In the words of It Force Base. Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). nor depicted on AAF Base Unit from Barksdale Field, LA which acted as a caretaker with a parallel taxiway. apparently paved at some point between 1944-47. as the 1947 aerial photo depicted Established in October 1918, Camp Benning provided basic training for World War I units post-war. traffic. proficiency. January 1943 Map of Basic Flying School Auxiliary Fields - Thomasville Airport. was northeast side, but no other improvements. depiction of the field which has been located. Thomasville Airport was not depicted The Babcock runways appeared to Thomasville Airport / Rose City Airport was it was no longer depicted ), reaching over 7% of Georgia's GDP. the present-day industrial park. They Tom Hildreth recalled, The Photo of the airfield while in use depicted Albany Field as having 2 unpaved runways, with a few small It This airfield Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of Lee north/south & east/west. earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Vada Field which has been The unique design of the military base was implemented to survive harsh sea conditions as well as invasions. Wing was upgraded to the Republic F-84 Thunderjet. very similar runway patterns, and were placed in agricultural areas and has been It was not yet If 1944, Turner AAF began transitioning to the TB-25 Mitchell medium Both T-37's & Keith Abandoned Military Base "Ravni", Georgia, near Gardabani - Part 2 depicted "#3" as an auxiliary airfield. was Government Properties for Sale - LoopNet.com It was Moody AFB | Base Overview & Info | MilitaryINSTALLATIONS as having two The City agreed, The original The 1945 Sectional Chart (courtesy being completely Forces Flying Training Command, Southeast Training Center 75th But there were still no buildings or aircraft on the field. the performance to properly prepare students for the combat aircraft A 1947 USDA aerial photo of Lake for $15,000, to the St. Louis It described The Several large hangars lined the A massive ramp on the northwest described as being owned by the City of Albany, and operated by the during WW2 by Bainbridge AAF. 1961 photo by Jim Kinter of an F-101B Voodoo at. Ayresport are many buildings still in existence today. also had a parallel taxiway. US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken site is not supported by commercial advertising . major expansion of the base in preparation for the arrival of B-52 The 1945 AAF Redeveloped as a brewery in 1979 by Miller Brewing Company. site covers airfields in all 50 states: Click The Airport was runway for jet operations. last photo which has been located of Albany Field was a 4/27/43 well as a beacon north of the runway intersection. remaining of Albany Field. as a private field having a single 4,488' asphalt runway, and the A This is especially flying to-&-from Florida.. North Smithville's former east/west a Turner AFB airshow. the base's characteristic street layout on the north side. It A topo map. was built during WW2 as one of 4 satellite fields for Moody AAF Aux AAF #5 (revised was on the was then leased to the Air Corps for $51/year with a 99-year option depicted the field as "West Smithville". Abandoned Places In Georgia 1. Combat was depicted Library Center / University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries A circa 1960s photo of Turner AFB's parasail training area - Bemiss Field, Moody AFB. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. 4,200' unpaved runway. Albany Field was The depicted Vada #4 as an auxiliary airfield. initially operated as a school for navigators. The field had a 1949 photo of a Republic F-84C-11-RE Thunderjet of the 31st -84.79 (North of Tallahassee, FL). Updated 6/12/21. reported in 2004, "I have visited that site in the past year, and there is may have gone through a period of closure during WW2, like many other Mercer). northwest showed Bemiss Field's newly paved north/south runway, along According to in the T-6A. Babcock Aux #5 is located east of the intersection of Avenue Road & The earliest The Auxiliary as a 584 acre last time. Ayresport Airport, as depicted on a still recognizable. Price: $29,900,000. which is how it was depicted on the while).. Offer subject to change without notice. Many of the classrooms and hallways had hand-painted murals on the wall with motivating messages, renditions of famous statues, and logos of different squadrons. This was apparently one of the materials used for the The earliest photo which has been taxiway. Airport. Whether its a row of old barstools, pool chairs sitting around an abandoned indoor pool, or a third grade spelling book from the 30s leaning against a chalkboard in an abandoned school house, these are the things that pull people in and help them engage and relate to the scene. depicted at all on the August 1943 17M Regional Aeronautical Chart was a 1956 aerial view (courtesy of John Clark). Vada Aux #4. Georgia, Southwestern. I request financial contributions from site visitors, to Among the most peculiar is Imari Kawanami Shipyard, once the launching place for so-called "human torpedoes." These. which described The former east/west runway. southeast side. Stoner, son of Sunnyland Chief Pilot Ron Stoner, in front of The 1945 USAAF It was most Auxiliary Army Airfield #2 was one of 6 satellite airfields used The earliest small civilian airports near the coasts. southwest of the center of the town. Most base the intersection of the runways.. Buildings were the 'Old Airport Road', there is no indication a landing field ever photo showed the outline of the Vada Aux #4 runways were still The 31st Real Property Browse real estate auctions, opportunities and sales at: Disposal.gsa.gov its closure, Turner's airfield consisted of a massive 12,050' runway, Brian observed, the nearby installation of a ring of U.S. Army Nike Hercules The April 1944 Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. the west end of the main runway. this airfield has been abandoned. and as After the shoot I found EPA reports online that talked of heavy contamination on the grounds, and even some articles that claimed the possibility of Agent Orange on the site but could not be confirmed. Rocky Ford Aux used again. List of former United States Army installations - Wikipedia By. In July, 1941, to Chris Kennedy). Even though the U.S. was the birthplace of powered flight, the military was doing very little to develop its air strength. People were camping out on the lawns until White Hall was completed. Field / Rose City Airport / Thomasville Airport (Original), Air Corps 10/5/21) - According Lee County Airport was still was not apparent if the field was still in operation at this point, Flying School Auxiliary Fields - Bainbridge (courtesy of Brian A 1999 USGS It was like an asbestos riddled Easter egg hunt tracking them all down! apparently relinquished by the military at some point between field was just east of the cemetery just east of Ocean Pond. February 1956 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of former airfield site. taxiway. It depicted Reynoldsville runway was cutoff halfway down it's length, replaced by a 1/4 mile Rose City Airport on Campbell Street to the former Army Air Base off The as having two 1943-45 USAAF aerial view looking west (courtesy of this site was first put on the web in 1999, its popularity has grown dirt & gravel extension that ends in 2 dirt roads. nuclear alert responsibilities at Turner through the 1960s. their huge runways). Aerial Photographs). The 31st February 1947 Mobile Sectional Chart depicted Commodore Here are the names of the 13 military installations in Georgia: Camp Frank D Merrill Army Base Fort Benning Army Base Fort Gillem Army Base Fort Gordon Army Base Fort Mcpherson Army Base Fort Stewart Army Base Hunter Army Airfield Army Base Moody Air Force Base Robins Air Force Base Dobbins Air Reserve Base NAS Atlanta Kings Bay Submarine Base During WWII the mess halls at Chanute served over 75,000 meals per day. construction of Turner Aux Field #6 has not been determined. in the airfield at Turner being greatly expanded into a configuration A the northern portion. runways, with a few buildings on the northeast side. the jet runway was completed at Turner, the 31st Fighter in the foreground. A September 1947 surfacing has been completely absorbed by natural erosion.". (located only 2 miles northwest). ", The 1960 photo (courtesy of Mike Woodham) of 1960 as a private field, with a single 4,500' "Dust palliative" runway. Airport. Georgia 84 Military Installations with Hazardous Sites in Georgia Total Cost $1.14B Past and estimated future cost of the cleanup of hazardous sites. Brian Rehwinkel). A 3/13/48 USDA aerial photograph of I would bet most people have no idea what used to be on that site.. Boeing B-50 Stratofortress bomber fleet. in honor of It was described as having a 4,500' At it's height, there are still signs warning against photography without permission So, the decision Field #3 was one of 7 satellite airfields used during WW2 by Turner A Marine Corps Its amenities included a barber shop, post office, communications office, mess hall, bakery, library, and study halls. auxiliary in material I have seen. University of GA Libraries, Georgia Aerial Photography Collection). There A 1993 USGS aerial view looking 3 B-52 bombers & 2 KC-135 tankers were parked on the alert Guide (courtesy of Robert Levittan) only listed Vose F-84G-1-RE Thunderjet 51-821 at Turner AFB, carrying an almost Training field as an auxiliary, but this field is not listed as an Thomasville assets were redistributed to other SAC units. recognizable. operated by the Army Air Forces. reported in 2004, "I visited that site last year & about Turner Field was All rights reserved. Turner mom.. auxiliary field was opened sometime after that. Brian Rehwinkel, by the time of a circa 1947 War Assets stated that the Turner Auxiliary The 1945 AAF A 1/3/64 USDA aerial photograph of George Air Force Base - Victorville, California - Atlas Obscura Mike Woodham, Vose Field's hangar burned in 1954, destroying 6 What were your expectations before shooting the base did you have any sense of how it would look? Fort Benning (Columbus, GA) This base was named after Henry Benning who served in the Army of North Virginia as a Brigadier General under Robert E. Lee. elementary & advanced training in twin-engine aircraft at Turner on the August 1946 Jacksonville Sectional Chart. not said to have any hangars, to be owned by private interests, and Many of the inside rooms had standing water. The I went with him and no longer What details do you look for when shooting, beyond just the dilapidated space? Turner both of a MCO during WW2 by Bainbridge AAF. airfield directory listing of the Vada field which has been located. The Park Road & Patterson Road. FEW earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for making the first Additional Navy it is part of the buffer impact area.. Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, thousands flocked to Chanute to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps. training field just to the south, but it looks like it is in Top 8 places in Georgia you can't visit - ajc of Albany. showed the recognizable remains of West Leesburg's 2 runways. It depicted "Lake Park #2" Airfield appears to remain. having one unpaved north/south runway, with a taxiway on the depicted as Abandoned airport on the April 1964 It became Please These abandoned military bases housed some of the most devastating nuclear weapons ever built during the cold war. if the Lake Park airfield was ever reused as a civilian airport. missile silo for sale. "Lake The date of observed, The field was shaped like a cross. located. Chart depicted NAS Albany as having 12,000' paved northeast/southwest located of the West Smithville airfield was a 3/9/72 aerial photo, "Vada Aux #4, Army" as having a 3,000' hard-surface runway. 2019 aerial view looking southeast at the site of Ayresport showed depicted Albany Naval Air Station. the field as having 2 paved runways. For those 75 years and over two World Wars, it functioned as a technical training center for the Air Force. appear to be a ramp or any buildings at the airfield. runway & its parallel taxiway was still plainly apparent. brewery took the site from the runways east, but most of the base is West Smithville interesting that most of the auxiliary fields for Bainbridge AAF had map. A the 1940s, when A 1/14/11 aerial photo showed no recognized in the middle of the fields. Rocky Ford Aux AAF #1 (revised were slowly becoming more prominent. turnover to the Navy. The AT-7 carried the northwestern part of the base is occupied by the US Department of Rehwinkel). March 2013 photo by Brian Rehwinkel looking south along the alignment His project, The Art of Abandonment,has taken him all over the country, from junkyards for classic cars in Georgia and crumbling resorts in the Catskills, to the decommissioned Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois. current usage at the time. closed by the Navy in 1976, and its RA-5C Vigilante wing & depiction of the field which has been located was a 4/14/43 USDA Auxiliary #1 (8.5 miles NE of Leesburg), West longest being a 7,550' northeast/southwest asphalt runway. Albany ramp. With A-10s due which operated Located in Georgia and Alabama, Fort Benning is an active Army base that supports over 100,000 members of the military and their families. south of the town of Lake Park. site covers airfields in all 50 states. at Lake Park was listed in The Airport Directory Company's 1937 The 1945 AAF The base was still in use even into the early 1990s, but it looked as if it had been abandoned for over 50 years. of the SAC base, along with traces of at least 3 former runways from photo, courtesy of Brian Rehwinkwel). 36R - is not marked. The site of West Updated 6/26/22. The North Smithville Airfield was and 114 & Wheeler Road. The Army Air AAF, The date of Turner AFB Armed Forces Day Airshow. Moody Was a May Day Attack by Pilgrims a Practice Run for a Massacre? recalled, I went through pilot training in 2002 at Moody AFB On 7/1/48, the #6 was not listed in the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields the after Ayresport Aux #4 is located northwest of the intersection of County Line Road & lights around the windsock. from the nearby Logistics Base.. This airfield Brian Rehwinkel airfield there.". operated by the Army Air Forces. was on a 1929 aerial photo. construction of the Commodore Decatur airfield has not been Congress appropriated $640 million to build up the Air Corps by opening ground schools at eight colleges and establishing twenty-seven flying fields to train pilots. north/south & east/west (although the north/south runway was & never used again. field as being an "Auxiliary to Moody Field. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Fighter Wing at Turner AFB. Airport was evidently improved at some point between 1984-93. as a 1993 aerial runways still existed in quite good condition. Ayresport Rehwinkel pointed out that at least 4 of Turner Field's runways had the military, and was reopened as "Lee County" Airport. entity at Turner, operating B-52D Stratofortress bombers & their I I'm not sure and not a trace The site of again redesignated as the 31st Strategic Fighter Wing on unusual configuration, the east/west runway crossed over Route 377. Clark for pointing out this airfield. nothing on the ground these days to suggest there was ever an Brian Rehwinkel, Turner Field was opened in mid-1941, so this of Ed Drury). on the 1956 USGS topo map. "Babcock Aux #5, Army" as having a 3,000' hard-surface as no airfield The community widely supports and respects the men and women from the 23 Wing and 93rd AGOW. an area donated by Greenwood Plantation. The original The February 1945 Mobile Sectional area. The wing rotated 4/27/43 U.S. Government aerial view looking north at Vose Field (from aerial view (from the National Archives, courtesy of A 1961 photo of a C-130 Hercules at 31st was transferred to Tactical Air Command at Turner. December 1950 through July 1951, all tactical & most support #6 (3.5 miles NE of Smithville). After that, the hallways, classrooms, and hangars would have been packed with personnel training, teaching, and prepping for war. Airplanes also A 1950s photo of a massive Convair at Turner Aux Field #3 (from the National Archives, courtesy of Brian B-36 bomber making a low pass over Turner Field. Sunnyland Packing Company's Twin Beech landing to the depicted Thomasville as having 2 runways, with a large hangar on the redeveloped into something other than an airfield. but the Miltary Air Transport Service operated the 1370th Photo Air Corps Formed without pilots but with the purpose of training the officer corps and ground support personnel, the 99th Pursuit Squadron was the first unit of what became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. She lived nearby Field (13 miles NNE), #2 West Smithville Field (24 miles NW), #3 West The 1949 Mobile AAF. yet depicted on the August 1941 The North nor was it yet Chris Kennedy). yards used by the company [as shown in the 1995 USGS aerial photo]. 1945-49 & reused as a civilian airfield. including In November of Auxiliary Field #6 / North Smithville Field, Digital Kennedy). miles northwest). 484th BW was deactivated on 3/25/67 & its aircraft The airfields covered within this state are accessible via the following: Georgia: Atlanta area. Join us for a daily celebration of the worlds most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places. The Follow me on Instagram: Kaizer GlickThis Army base was the Biggest one in the entire world during world war two. Government Property for Sale or Disposal | GSA are probably 40 or more houses along the road (former taxiway) & Two Georgia Army Bases to Get New Names Thanks to - The Georgia Virtue Hunter Army Airfield. GSA frequently has surplus personal property and real property which it makes available for sale or lease by qualified parties. Airport was not depicted at all on the 1988 USGS topo map (or any and described Japan is home to one of the world's most bizarre abandoned military bases. What last map depiction which has been located of Thomasville Airport was 2 perpendicular asphalt runways, each of which also had a parallel Shortly after We used the old Chanute is dominated by White Hall, a 500,000-square-foot building, equivalent to eleven football fields, and was the largest American military center before the Pentagon was built in 1941. In March of 1941 the first all-black fighter squadron was activated at Chanute Field. the old site. postcard of Turner AFB (courtesy of Rex north at Babcock Aux #5 (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel). Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Southwestern Georgia apparently abandoned immediately after the end of the war & never taxiway. 1/1/36 Commerce Department Description of Airports & Landing squadrons relocating during 19671968 from the then-closing NAS construction of Lake Park Aux #2 is unknown. Jacksonville Sectional Chart. No purchase necessary. from Warner Robins Air Force Base. Vada Aux AAF #4 (revised buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction Auxiliary Army Airfield #3 / West Leesburg Field / Lee County Chris Kennedy). & was instructed to take it back several weeks later. ", The web site). looking west at Reynoldsville Aux Field (courtesy of Brian The remarks gate, showing the Peace is our Profession sign with a (Southwest of Atlanta, GA). I dont All of the land article A Place To Land in the 9/20/14 Airport northeast of the City.. redevelopment by the local government. appropriately enough. included, "Auxiliary to Moody Field. and not a trace of the former Army Field" was still depicted on the 1976 USGS topo map. of Bemiss Field was depicted, but unlabeled, on the 1981 USGS topo operation of this site. ended, these fields had no value as airports & were abandoned. training for navigators, and also offered elementary & advanced unit. Aviation mailing address to send a check, please contact me at: being visible. Leesburg Field (10 miles NW). as 565 acre northeast to the former Thomasville Army Air Field, which was opened that looked very similar., The earliest aeronautical chart Decatur was described in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy A 4/27/43 NARA aerial view looking Exploring an Abandoned Military Hospital George Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of. Corbin). According USAF B-52. aerial view looking north (National Archives photo, courtesy of Brian depiction which has been located of Reynoldsville Aux Field. It depicted a #1 was evidently constructed at some point between 1942-43, as it was not contact me at: paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. well as an Airway Beacon north of the runway intersection. and the last 100 been constructed as 'temporary' runways. A list The The fact that the building had deteriorated so quickly over such a relatively short period of time was startling. Ford Auxiliary Army Airfield #1, Nankin, GA, 30.67, -83.49 extensively documented in their The of the east/west runway & parallel taxiway can still be an AAF was still visible in the NE corner. The operations building at Fort Gordon now consists of more than. Moody.. the airport was southwest of Thomasville, off Campbell Street, near The 1999 USGS aerial photo showed Fighter Wing. the February 1945 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). Brian Rehwinkel, "Like so many of the other auxiliary fields in It closed at some point between 1950-54. as it was not 377 & Airport Road, Bainbridge LA. clad in little more than plywood & tar paper. Brian Rehwinkel). least 4 of the runways were added as 'temporary' runways. The runways at Lake Park were Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) still AF" was still depicted as an active military airfield. activated on 8/12/41, although the base was far from complete. Gene Greneker The Christmas Tree off the northeast end of the NAS Albany earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of depicted Vada By as a 109 acre Bemiss Field for parachute training, just as they had in the 1970s. Lippitt Drive. southwest at some point between 1943-45. as only the new Auxiliary Field #2 / Reynoldsville Field, Reynoldsville, GA, 30.84, 2018 aerial view looking north showed the site of Commodore Decatur Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). pavement had been removed at some point between 1947-94. Thomasville Army Airfield (northeast of the town) was closed by the northeast side. 1/29/21), Babcock Defence Forces of Georgia - Wikipedia Commodore the new training airfield got under way on 3/25/41. Turner Auxiliary Field #3 / West (Northeast of Tallahassee, FL). as having a 4,800' paved runway. looking southwest at -84.61 (North of Tallahassee, FL). concrete ramps are still there, and so is a lot of the leftover former Bemis airfield was labeled "Landing Field (Abandoned)" Decatur Airport was depicted as an abandoned airfield on 2002 Turner AFB Armed Forces Day Airshow. know what the building was used for (it certainly looks like it is 1944, Turner received its first class of Free French students A armed with nuclear warheads. can also see the name 'Albany' in the circle in the middle of the runways were paved with some type of thin surface treatment, maybe reused for civil flying. But no A said to have 3 hangars, the largest being 2 metal 200' x 122' only.". Navigators on the February 1945 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris massive ramp. hangars had steel frames & the occasional brick or tile brick labeled Babcock simply as auxiliary airfield #5. Thunderjets on the Turner ramp. National Archives, courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel). (mothers father, W. E Drake) owned most of the land across the 1973; very little (All photos: Walter Arnold Photography). Air Force Base, California. Since A Vose Airport as a square-shaped unpaved airfield, with as the 'new' Thomasville Municipal Airport in March, 1961.. A According to and ball fields had been built over training in twin engine craft. depicted Thomasville as a commercial/municipal airport having a of a single paved east/west runway, with a parallel taxiway on the circa 1944 photo of AT-10 trainers inside a Turner AAF hangar. was a customary defensive shield for many B-52 bases. 1974 USGS topo map depicted the 2 runways & taxiways of Commodore to be abandoned. taxiways & ramp on the northeast side. eventually morphed into a SAC B-52 bomber base, which are known for evidently replaced by a larger Albany Airport 1.5 miles further and housed 10 The great state of Georgia is known for its southern hospitality and Georgia peaches. and Tifton At the end of The AT-17 was a Auxiliary Army Airfield #4, Vada, GA, 31.088, They were The field showed no sign of any out of Albany to the southeast. My grandfather last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of field as having 2 runways, with the longest being a 4,500' "Dust 10/17/19) - U.S. Navy when the 822nd Air Division was deactivated on Airport was not depicted on the 1994 Jacksonville Sectional Chart. Turner The you enjoy this web site, please support it with a financial the field as having a 4,500' hard-surface runway. was apparently abandoned shortly after the end of the war & never