• Source: Eagle Field (airport)

      • Eagle Field (FAA LID: CL01) is a privately owned, private use airport in Fresno County, California, United States. It is located seven nautical miles (8 mi, 13 km) southwest of the central business district of Dos Palos, a city in neighboring Merced County.


      History


      It was first activated on June 24, 1943 as United States Army Air Forces primary (level 1) pilot training airfield known as Dos Palos Airport. It was assigned to the USAAF West Coast Training Center (later Western Flying Training Command), operated under contract by Coast Aviation Corp. The airport had three turf runways, aligned 00/18 (1,900 feet); 09/27 (1,900 feet), and 13/31 (2,300 feet). It had several satellite airfields in the local area for emergency and overflow landings.

      Hammond Auxiliary Field (location undetermined)
      Vail Auxiliary Field (36°46′12″N 120°40′00″W)
      Dos Palos Emergency Field (36°50′35″N 120°43′00″W)
      Canal Field Auxiliary Field (36°56′34″N 120°47′20″W)
      Mason Auxiliary Field (36°43′50″N 120°34′50″W)
      Flying training was performed with Ryan PT-22s as the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks assigned. It was inactivated on December 28, 1944 with the drawdown of AAFTC's pilot training program and was declared surplus and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers.
      The base was then used as an aircraft storage depot for excess USAAF training aircraft, having UC-78s, PT-17s, Vultee BT-13/15, and AT-6 Texans. Eventually it was discharged to the War Assets Administration (WAA) and is now from time to time used as a crop dusting airfield. After the war, the City of Dos Palos briefly operated a golf course on the site before the property reverted to the federal government. In 1980 it was put up for auction.
      Eagle Field was in a short scene of the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.


      Central California Historical Military Museum


      Later on it became home of the Central California Historical Military Museum, which continues to operate at the field. The museum is also known as Eagle Field AAF – WWII Living History and Military Museum. Many wartime buildings remain at the airfield which is open to the public.


      Facilities and aircraft


      Eagle Field covers an area of 127 acres (51 ha) at an elevation of 153 feet (47 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 12/30 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,300 by 60 feet (701 x 18 m). There are 8 aircraft based at this airport: 6 single-engine, 1 multi-engine, and 1 jet.


      See also



      California World War II Army Airfields
      35th Flying Training Wing (World War II)


      References




      Other sources


      This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
      Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas OCLC 71006954, 29991467
      Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC. OCLC 57007862, 1050653629


      External links


      Eagle Field at Central California Historical Military Museum
      Aerial image as of August 1998 from USGS The National Map

      Resources for this airport:
      FAA airport information for CL01
      AirNav airport information for CL01
      FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
      SkyVector aeronautical chart for CL01

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