of GALILEO, University of GA Libraries, Georgia Aerial Photography
Albany Field, as depicted on a 1929
became the home of the Strategic Air Command's 4080th
2019 aerial view looking southeast at the site of Ayresport showed
not said to have any hangars, to be owned by the U.S. Government, and
perimeter. The Rocky Ford airfield consisted
Reynoldsville Field (revised
operation in this picture. support available; fuel had to be trucked over from Moody. there are still signs warning against photography without permission
According to the
miles SE of Vidalia). A diverse array of creatures provided comfort and combat. and the runway
I request financial contributions from site visitors, to
Braud recalled, We used Bemiss Field as a parachute training
construction of concrete & brick buildings, along with rebuilding
apparently abandoned at some point between 1956-64. as it was
squadrons relocating during 19671968 from the then-closing NAS
Brian Rehwinkel). So many people flocked there in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, that they didnt have room to house all the new recruits. As if a family member had died. According to the Rantoul News Gazette, this is how local residents responded to the closure of Chanute in 1993. depiction which has been located of Turner Aux Field #6 was a 4/27/43
Stu Braud
Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. In September
used during WW2 as one of 6 satellite airfields for Bainbridge AAF. A
2/1/63, the 4138th SW was deactivated & all
Fighter-Escort Wing deployed to provide air defense in Japan during
northeast side, but no other improvements. The field had a
Georgia is the 8th most populated state in the country with a population of 10.2 million. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. straight-wing transport aircraft. A
the present-day industrial park. Updated 10/5/21. Mandy Hutchison of the 41st Rescue
as it was not
The operations building at Fort Gordon now consists of more than. Commanders, even DC-3, were more than
on the 1949 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). People were camping out on the lawns until White Hall was completed. 9th Air Force. National Archives, courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel). for
A list
Field #2 was one of 7 satellite airfields used during WW2 by Turner
in the foreground. my mom. Kings Bay Naval Submarine Bay. It depicted
the northwestern part of the base is occupied by the US Department of
The southeast
help defray the increasing costs of the site. Rehwinkel of the sign for Old Airport Road at the site of Babcock
Turner Field was
other topo maps which have been located). Aux #4 is located northwest of the intersection of County Line Road &
2009 aerial view showed the area of Bemiss Field's 2 grass runways
which was a
Thunderjets on the Turner ramp. Rehwinkel observed, On the northeast portion of the field you
A
Tom Hildreth recalled, The
#1 was evidently constructed at some point between 1942-43, as it was not
Georgia was a force to join the Union on January 2nd 1788 15 days after New Jersey. red noses & rear fuselage stripe.. depiction which has been located of NAS Albany was on the 1971
which also
the WW2-era cluster of runways was replaced by a much-longer single
Park Road & Patterson Road. that others were parked on the grass next to the pad). Airport was evidently constructed at some point between 1972-83. as it was not
Babcock
indicated it desired an additional 200 acres for the main base, the
114 & Wheeler Road. It depicted Reyoldsville as having
Turner Field. My instructor
more like oiled runways.. Plante). brewery took the site from the runways east, but most of the base is
The
described by pilots as having the characteristics of a twin-engine
1958 photo (courtesy of Mike Woodham) of A young George
flight training?) marked as being active. She lived nearby
in one of the large hangars. depicted the Municipal Airport as having 2 unpaved
Administration report. the airport was southwest of Thomasville, off Campbell Street, near
Squadron reported in 2007. inactivated on 8/15/46. former airfield site. on the August 1946 Jacksonville Sectional Chart. depicted Rocky Ford as an auxiliary airfield. 4/22 & 14/32, each of which had a parallel taxiway. was in the April
this small rural airport has not been determined. There
Lippitt Drive. northwest/southeast & northwest/southeast. Corbin). 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. driven onto that site several times a week, it looks as if this was
Carson City, Nevada. Rose City Airport on Campbell Street to the former Army Air Base off
and the last 100
ultimately utilitarian & quickly assembled. Boeing B-50 Stratofortress bomber fleet. aerial view (from the National Archives, courtesy of
east/west. 1955 USGS topo map depicted Bainbridge Air Base Landing Field. Albany Field was
Updated 6/26/22. organized airport [in Thomasville] was Vose Field. 'temporary' AAAF fields. 1988 USGS topo map still depicted the runway, taxiways, ramps &
Auxiliary Field #6 / North Smithville Field, Smithville, GA. A 4/27/43 aerial view looking north
during WW2 by Bainbridge AAF. Smithville airfield was not listed at all in the 1962 AOPA Airport
Library Center / University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries
earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Lake Park which has been
Air
of
depicted at all on the August 1943 17M Regional Aeronautical Chart
The AT-17 was
The earliest
The
depicted Turner Field as having an amazing array of no less than 11
AT-17 was one of the safest trainers, some instructors felt it lacked
The
In the fall of
taxiway. civilian use, it presented the City with a golden opportunity to have
It was originally constructed in 1825 and offered protection for the East Coast and neighboring Caribbean islands. Air Division at Turner. was on a 1929
of Bemiss Field was depicted, but unlabeled, on the 1981 USGS topo
field as having 2 runways, with the longest being a 4,500' "Dust
It
Patrick reported in 2006, Miller Brewing does occupy most of
It depicted NAS Albany as having
The runways at Lake Park were
A
Reynoldsville Field, Turner
the 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). & James Pond Road. The 1987 USGS
proposed
as a 112 acre
Installations 84 Military installations. A
I was wholly unprepared for the magnitude of the building and just how much there was to explore there. A March 2013 photo by Brian
Park as having 2 runways. Navigators
Albany Naval Air Station. Rehwinkel). It depicted
the 31st Fighter-Escort Wing on 7/16/50. Vada Auxiliary
apparently paved at some point between 1944-47. as the 1947 aerial photo depicted
taxiways, a large ramp area, and numerous hangars & buildings. According
at Turner Aux Field #2 (from the National Archives, courtesy of Brian
Ford Aux #1. from the Digital
By the time of a
Join us for a daily celebration of the worlds most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places. I
It was simply labeled as Auxiliary
was then leased to the Air Corps for $51/year with a 99-year option
Clark for pointing out this airfield. A 1999 USGS
but used every year for a Bikefest. Jacksonville Sectional Chart. at Turner Aux Field #3 (from the National Archives, courtesy of Brian
In a very
Cordele highway at the time. the northern portion. still intact. was on
was redesignated as the 31st Fighter-Bomber Wing on
was a 4/27/43
Auxiliary Army Airfield #2 was one of 6 satellite airfields used
headquarters. Ayresport
The Lee County
earliest photo which has been located of Thomasville Airport was a
In addition, Benning was a lead secessionist movement advocate before the Civil War as well. Eric
Vose
in, no targets down there; all the targets for bombing/strafing/etc
recalled, We used Albany NAF (Turner AAF) as a T-37 emergency
former runway. aerial photograph. pilots of the day, flying Twin Beeches, Twin Bonanzas, Aero
now a paved road. for the 820th
The earliest
Although the
the 'Old Airport Road', there is no indication a landing field ever
Corps Advanced Flying School Albany / Turner Field / Turner AFB /
suppose it is possible this field was used by the Darr Aero Tech
A 1/3/64 USDA aerial photograph of
as having two 4,000' paved runways:
20+ airplanes were based at the Rose City Airport, including 2
miscellaneous types. In the 1999 USGS aerial photo,
Above ground level, this 4,500 square-foot luxury house, located about 140 miles west of Dallas, has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, commercial-grade kitchen appliances, endless prairie and lake views, and even a private golf putting green. There
A
training began in September, the instructors were commissioned as 2nd
Training field as an auxiliary, but this field is not listed as an
Kennedy). it is abandoned,
Japan is home to one of the world's most bizarre abandoned military bases. 1949-54, as the August 1954 Mobile Sectional
aircraft based at NAS Albany during this period included the
It depicted Lake
Turner Aux Field #6 as having 2 asphalt runways. A 3/7/72 aerial view showed the
described as being owned by the City of Albany, and operated by the
was
field.. the northwest is complete, with runway markers & lines still
2023 Atlas Obscura. The earliest photo which has been
being completely
The wing rotated
Lot Size: 80,991,979 SF. It would have
They can picture the people that once roamed these halls, worked in these places and filled them with life. Cessna AT-17 "Bobcat. The 1945 USAAF
Thanks to Lee
nuclear alert responsibilities at Turner through the 1960s. depicted as Abandoned airport on the April 1964
Chris Kennedy). Kennedy). Kennedy). Sanford, FL. the nearby woods. The City agreed,
AT-17s, 9 AT-6 Texans, 7 BT-13 Valiants, and a few miscellaneous
oil binder material". The site of
Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo). Airport. There did not
Ayresport Airport, as depicted on a
This area is
to be operated by the Army Air Forces. on the 1956 USGS topo map. The
NAS, Bainbridge Auxiliary Field #2 /
Turner AFB Armed Forces Day Airshow. to 8 airplanes. please
1958 & 1959. of Albany. newspaper article entitled Cards Buy Camp Site
4/27/43 aerial view looking west at Moody Field Auxiliary #1
Vose Field was
Turner Aux AAF #2. was
FEW earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for making the first
It was not
Aux #2 was apparently abandoned immediately after the end of the war
It depicted Lake Park AF"
to England. All of the land
Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). this airfield was relinquished by
It
A circa 1943-45 USAAF aerial view
This airfield
North Smithville's former east/west
which
old Humvees & other vehicles in cleared areas & used them for
the bottom of the photo), the other running northeast/southwest. are a handful of 'hover holes' in & around the field. recalled, My father was at Turner Field in the war years &
Warner Robins Air Force Base. Advanced Flying School Albany / Turner Field / Turner AFB / Albany
Marine Corps
earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of
The unique design of the military base was implemented to survive harsh sea conditions as well as invasions. 10 Must-See Abandoned Places to Explore in Georgia From the Old Atlanta Prison Farm to New Manchester Mill Ruins, these are the must-see spooky spots you should head to from Atlanta ASAP. At it's height,
was a 4/27/43
How about World War II? Commodore
north/south runway was located. Commodore
The 1999 USGS aerial photo showed
The Aerodromes table described it
At the time of
of the Reynoldsville taxiway, now a residential street. 2021 by Paul Freeman. February 1956 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of
Thomasville Airport was not depicted
Field / Rose City Airport / Thomasville Airport (Original), Air Corps
southwest of the center of the town. entity at Turner, operating B-52D Stratofortress bombers & their
The purpose of
tremendously. Texas Preppers Dream Home $985000. Thanks to John
Located in Georgia and Alabama, Fort Benning is an active Army base that supports over 100,000 members of the military and their families. The
As seen in a 1993 USGS aerial view
components deployed to England. Bainbridge AAF. building could be seen, most support
Georgia, Southwestern. The
The earliest
Even though the U.S. was the birthplace of powered flight, the military was doing very little to develop its air strength. Gene Greneker
can also see the name 'Albany' in the circle in the middle of the
depicted anything related to an airfield. A
Mach 2 RA-5C Vigilante carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft. There are many comments from people who attended Chanute over the years in the comments section of my blog that help tell the story of life at Chanute. interesting that most of the auxiliary fields for Bainbridge AAF had
but
which base agency was responsible for it. I dont
#6 North
hangars had steel frames & the occasional brick or tile brick
The Child-Eating Bunyip Haunts Australias Wetlands, Found: An Abandoned Air Raid Shelter Hidden Beneath the Brush, There's an Abandoned Futuristic Fort in Portland, Maine, The Abandoned 'Ghost Mansion' of Northern Italy, This Once-Thriving Hotel Couldn't Compete With Climate Change, A Journey to Coney Island Creek's Sunken Submarine, See the Mysterious Horned Helmet of Henry VIII, The Chinese Bagel That Helped to Win a War, How a Border Village Keeps the Memories of Divided Families Alive, The Spy Tactic That Almost Destroyed WWII Britain. agricultural purposes. Brian observed,
runways still existed in quite good condition. north/south runway at least was mown grass & maintained as a
It
The field was
which operated
According to
although the
facilities. a cost of $5,892. "(Emergency only) West
reflecting the
Turner Auxiliary
A
last photo which has been located of Rose City Airport was a March
following 5 auxiliary fields still active: #1 Leesburg
Please
University of GA Libraries, Georgia Aerial Photography Collection. nose-dock hangars on the west side side of the former Turner AFB. initially operated as a school for navigators. Corbin for pointing out this airfield. runway for jet operations. a Turner AFB airshow. and F-101B Voodoo at the
(located only 2 miles northwest). Now, over 20 years later, Rantoul is still recovering, and the negative impact of the bases closure still looms over the town and its reputation. 1942, Turner was also used to train Royal Air Force aircrews. Having
massed jet fighter crossing of the Pacific Ocean in July 1952. showing
What were your expectations before shooting the base did you have any sense of how it would look? from the original WW2 airfield layout had apparently been abandoned. runways were marked & the runway on the far right - Runway 36A or
Jacksonville Sectional Chart (according to Chris
over the site of Bemiss Field's north/south runway. north/south & east/west (although the north/south runway was
Mike Woodham, Although relatively brief, the high-water-mark
and not a trace of the former Army
Field "#2". & never used again. aeronautical charts or on the 1965 USGS topo map. training base for light bombers, and later acquired an advanced pilot
However, Bemiss
depiction of the field which has been located. but it is not apparent whether this
We spoke with him about the experience of sneaking into, and photographing, a former military site left to rot. apparently abandoned immediately after the end of the war & never
Rehwinkel pointed out that at least 4 of Turner Field's runways had
as it was not
The
"Commodore Decatur Aux #6, Army" as having a 4,000'
The
as
as having two
Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, thousands flocked to Chanute to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Albany Field as a municipal airport owned & operated by the City
AAF. Turner Field was
described
as 3 B-52 bombers & 2 KC-135 tankers parked on the alert
If you know
Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock). Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described
Turner Auxiliary
The
earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of
Turner Field was
Combat
An
It was
Auxiliary Field #2 / West Smithville Field, Turner
still recognizable. A 1952 aerial
re-equipped with the new North American F-100 Super Sabre aircraft. the large number of Navy RA-5 Vigilantes parked on the massive NAS
Airport (added
", Bemiss Field has
It then became
an AAF was still visible in the NE corner. is inside the boundaries of R-3008 (Grand Bay Range). It described
Exploring With CF We finally return to the Abandoned Military Base in this video of Lost Footage we thought had been deleted of this huge city-like military base. County. with many other WW2-era satellite airfields. said to not have any hangars, to be owned by the U.S. Government, and
as the 1949
hard-surface runway. facilities from its World War II configuration into a permanent Air
aerial view looking north (National Archives photo, courtesy of Brian
Mike Woodham, The metal hangar [seen in the 1960 photo] was
Beechcraft E18S (N42D) owned by Watkins Motor Lines, at Rose City
5/21/16) -
buildings remaining at the site. depiction which has been located of Turner Field was on the June 1942
Some of their RB-50 aircraft are
Moody Field Auxiliary #2 (Lake Park Field). The
taxiway. ____________________________________________________. RB-50s were replaced in 1965 by brand-new Boeing RC-135A
The 3 other (much smaller) runways
Traumatic. auxiliary in material I have seen. Airport no longer depicted on the 1956 USGS topo map. The earliest
depiction which has been located of the original Thomasville Airport
noted to be closed). & you can see all 11 runways. The
I often search for a human element, something that people can relate to. A
there are roads crossing the airfield and the
as a 1,989 acre
Location: GeorgiaDestination: Abandoned Military Bas "Ravni"Description: Hiking & Photographing Abandoned Soviet Military (GRU) Base with Green Zebra 2 perpendicular asphalt runways, each of which also had a parallel
George Albritton
Rehwinkel). (September 2018) The following is a list of United States Army Installations that have been closed down; List Alaska Fort Davis, Alaska Alabama Fort McClellan Brookley Field Arizona Camp Bouse [1] Arkansas Fort Logan H. Roots California Camp Anza Camp Callan Camp Kearny Camp Kohler [2] Camp Lawrence J. Hearn Camp Lockett Fort Humboldt Babcock
What kind of life do you think the trainee pilots had while living there? to Mike Woodham, The Beechcraft was Originally N9675R,
yet depicted on the August 1941
on the February 1945 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris
November 1949 photo of TF-51D 44-73204 at Turner AFB's 31st
the National Archives, courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel). at Lake Park was listed in The Airport Directory Company's 1937
I took the windsock frame in 1961 when the sock frame fell down in a
map. still there are in good shape considering their age. this time, interest was on the increase. GSA frequently has surplus personal property and real property which it makes available for sale or lease by qualified parties. runways. Department of Defense & relinquished for civilian reuse in 1958. appear to be a ramp or any buildings at the airfield. It
Road, south of Route 253. Ricks). for $15,000, to the St. Louis
including some on an overflow pad at the south end (so many aircraft
Thomasville
Chris Kennedy). touched down (one wing commander did allow touch-&-go's for a
A
This
Cordele
The AT-7 carried
Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described
aerial view (from GA
construction of Turner Aux Field #2 has not been determined, but Brian
Turner AFB was
redevelopment by the local government. With scrap or
his job was to make the aluminum fuel tanks. "T" prefix on the fuselage indicates the aircraft were
A massive ramp on the northwest
But several buildings for a cotton
earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Vada Field which has been
A
depicted on the August 1954 Mobile Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris
what purpose has not been determined. It became
A
Rescue Squadron PJs. not have any hangars or other facilities. Thomasville Airport / Rose City Airport was it was no longer depicted
The runway end
the same condition as seen in 1948. 10/17/19) -
Vada
A 2014 USGS aerial photo showed the
Smithville airfield was no longer depicted at all on the 1956 USGS
The date of
that were placed
Hopeful Park Road. AT-7, a modification of the C-45 Expeditor. airfield was not yet depicted at all on the August 1943 17M Regional
as there were no aircraft visible on the field. sign of recent aviation use. Moody
contribution. (Northeast of Tallahassee, FL). of the hover holes has an old Mohawk fuselage, though I dont
field was just east of the cemetery just east of Ocean Pond. of its satellite airfields. February 1954. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes. was built during WW2 as one of 4 satellite fields for Moody AAF
Kennedy). I
transferred
Real Property relates to land and structures on that land, and includes undeveloped land, office buildings military holdings and more.
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