Leadville Municipal Airport
Leadville Army Airfield | |
---|---|
Part of ![]() | |
Lake County, near Leadville, Colorado | |
1999 image of mobile home park (lower right) on the southeast of the airfield built on the end of an old runway (faintly discernible). | |
Coordinates | 39°16′59.98″N 106°19′59.98″W / 39.2833278°N 106.3333278°W |
Type | Army Airfield |
Site information | |
Controlled by |
United States Army Air Forces (Third & Second Air Forces) |
Site history | |
Built | 1942 |
In use | 1943-1944 |
Leadville Municipal Airport (Leadville Army Airfield c. Aug 1943-5)[1] was a Colorado World War II Army Airfield "adjacent to Highway No. 24"[2] and named for Leadville, Colorado, 2 mi (3.2 km) southeast.
Leadville Flight Strip
On September 10, 1943, the existing Leadville Flight Strip of ~49 acres (20 ha) included a 300 ft × 1,450 ft (91 m × 442 m) landing strip, and the "buildings area" was ~8 acres (3.2 ha).[2]
Leadville Army Airfield
The Leadville landing field became* a United States Army Air Forces Third Air Force auxiliary field of Colorado Springs' Peterson Field which was a photo reconnaissance training facility and base of the 35th Altitude Training Unit.[3]
Municipal airport
After being used as a post-war municipal airport, the Leadville facility closed and was dismantled by 1949.
References
*Peterson AAF gliders were used for Camp Hale's[4] Mountain Training Center (October 10, 1942-October 23, 1943), which operated for a few months at the beginning of Leadville Army Airfield.[5] Camp Hale also had a Military Munitions Site[6] where unexploded ordnance was found in 2002.[7]
- ↑ http://forum.armyairforces.com/m_153039/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm#153098 ArmyAirForces.com Forum: AAF Ground Commands, Stations, & Bases
- 1 2 Meager, Ralph C., PLAN OF EROSION CONTROL: Leadvillle Flight Strip (letter) , Camp Hale: Office of the Post Engineer
- ↑ Shaw, Frederick J., ed. (2004). Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy (PDF) (Report). Washington DC: Air Force History and Museums Program. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
- ↑ http://www.petemuseum.org/Pete_CG4A_Gliders.htm
- ↑ http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/337.html#337.7.3
- ↑ http://www.camphale.org/Assets/Camp%20Hale%20IRMP%20_Final_abbrev.pdf
- ↑ http://www.google.com/search?q=%22leadville+army%22&tbs=nws:1,ar:1&source=newspapers#hl=en&tbs=ar:1&tbm=nws&sclient=psy-ab&q=%22leadville%22+unexploded&oq=%22leadville%22+unexploded