Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Western Kentucky
© 2003, © 2013 by Paul Freeman. Revised 1/31/13.
Breckenridge AAF / Morganfield Airport (revised 1/31/13) – Original Hancock County Airport (revised 1/31/13)
Hardin County / Elizabethtown Airport (added 3/5/04)
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Original Hancock County Airport (X6M5), Petri, KY
37.94 North / 86.79 West (Southwest of Louisville, KY)
Hancock County Airport, as depicted on the 1974 USGS topo map.
This general aviation airport was evidently established at some point between 1972-74,
as it was not yet depicted on the 1972 USGS topo map.
The earliest depiction of Hancock County Airport which has been located was on the 1974 USGS topo map.
The 1980 USGS topo map depicted “Hancock Field” as having a single paved northwest/southeast runway,
with a taxiway leading to a single small ramp with a single small building on the northwest side.
Hancock County Airport had evidently been closed by 1998,
as the 1998 USGS aerial view depicted the runway as being painted with 6 closed-runway “X” symbols.
A small ramp had been added on the southeast side, with what appeared to be a helipad.
A March 2005 aerial view looking north along the former Hancock County Airport
shows the field remaining in fine condition.
In 2007 a replacement Hancock County Airport, Ron Lewis Field, was opened a few miles to the northwest.
A January 2009 aerial view by Bob Trader (courtesy of Phil Brooks) looking east at the runway of the former Hancock County Airport,
showing the plant in the background.
As of 2009, the owner of the “Hancock Airfield Airport” was listed as the National Southwire Aluminum Company,
and a street map labeled the property as “Lamar Field”.
A circa 2010 aerial view looking north at the ramp & runway which remain at the former Hancock County Airport
The site of Hancock County Airport is located northwest of the intersection of Route 271 & Hawkesville Hancock Airfield Drive.
Thanks to Jamie Winner for pointing out this airfield.
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Hardin County Airport / Elizabethtown Airport (O19), Elizabethtown, KY
37.75 North / 85.89 West (Northwest of Nashville, TN)
Hardin County Airport, as depicted on the December 1961 Nashville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
This general aviation airport was apparently opened at some point between June - December 1961,
as it was not depicted on the June 1961 Nashville Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of Hardin County Airport which has been located
was on the December 1961 Nashville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Hardin County was depicted as having a 2,800' hard-surface runway.
Elizabethtown Hardin County Airport,
as depicted on the January 1968 Nashville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The 1971 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy)
depicted Hardin County as having a single 2,800' paved Runway 7/25,
with a ramp with three buildings (hangars?) on the north side of the field.
The field was apparently renamed Ben Floyd Field at some point between 1971-76,
as that is how it was listed in the 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described the field as offering repairs, fuel, charter, and tiedowns.
The operator was listed as Elizabethtown Flying Service.
Floyd Field was still listed as an active airport in the 1979 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Ben Floyd Field was evidently closed at some point within 1979,
as the runway was still depicted on the 1979 USGS topo map, but it was simply labeled "Abandoned".
By the time of the 1986 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy),
Ben Floyd Field no longer listed.
It had apparently been replaced by the new Addington Airport (just west of the town of Elizabethtown),
which was built with a longer runway.
As seen in the 1997 USGS aerial photo,
the eastern half of the former airport has been covered by a new housing development,
with several new streets (Sunningdale Way & Turnberry Way)
having been built over the runway.
However, the outline of a 1,000' long portion of the western end of the runway is still recognizable.
A building which sits along Pine Valley Drive appears to be in the same location
as a building depicted on the airfield diagrams -
is this a former hangar or other airfield building?
The site of Elizabethtown Airport is located east of the intersection of Route 31 & Pine Valley Drive.
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Breckenridge Army Airfield / Morganfield Airport, Morganfield, KY
37.69 North / 87.84 West (Northwest of Nashville, TN)
Breckenridge AAF, as depicted on the June 1953 Nashville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
This military airfield was located on the grounds of Camp Breckenridge.
According to "WW2 Sites in the US" by Richard Osborne,
Camp Breckenridge was built in 1942 as a training camp for infantry units up to division size.
Camp Breckenridge was deactivated in 1949,
but was reopened for the Korean War & was used again to train infantrymen.
The date of construction of the airfield at Camp Breckenridge has not been determined,
as well as its precise mission.
It was apparently built during the Korean War usage of the Camp,
as no airfield at the Camp was depicted on the March 1944 Nashville Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy),
although there was a large Danger Area depicted over the Camp (most likely due to live artillery fire).
The Camp Breckenridge Airfield was not yet depicted on the 1951 USGS topo map.
The earliest depiction of Breckenridge Army Airfield which has been located
was on the June 1953 Nashville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The Aerodromes table on the chart described the field as having two runways,
with the longest being a 1,500' unpaved strip.
According to "WW2 Sites in the US" by Richard Osborne,
Camp Breckenridge was used during 1954-63 as a training camp for the Kentucky National Guard.
Breckenridge AAF apparently gained a paved runway at some point between 1953-62,
as the June 1962 Nashville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described the field as having a single 2,700' bituminous runway.
It also said "Tower operates days July 1 through August 10."
According to "WW2 Sites in the US" by Richard Osborne,
National Guard use of Camp Breckenridge ended in 1963 & it was parceled out to various organizations,
including some portions which were reused as a Job Corps Camp.
The airfield apparently closed at the same point in 1963.
Breckenridge AAF was labeled "Aband arpt" on the January 1968 Nashville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The 1969 USGS topo map depicted Breckenridge AAF as a single paved northwest/southeast runway, labeled “Landing Strip”,
with a taxiway leading to a ramp & one small building on the west side.
No airfield at the location was listed in the 1971 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy).
But the former Army Airfield was apparently reopened as a civil airport at some point between 1971-74,
as it was labeled "Morganfield" Airport on the 1974 USGS topo map.
Morganfield Airport, as depicted on the August 1976 CG-20 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) described Morganfield Airport
as having a single 2,700' asphalt Runway 12/30,
but described the field as unattended.
A Bituminous Surface Rehabilitation Project was carried out at Morganfield Airport in 1982,
with the Construction Inspection performed by Johnson, Depp & Quisenberry.
Morganfield Airport was still described in the same fashion in the "Low-Use" airports section
of the 1986 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy).
The Morganfield Airport was owned by the City of Morganfield.
Morganfield was still depicted as an active airfield on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart.
The airport apparently was closed (for reasons unknown) at some point within 1998,
as the above 1998 USGS aerial photo clearly shows closed-runway "X" symbols along the runway.
A taxiway led to a small ramp along the west side of the field,
which contained a few small buildings (and appeared to be used for storage of trucks or trailers).
A 6/15/08 aerial view looking southeast at Morganfield Airport showed it to remain intact,
still with closed-runway "X" symbols along the runway.
A circa 2010 aerial view looking south at Morganfield Airport showed the Runway 12 markings to still remain recognizable.
Construction of some sort was situated on the former ramp.
Morganfield Airport is located southeast of the intersection of Route 60 & Route 2091.
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