Lamesa Army Airfield

Lamesa Army Airfield
Part of Army Air Forces Training Command
Located near Lamesa , Texas
300px 2006 USGS photo
Lamesa AAF
Coordinates
Type	Military airfield
Site history
Built	1941
In use	1942-1945

Lamesa Field is an abandoned military airfield located approximately 8 miles (13 km) of south-southwest of Lamesa, Texas.

History

The airfield was opened in 1942 and was used by the United States Army Air Forces as a contract flying school. It was assigned to the Air Corps Flying Training Command, Gulf Coast Training Center (later Central Flying Training Command). The facility was a primary (stage 1) pilot training airfield operated under contract by Clint Breedlove Aerial Service. Fairchild PT-19s were the primary trainer at the airfield.

In addition to the primary flight school, the John Wilson Glider School provided elementary and advanced glider training to Army aviation cadets of the 28th Army Air Forces Glider Training Detachment until its deactivation in 1943.

In that year, the 3rd Army Air Forces Liaison Training Detachment was moved from Plainview to Lamesa, with liaison pilot training provided by Clint Breedlove Aerial Services.

Liaison pilot training ended at Lamesa in 1944, at which point the field was presumably closed.

For at least a few years after the war, the airfield served as Lamesa Municipal Airport, until replaced (at some point between 1944–63) by the current Lamesa Municipal Airport (8 miles south). There were originally two hangars on the airfield; one survives, however the entire airfield has been removed and returned to agriculture.

See also

• Texas World War II Army Airfields
• 36th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
• Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Publisher: Pictorial Histories Pub, ISBN 1-57510-051-7