated Rodd Field in 1941.

Rodd Field was used for Naval Cadet flight training

& as an auxiliary landing field for the nearby Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.

The airfield eventually consisted of a total of 4 paved 6,100' runways,

taxiways, a ramp area, 3 hangars, and a street grid with a total of 75 buildings.



The earliest depiction of the field which has been located

was a December 1942 aerial view looking southwest (courtesy of Gerry Asher).

It showed the Rodd Field ramp holding over a hundred biplane trainers,

along with hangars, a control tower, runways, and the circular landing mat.



A December 1942 aerial view looking west at the Rodd Field ramp (courtesy of Gerry Asher),

showed a huge assemblage of biplane trainers, along with 3 hangars, a control tower, runways, and the circular landing mat.



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Rodd which has been located

was on the July 1943 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).



A 1944 aerial view looking northeast at Rodd Field (National Archives photo).



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Rodd Field

as a 861 acre irregularly-shaped field having 4 bituminous runways, the longest being the 5,138' north/south & northeast/southwest strips.

The diagram also depicted 2 paved circular landing mats.

The field was described as having 3 steel & metal 200' square hangars,

Rodd was listed as having a total of 9 outlying fields:

24311 Outlying Field #1A (3.1 mi SW), 22514 Outlying Field #1B (6.5 mi WSW),

21811 Outlying Field #1C (5 mi S), 22215 Outlying Field #1D (8.5 mi SSW),

22912 Outlying Field #10 (5 mi SSW), 23416 Outlying Field #11 (7.6 mi SW),

22521 Outlying Field #14 (14 mi SW), 24025 Outlying Field #25 (17 mi WSW),

and Rockport NOLF 03022 (4.5 miles north of Rockport), which was reused as Aransas County Airport.



"NAAS Rodd" was still depicted as an active airfield

on the 1949 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),

and was described as having a 5,100' hard-surface runway.



The 1951 USGS topo map depicted Rodd Field as having 4 paved runways, 3 hangars, a control tower, and numerous buildings.



Rodd Field appeared to have been closed by the time of a 3/4/56 aerial view, as no aircraft were visible on the field,

and 2 of the 3 hangars had been removed.

The runways remained intact, consisting of 4 paved runways along with 2 giant circular landing pads.



The precise date of closure of Rodd Field has not been determined,

but the property was declared excess in 1958.



The General Services Administration sold portions of the Rodd Field property to several private parties in 1960.

GSA transferred 136 acres of the northern portion of the base to NASA in 1964,

which established the Texas Manned Space Flight Network Tracking Station at the site.

The Texas MSFN Tracking Station opened in 1967,

and was operated by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation.

The station's administrative offices were located in one of the former Navy hangars,

referred to as the main operations building.

In addition to the administration offices, the hangar housed telemetry systems, command system,

computers, and other communications equipment.

Located about one mile south of the hangar was the VHF Acquisition Aid equipment.

The Unified S-Band system & power generating equipment were located a half mile north of the hangar.

 

During the Apollo Program, this Texas station acted as a remote station,

remoting telemetry data, tracking information, and voice communications to MCCH in Houston.

The station also acted as an uplink facility between the lunar vehicles & the MCCH Control Center.

 

By the time of the July 1969 Brownsville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),

the airfield at Rodd was no longer depicted at all.

 

The NASA facility was closed by 1974, at which point their property was transferred back to GSA.



The 1975 USGS topo map no longer depicted any runways on the property (just one remaining hangar),

and labeled the property as “NASA tracking facility”.



The Rodd property was conveyed in 1980 to the City of Corpus Christi, which built Bill Witt Park.

The park still exists today on that part of the property.



The 1984 USGS topo map labeled the property as “Radio facility”.



The City of Corpus Christi acquired 175 acres along the southern periphery of the airfield 1987-1988,

which became Oso Creek Park.

 

A 1990 photo by John Voss of the remaining hangar at NAAS Rodd.

 

A 1990 closeup by John Voss of the remaining hangar at NAAS Rodd.

 

USGS aerial photo 1995.

The outline of the southwest intersection of the runways is still barely discernable.



A recent photo by Jason Grant of the remaining hangar at Rodd.



A recent, starkly-beautiful photo by Jason Grant of the remaining hangar at Rodd.



A recent photo by Jason Grant of the wrecked interior of the remaining hangar at Rodd.

 

A visit to the site in 2001 by Jeffery Sternberg provided an update of the status of Rodd.

Most of the ramp area also still existed,

as well as one of the 3 hangars (which was in an advanced state of deterioration).

The street grid & a number of small concrete buildings still existed.

Most of the runways had been removed,

with the exception of an 800' segment of the east/west runway

(visible as a white line in the above aerial photo, north of the baseball diamonds),

which was currently used as a parking lot for the baseball fields.

The control tower remained, just south of the remaining runway segment.



A circa 2005 aerial photo looking north at the sole remaining hangar at Rodd.



From a set of circa 2005 aerial photos,

it appears as if Rodd's control tower was removed at some point between 2001-2005.



A 1996 Army Corps of Engineers report gives more details of Rodd.

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Cabaniss Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NGW), Corpus Christi, TX

27.7 North / 97.43 West (Southwest of Downtown Corpus Christi, TX)

A 1941 aerial view looking northeast at Cabaniss Field while it was still under construction.



This field was built in 1941 as one of 3 satellite airfields for nearby Corpus Christi Naval Air Station,

which conducted primary & advanced flight training for American cadets & those of several foreign countries.



The earliest depiction which has been found of Cabaniss Field

was a 1941 aerial view looking northeast, showing the field while it was still under construction.

Four runways had been graded & partially paved, and 2 hangars were under construction.



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been found of Cabaniss Field

was on the July 1943 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).

It depicted the field as “(Navy) Cabaniss”.



A 1943 aerial view looking east at Cabaniss Field (National Archives photo).



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Cabannis Field

as a 1,003 acre irregularly-shaped field having 4 asphalt 5,000' runways.

The field was described as having 3 steel 100' x 28' hangars.

Cabannis was listed as having a total of 10 outlying fields: 25117 Outlying Field #2A (8.2 SW), 25519 Outlying Field #2B (10 mi SW),

24823 Outlying Field #2C (14 mi SW), 25824 Outlying Field #2D (14 mi WSW), 25413 Outlying Field #20 (4.7 mi SSW),

26117 Outlying Field #21 (6.7 mi WSW), 26122 Outlying Field #22 (11 mi WSW), 24720 Outlying Field #23 (11 mi SW),

25326 Outlying Field #24 (16 mi WSW), and 25930 Outlying Field #26 (20 mi WSW).



"NAAS Cabaniss" was still depicted as an active airfield

on the 1949 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),

and was described as having a 5,000' hard-surface runway.



A 1949 photo of a sign for Cabaniss Field, showing an F8F & F4U.



A 1949 photo of a F4U Corsair at Cabaniss Field which has been modified into a static “Trainer”, either for maintenance or pilot training.



The 1951 USGS topo map depicted Cabaniss Field as having 4 paved runways, 3 hangars, a control tower, and numerous buildings.



Cabaniss was evidently closed by the Navy at some point between 1951-64,

as the 1964 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)

described the field as "permanently closed".



At some point after 1964, Cabaniss was reopened as a satellite airfield for Navy use.



“Cabaniss Field”, as depicted on the 1975 USGS topo map.

A large number of the buildings to the northeast of the airfield had been removed at some point between 1951-75.



Seagulls shooting touch & go landings in front of the control tower & hangar at Cabiniss, 1984 (courtesy of Steve Cruse).

 

A 1990 photo by John Voss of a remaining hangar at Cabaniss.

 

USGS aerial photo circa 1990s.



On May 11, 1997 a Continental Airlines pilot misjudged the location of Corpus Christi International Airport

and landed his Boeing 737 on the Cabaniss airfield instead – 4.5 miles away from his intended destination.

“It essentially was pilot error & he landed on the wrong runway," said Continental spokesman Ray Scippa.

“It's unusual, obviously, but it's something that could happen & did.”

He said the jet, which took off from Houston with 59 people aboard, landed around 10:40am at Cabaniss Field.



The runway at Cabaniss is about 3,000' shorter than the strip at Corpus Christi International.

Passengers had to wait on the plane for almost 3 hours before buses arrived to take them to the right airport,

said Leah Godfrey, whose 9-year-old son, Stephen, was on the plane.

“The runway was all cracked, not as smooth as the airport runway we usually land on.

It looked funny, and it was bumpy,” said Stephen, a 4th-grader at Andrews Elementary School in Portland.

“After we landed, the stewardess told us to stay in our seats & that they had made a mistake.”



None of the people aboard Flight 1760 was hurt.

The 54 passengers & their luggage were taken by bus to the airport where they were supposed to have flown.

Another crew was sent to take the plane back to Houston, where Continental is based, Scippa said.

A Continental spokeswoman said the flight returned to Houston Intercontinental after 9 pm Sunday.

Scippa said the original crew of 5 members was pulled so the airline could conduct an internal investigation.

“The pilot has said that he thought he was lined up with the right airfield,”

said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Roland Herwig, who is based in Oklahoma City.

“But the reason is still under investigation.”

He said the investigation will include interviews with the pilot, air traffic controllers and dispatchers.

The National Transportation Safety Board also will investigate.



As of 2003, a total of 4 runways still remained at Cabaniss.

Runways 13/31 & 17/35 were still operational (both 5,000'), and Runway 13/31 was lighted.

Cabaniss had an active tower, and it was used primary for multi-engine day & night touch & go's.



A circa 2005 aerial photo looking south at the 2 remaining hangars at Cabaniss -

showing the very poor condition of the facilities.



A circa 2005 aerial photo looking east at Cabaniss's control tower & fire department -

both of which appear to be of relatively recent construction.



A 2007 photo by Jesse O'Neal of the sign for the “Marine Corporation Cabaniss Inc.” which sits in front of an abandoned Cabaniss hangar.



Jesse O'Neal reported in 2007, “I am an air traffic controller.

I spend most of my days at either field [Waldron & Cabaniss] working traffic or playing cards, depending on workload.

About 6 months ago I ventured into the hangers at Cabaniss, it was really neat.

The paintings were still on the walls from years ago, when it was a schoolhouse,

all paintings had a 'pay attention in class' theme.”



A 2007 photo by Jesse O'Neal of the interior of an abandoned Cabaniss hangar.



A 2007 photo by Jesse O'Neal of the interior of an abandoned Cabaniss hangar.



A 2007 photo by Jesse O'Neal of mural of an A-1 Skyraider inside an abandoned Cabaniss hangar.



A 2007 photo by Jesse O'Neal of looking outward from one abandoned Cabaniss hangar toward another.



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Waldron Naval Outer Landing Field, Corpus Christi, TX

27.64 North / 97.32 West (South of Downtown Corpus Christi, TX)

"(Navy) Waldron", as depicted on the July 1943 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).



Waldron was built as a satellite airfield in 1943 for nearby Corpus Christi Naval Air Station.



The earliest depiction of the field which has been located

was on the July 1943 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).



A 1944 aerial view looking southeast at Waldron Field (National Archives photo).

It depicted the field as having 4 paved runways, large ramps, and 2 large hangars.

 

A WW2-era matchbook cover from Waldron Field (courtesy of Steve Cruse).



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Waldron Field

as a 640 acre square-shaped field having 4 bituminous 5,000' runways.

The field was described as having 2 wooden 192' x 125' hangars.

Waldron was listed as having a total of 4 outlying fields: 21917 Outlying Field #12 (12 mi SW), 23521 Outlying Field #13 (15 mi SW),

23425 Outlying Field #15 (20 mi SW), and 20410 Outlying Field #41 (5 mi SSW).



"Waldron" was still depicted as an active airfield

on the 1949 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),

and was described as having a 5,000' hard-surface runway.



The 1951 USGS topo map depicted Waldron Field as having 4 paved runways, a control tower, and numerous buildings.

It appears as if the 2 hangars had been removed at some point between 1944-51.



Waldron was evidently closed at some point between 1951-64,

as it was labeled "Aband airport" on the 1964 Corpus Christi Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).



However, the field was brought back into limited use by the Navy at some point between 1964-69

as an Outlying Field for NAS Corpus Christi,

as "OLF Waldron (Navy)" was once again depicted as an active airfield

on the July 1969 Brownsville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The 1989 USGS topo map depicted Waldron Field as having 4 paved runways.

A large number of the buildings to the southeast of the airfield had been removed at some point between 1951-89.



A 1990 photo by John Voss of a Navy T-34C Turbo Mentor at Waldron.



The 1995 USGS aerial photo showed that 2 of Waldron's runways were still maintained (with the primary runway being 5,000'),

while 2 others had been abandoned but were still discernible.

Both hangars were gone, the ramps being completely clear.



USNR LtJg. R.E. Hight reported in 2001 that Waldron was still used as a NOLF for NAS Corpus Christi.

No squadrons were based there, but T-34s used the field to practice touch & go's.



A circa 2005 aerial photo looking north at Waldron's control tower -

which appears to be of relatively recent construction.



A 12/31/08 aerial view showed that the only buildings located along Waldron's ramp

were the control tower & a small metal building for the fire department,

both of which appeared to be of relatively recent construction.

No trace remained of the 2 large hangars which occupied the ramp area during WW2.

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