Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Texas - Waco area
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 1/12/08.
(Original) Hillsboro Municipal Airport (revised 11/8/04) - Waco Aux AAF #5 / Prairie Hill AF Aux (revised 1/12/08)
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(Original) Hillsboro Municipal Airport (F74), Hillsboro, TX
32.05 North / 97.12 West (South of Fort Worth, TX)
Hillsboro Municipal Airport, as depicted on the July 1968 Dallas 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 1965-66,
as it was not yet depicted on the 1965 Dallas Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks).
The earliest depiction of the Hillsboro Municipal Airport which has been located
was on the 1966 Dallas Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks).
The July 1968 Dallas Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Hillsboro as having a single 3,500' paved runway.
The 1983 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Hillsboro Municipal as having a single 3,533' paved Runway 15/33,
with a small ramp on the northwest side of the field with a few small buildings or hangars.
The manager was listed as Ed Shronk.
The 1989 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of David Brooks)
depicted Hillsboro Municipal as having a single 3,500' paved Runway 16/34,
with a small ramp on the northwest side of the field with a few small buildings or hangars.
The manager was listed as Ed Shronk.
Hillsboro Municipal still appeared to be an active airport in the 1995 USGS aerial photo,
as at least one small single-engine aircraft was visible on the ramp on the northwest side of the field.
The Hillsboro Municipal Airport was evidently closed at some point later in 1995,
when its replacement, the "New Hillsboro" Airport, was opened a few miles to the northeast.
The 1995 Dallas Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Brooks) depicted the original Hillsboro Airport as "closed",
in addition to the "New Hillsboro" Airport.
The original Hillsboro Municipal Airport was depicted as an abandoned airfield
on the 2004 DFW Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The original Hillsboro Municipal Airport is located on the east side of Route 81, south of its intersection with HCR 4231.
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Waco Auxiliary Army Airfield #5 / Prairie Hill Air Force Auxiliary Field, Prairie Hill, TX
31.63 North / 96.79 West (East of Waco, TX)
"Waco #5", as depicted on the January 1945 Austin 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 three satellite airfields for Waco AAF (20 miles west-southwest),
which was a training center for Army Air Force flight instructors.
The date of construction of the airfield has not been determined.
It was not yet depicted at all on July 1943 Austin Section Chart (courtesy of Richard Doehring).
The earliest depiction of the airfield which has been located
was on the January 1945 Austin Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It labeled the field as "Waco #5".
By the time of the February 1949 Austin Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
the field has been renamed "Prairie Hill AF",
and it was described as having a 4,000' hard-surface runway.
The 1957 USGS topo map depicted the "Prairie Hill Air Force Auxiliary Field"
as having 3 paved runways, with a paved ramp on the west side of the field.
It did not depict any buildings on the field.
The Prairie Hill airfield was abandoned by the Air Force at some point before 1970,
as it was depicted as an abandoned airfield on the January 1970 San Antonio Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Even after the airfield was disposed of, the northwest corner of the property was retained by the USAF
& became the Prairie Hill Radio Beacon Annex.
It was active for several years, and the radio beacon building still stands (as of 1994).
The building of the former Prairie Hill Radio Beacon. Photo by Scott Murdock 1994.
As of 1994, the former runways were being used as the Student Training Field of the American Truck Driving School.
As seen in the 1995 USGS aerial photo,
the airfield consisted of three 4,100' paved runways, a small paved ramp & the radio beacon building.
The Prairie Hill Airfield is located on the west side of Ranch Road 339, less than a mile south of the town of Prairie Hill.
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