Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:

New Mexico: El Paso area

© 2002, © 2006 by Paul Freeman. Revised 9/30/06.



Jundt Field / Sunland Airpark (revised 9/30/06) - (Original) Las Cruces Airport (added 11/13/04)

Las Cruces Airport / Las Cruces East Airport (revised 2/5/06) - Mesquite Airfield (added 2/18/05)

Stahmann Farms Airfield (1st location) (revised 2/17/05) - Stahmann Farms (2nd location) (revised 8/13/05)

State College Airport / University Airport (revised 8/13/05)

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Jundt Field / Sunland Airpark (E32), Sunland Park, NM

31.8 North / 106.57 West (Northwest of El Paso, TX)

What was originally known as "Jundt" Field,

as depicted on the 1949 El Paso Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



This former small airport is located on the north bank of the Rio Grande,

only one mile north of the Mexican border.

 

Jundt Field was evidently established immediately after the end of WW2 (like so many other small airports across the US),

as it was not yet depicted on the 1944 El Paso Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks),

but it did appear on the 1945 El Paso Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks).

 

According to Bill Quinn, "Ruth Deerman, one of El Paso's renowned Powder Puff Derby pilots,

learned to fly out of the original Jundt Field."

 

Jundt Field was still depicted on the 1949 El Paso Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It was described as having a 3,200' unpaved runway.

 

According to David Brooks,

Jundt Field "was closed in 1950 and did not reopen until 1965.

When it reopened, it was under the name Sunland,

it had a new runway, hard surface (asphalt) of 5,744' in length (10/28).

Most of the references to this field indicate that you have to make a hard right turn approach to Runway 28 to avoid Mexican airspace."

 

According to Bill Quinn, "It was renamed Sunland Air Park due to the close proximity of the town of Sunland Park.

I have been told it was never owned or operated by the Sunland Park Horse Race Track;

immediately to the North;

however, it was often used by the 'high rollers' flying in to bet on the horses."

 

Sunland Airpark was depicted on the 1965 El Paso Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss),

with a single 3,744' paved runway.

 

At some point in the following year, Sunland's runway was apparently extended,

as the 1966 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss) depicted Sunland as having a 5,700' paved runway.



 

The 1970 TX Airport Directory (courtesy of Ray Brindle)

depicted Sunland as consisting of a single 5,744' asphalt Runway 10/26.

An apron north of the runway had two t-hangars & a restaurant.

The inclusion of Sunland in the TX Airport Directory is puzzling,

as current maps show that the property is definitely on the New Mexico side of the state border.

 

Stanley Blanton recalled, "I grew up in El Paso & worked there as a line boy

during college summer vacation in 1971 or 1972.

It is in fact in New Mexico but just barely - by maybe a half mile.

It is also barely north of Mexico.

The Rio Grande river can be seen in your aerial photo.

It was so close to Mexico in fact that Runway 28 had right hand traffic

to keep the pattern in the United States."

"At the time I worked there it was open 24/7 with about a dozen planes on tie-down and maybe 30 in hangars.

I have heard that some of the pilots that frequented the airport have since served time for smuggling.

There was one FBO with a hangar on the north side of the field

with T-hangars located both to the east & west but all north of the runway.

We got quite a bit of cross country traffic since a pilot could cross the Rockies at El Paso

and the altitude needed was only about 5,000 ft."



A photo of a Pronto Aviation Services Beech 18 taking off from Sunland Park during the summer of 1981 (courtesy of Jaime Carreon).

According to Jamie, “This Beech was equipped with PT6-20 turboprops,

the tall cabin modification & the extended nose.

It was called a Westwind... the conversions were done by Hamilton Aviation in Tucson.

The turbines didn't increase the speed by very much,

but they did increase the payload & range & were much cheaper to maintain than the original P&W R-985 radials.”

 

Jamie Carreon recalled, “Sunland Park airport (Jundt Field)... I used to work there.

At one time, there was an FBO on the field, International Airmotive,

whose main facility was at El Paso International.

They had a fairly good-sized hangar & office space

and catered mainly to the high rollers who flew in to bet on horse races at nearby Sunland Park track.

On a quiet day, you could hear the trainers exercising horses.

By the time I got there (late 1981), there were no longer any aircraft based there,

with the exception of our DC-3s & and Beech 18s.

International Airmotive had since moved back to the big airport.

I worked for a small airfreight company called Pronto Aviation Services.

We used the airport as our base, conducting flight ops & maintenance from there.

Most of the T-hangars had been taken over by a company that manufactured industrial air conditioning units,

with the exception of two that we used to store our tools & one of the Beech 18s.

We later moved into the old IA offices & occasionally used the hangar,

though most of our maintenance was done outside.

There was an above-ground fuel storage tank on the ramp across from the hangar

from which we refueled our airplanes.

At our peak, we had three DC-3s & 4 Twin Beeches at Sunland Park, but not always at the same time,

depending on the flying we were doing.”



Sunland Airpark was described in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)

as having a single 5,744' asphalt Runway 10/28.

Once again, it was listed in the TX section of the directory.

 

Sunland Airpark was apparently closed at some point between 1982-91.



According to Brent Boswell, “It was closed when the Doña Ana County Airport at Santa Teresa (5T6)

was opened by Charlie Crowder, the developer of the Santa Teresa area.

The runway was reportedly in sad condition due to the soil sinking (the water table is only about 4-5' below the ground there).

I remember seeing planes (Cessna 140s?) still using the field for about 5 years after the field closed…

then I think the Doña Ana County Sheriff started chasing guys off!

My parents had a hot tub made by a guy who owned a fiberglass factory on the remains of the airport -

his shop was in a former T-hangar building.”



As seen in the 1991 USGS aerial photo,

the former airport still existed, but in a somewhat deteriorated condition.

Several buildings still standing north of the runway may have been hangars or other airport buildings.

 

Sunland Airpark was marked as closed on the 1994 El Paso Sectional Chart (according to David Brooks).

 

The remains of the Sunland Airpark runway were still evident in the 2002 USGS aerial photo.

 

A 2002 photo by Bill Quinn, looking east along the remains of the Sunland runway.

A presumed former hangar is on the left.

Bill observed, "My on the ground inspection revealed that the runway

(even still usable, if only by those daring young men in their flying machines)

is actually a named street, Appaloosa Drive, within the industrial area complex.”

 

A 2002 photo by Bill Quinn, looking west along the remains of the Sunland runway.



A circa 2001-2006 aerial view looking north at what appear to be former T-hangars,

with the former runway (now Appaloosa Drive) at the bottom),

 

The Sunland Airpark site is located south of the intersection of Sunland Park Drive & Futurity Drive.

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(Original) Las Cruces Airport, Dona Ana, NM

32.38 North / 106.8 West (Northwest of El Paso, TX)

The original Las Cruces Airport, as depicted on the May 1942 12M Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.

 

The original airport for Las Cruces was actually located adjacent to the east side of the town of Dona Ana,

6 miles northwest of the town of Las Cruces.

 

The date of construction of the original Las Cruces Airport has not been determined.

The earliest reference to an airport in Las Cruces which has been located

was in the 1929 Standard Oil "Airplane Landing Fields of the Pacific West" (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It described a Las Cruces "Emergency (Small)" Airport as being located "1 mile northeast of town".

The field was said to two gravel runways in an "L" shape:

measuring 900' north/south & 1,500' east/west.

 

The Las Cruces Airport apparently went through a period of abandonment,

as no airfield in Las Cruces was listed in The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory

or the 1934 Department of Commerce Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy),

or depicted on the 1935 Roswell Sectional Chart.

 

The Las Cruces Airport was apparently reopened at some point between 1935-37,

as the Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airfield Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)

listed a Las Cruces auxiliary airfield, located "1/2 mile east".

It was described as having three sandy runways,

with the longest being a 3,000' east/west strip.

 

 The Airport Directory Company's 1938 Airfield Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

listed a Las Cruces auxiliary airfield, located "1/2 mile east".

It was described as having three sandy runways,

with the longest being a 3,000' east/west strip.

 

 A September 1939 Civil Aeronautics Administration Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

described the Las Cruces Airport as being located 6 miles northwest of Las Cruces, 1/2 mile east of Donna Ana.

It was described as having three sandy runways,

with the longest being a 3,000' east/west strip.

 

Inexplicably, no airfield at Dona Ana was depicted on the 1941 12M Regional Aeronautical Chart (according to David Brooks).

 

The only earliest depiction of the Las Cruces Airport adjacent to Dona Ana which has been located

was on the May 1942 12M Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

At some point within the next year,

the original Las Cruces Airport was evidently replaced by a new Las Cruces Airport adjacent to the east side of the town of Las Cruces,

as only this new airfield was depicted on the August 1943 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

As seen in the 1996 USGS aerial photo,

the area of the original Las Cruces Airport has been filled in with various forms of development,

and no trace of the airport appears to remain.

 

The site of the Original Las Cruces Airport is located west of Interstate 25,

south of Dona Ana School Road.

 

Thanks to Chris Kennedy for pointing out this airfield.

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Las Cruces Airport / Las Cruces East Airport, Las Cruces, NM

32.32 North / 106.76 West (Northwest of El Paso, TX)

The Las Cruces Airport, as depicted on the August 1943 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.

 

At some point between 1942-43, the original Las Cruces Airport was evidently replaced

by a new airport Las Cruces Airport adjacent to the northeast side of the town of Las Cruces.

That is where the Las Cruces Airport was depicted on the August 1943 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

The Las Cruces Airport was listed in the April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)

as being located one mile northeast of the town of Las Cruces,

and was described as having a 2,700' unpaved runway.

The 1944 directory also listed the "Las Cruces (new)" Airport,

which had been built by the Army 8.5 miles west of the town.

 

Las Cruces was depicted as an auxiliary airfield

on the March 1945 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



An undated (circa early 1950s?) aerial view by James Flanagan, looking northeast at the Las Cruces East Airport

(courtesy of the NMSU Library’s Archives & Special Collections Department, via Jonathan Westerling).

It depicted the field as having three unpaved runways.



An undated (circa late 1950s?) aerial view by James Flanagan, looking south at the Las Cruces East Airport

(courtesy of the NMSU Library’s Archives & Special Collections Department, via Jonathan Westerling).

It appeared as if the main runway had been paved,

and several buildings (hangars?) were visible at the west end of the field.



By the time of the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory,

the original Las Cruces Airport had been renamed "Las Cruces Downtown" Airport.

The airport had gained a paved runway at some point between 1944-62,

as the airport was described as having a 3,800' paved Runway 6/24

and a 2,600' turf Runway 18/36.

The operator was listed as Robert Crawford,

and the field was said to offer hangars, tiedowns, charter, repairs, and fuel.

 

 

By the time of the 1966 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss),

the airport had apparently been renamed again - to "Las Cruces East" Airport.

The runway configuration was depicted as a single 3,600' paved northeast/southwest runway.

 

The 1967 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Las Cruces East Airport

as having a 3,600' paved Runway 6/24, and two shorter crosswind unpaved runways.

A total of six buildings were depicted at the southwest corner of the field.

 

The following year, the Las Cruces East Airport was evidently downgraded to a heliport,

as it was depicted as the "Las Cruces City" Heliport on the December 1968 Albuquerque Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

The "Las Cruces Municipal Heliport" was still depicted on the 1970 NM Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

The former Las Cruces East Airport was labeled "Heliport" on the 1978 USGS topo map.

The area of the former airport was still depicted as an open area, but no runways were depicted.

Several small buildings were depicted along the southwest side of the field -

might these have been hangars or other former airport buildings?

 

The Las Cruces Heliport was evidently closed at some point between 1978-96.

 

By the time of the 1996 USGS aerial photo,

the area of the former airport had been filled in with new streets, houses, and baseball fields.

 

The large building in the center of the above portion of the 1996 USGS aerial photo

appeared to be the same building depicted in the 1978 USGS topo map.

Could this be a former hangar or other airport building?

 

A 2004 photo by Jonathan Westerling of the large building which may have been originally used as part of the airport.

Its address is 1501 Hadley Drive, and as of 2004 it housed several city departments.

 

A 2004 photo by Jonathan Westerling of the "Las Cruces City Heliport", which "still exists at the corner of Hadley & Walnut.

It is in the middle of several gravel parking lots for the nearby ballfields.

A yellow X through the helipad suggests that it is no longer used, though the pavement appears to be in good condition."



A 2006 photo by Reese Luckie of a building on the west side of the former Las Cruces East Airport

which appears to be a former airfield building, now reused as a boxing club.


Reese Luckie reported about the former airport in 2006, “My house is built on this!

The helipad still exists, or did.

It until recently was used as a parking lot for our local skate park as well as the surrounding softball fields.

About four months ago it was paved over with newer pavement.

The large building on Hadley... This building now houses several city departments, a bus depot,

and a refueling station for law enforcement / city vehicles.

There are two [former airfield] buildings farther away, along Solano Drive.

These two buildings are still in use today. One is a boxing club. The building looks to be in good condition.

The other, the hangar-looking thing, appears to be a storage facility for parade things.”


A 2006 photo by Reese Luckie of a building on the west side of the former Las Cruces East Airport

which appears to be a former hangar.


The site of the Las Cruces East Airport is located east of the intersection of North Solano Drive & East Hadley Avenue.

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State College Airport / University Airport, Las Cruces, NM

32.28 North / 106.74 West (West of El Paso, TX)

A circa 1943 photo (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling) of students of the Air Mechanics program on the ramp of State College Airport.

The two aircraft are a Taylorcraft & a Ryan Playboy, pictured in front of the Air Mechanics Building, with its hangar-style door partially open.

 

This airport was adjacent to the campus of the New Mexico State College (later known as New Mexico State University).

It was evidently established at some point after 1937,

as it was not listed among active airfields in The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airport Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).

 

According to an article by Joe Gould in the 1/02 issue of the Southern NM Historical Review (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling),

New Mexico State College conducted Air Mechanics Courses starting at some point before 1941.

The Air Mechanics Building & the Hangar Lake Building both were constructed in 1941 (according to plaques on the buildings).

John Curry remembered an Air Mechanics Helper Class that consisted of at least 480 hours of instruction.

Jim Boykin said that while most of the students were high school students,

a couple of the more advanced students were in training for the rating of Airplane/Engine Mechanic.

The course gave the students high school credit.

In those days, the Civil Aeronautics Administration was the licensing authority for mechanics & pilots.

These courses were part of a Federal program entitled National Defense Training Program.

The Director at the College was John Haberl.

 

Joe Gould recalled, "The students of Air Mechanics Course were rebuilding, repairing, and maintaining several aircraft,

including Lockheed Vega, Aeronca Buhl Pup, Curtiss Robin, and Taylorcraft."

 

The State College Airfield was evidently constructed at some point between 1943-44,

as it was not yet depicted on the August 1943 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

The earliest chart depiction of this airfield which has been located

February 1944 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted "State College" as a commercial/municipal airport.

Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.

 

The April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)

described the "State College" Airport in "Mesilla Park (Las Cruces)"

as having a 3,000' unpaved runway.

 

Joe Gould recalled, "Another project was to overhaul & recover a Luscombe airplane,

and in the late fall of 1945 or the early spring of 1947, I became aware of this project & saw the airplane.

I asked the head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Professor Arch Lukens, if I could fly this airplane.

He said 'No', the airplane was only a project for the Air Mechanics Course;

the college wasn't interested in flight training because of liability concerns.

The Air Mechanics students did, however, get to fly in some of the planes on which they had worked as an incentive.

 

Joe Gould recalled, "My [fight] instructor was Bob Crawford… and he taught flying at the college airstrip.

While college training was conducted AT the college, it was not BY the college.

Both Bob Crawford & Gus Glass had airplanes there (interstate Cadets)."

"State College" was depicted as a commercial/municipal airport

on the March 1945 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

According to an article by Joe Gould in the 1/02 issue of the Southern NM Historical Review (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling),

the College's Air Mechanics Courses ended in approximately 1946.

 

The 1955 USGS topo map labeled the field simply as "Airfield",

and depicted it as having a single northeast/southwest runway (which appeared to be paved),

along with a taxiway leading to a ramp area on the west side of the runway.



An undated (circa 1950s?) aerial view by James Flanagan, looking northeast at the University Airport, with the NMSU campus to the left of it

(courtesy of the NMSU Library’s Archives & Special Collections Department, via Jonathan Westerling).



An undated (circa 1950s?) aerial view by James Flanagan, looking southwest along the University runway.

Note what appears to be a plane, somewhat off the runway in the foreground.

Photo courtesy of the NMSU Library’s Archives & Special Collections Department, via Jonathan Westerling.



By the time of the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory, the field had been renamed University Airport.

It was described as having a single 4,250' paved Runway 3/21,

and was said to be unattended.

 

The 1966 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)

depicted University Airport as having a single 4,200' paved northeast/southwest runway.

 

The 1967 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted University Airport

as having a single 4,340' paved Runway 2/20.

A taxiway led to a group of small buildings on the west side of the field.

 

Larry Cunningham recalled that "Several university personnel had planes flown out of there in the late 1960s & early 1970s."

 

University Airport was still depicted on the 1970 NM Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

The University Airport was evidently closed within the next year,

as the 1971 USGS topo map no longer depicted the airport at all.

 

A 1975 DOT map (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling) still depicted the runway of University Airport.

 

On the 1976 USGS topo map, the former runway & taxiway were still depicted, but the site was not labeled as an airport,

and it appeared as if the former runway & taxiway were being reused as streets.

 

In the 1996 USGS aerial photo,

it may be seen that the University's football stadium was built over the northern portion of the former airport.

It is not known if any buildings remain from the airport.

 

Larry Cunningham reported in 2004 that the former University Airport

"has been ripped up & replaced with a landfill area."

 

A 2005 photo by Jonathan Westerling looking southwest down the alignment of the former runway at University Airport.

"The land has been converted into a gravel overflow parking lot for the football stadium (which is located directly behind the camera)."

 

Reese Luckie reported in 2006, “I was able to visit the site of the University airstrip.

It is now completely unrecognizable as an airstrip.

It seems to have been covered up when a nearby field was flattened for a parking lot.”



The site of University Airport is located at the intersection of Standley Drive & Locust Street.

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Mesquite Airfield, Mesquite, NM

32.17 North / 106.7 West (Northwest of El Paso, TX)

A 1967 NM State Land Office map depicted the Mesquite Airfield (east side of map),

as well as the Stahmann Farms Airfield (west side of map).

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

 

This former private airfield was one of two established in the 1960s to support cropdusting

for the Stahmann Farms Pecan company.

The date of construction of the Mesquite Airfield has not been determined.

It was not depicted at all on aeronautical charts from 1962, 1963, 1964 or 1967.

The only map depiction of the Mesquite Airfield which has been located

was on a 1967 NM State Land Office map.

It depicted a single runway airfield, within the west side of the town of Mesquite.



After a much larger Stahmann Farms Airfield was constructed nearby to the west by 1966,

the Mesquite Airfield was evidently abandoned by the mid 1970s.



In a 1975 USGS aerial photo, the single runway of the Mesquite Airfield was still recognizable,

with pecan groves on both sides of the strip.



The Mesquite Airfield was not depicted at all on aeronautical charts from 1977 or 1998.



In the 2003 USGS aerial photo, the former runway was no longer recognizable at all.



A 2004 photo looking along the orientation of the former Mesquite Airfield.



The site of the Mesquite Airfield is located northwest of the intersection of Route 478 & St. Thomas Road.

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Stahmann Farms Airfield (1st location), Mesquite, NM

32.19 North / 106.75 West (Northwest of El Paso, TX)

Stahmann Farms Airfield, as depicted at its original location

on the December 1962 USAF Operational Navigation Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

 

This former private airfield was located on the grounds of the Stahmann Farms Pecan company.

The date of construction of Stahmann Farms Airfield has not been determined.

The earliest depiction of the field which has been located

was on the December 1962 USAF Operational Navigation Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 It depicted the Stahmann Farms Airfield as having a single 3,000' paved runway, oriented northeast/southwest,

located on the east side of the West Side Canal.



The Stahmann operation at one point used biplanes & helicopters to spray & monitor their pecan trees.

According to NTSB accident records, these included a Boeing 75M & Bell 47G3.

 

Stahmann Farms Airfield, as depicted at its original location on the east side of the West Side Canal

on the 1963 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

This original location of the airfield was apparently closed within the next year,

as no Stahmann Farms Airfield was depicted on the June 1964 Roswell Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).



A newer & much larger Stahmann Farms Airfield was constructed nearby by 1966,

on the opposite (west) side of the West Side Canal.



As seen in the 2003 USGS aerial photo, the original Stahmann Farms Airfield was eventually planted over with pecan trees,

and not a trace appears to remain of the airfield.



The original Stahmann Farms Airfield is located on the east side of Route 28,

just north of Santo Thomas, NM.

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Stahmann Farms Airfield (2nd location), Mesquite, NM

32.18 North / 106.76 West (Northwest of El Paso, TX)

The 2nd location of the Stahmann Farms Airfield (on the west side of the West Side Canal),

as depicted on the 1966 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

 

This former private airfield is located on the grounds of the Stahmann Farms Pecan company.

At some point between 1964-66, the original location of the Stahmann Farms Airfield was replaced with a much larger airfield,

on the west side of the West Side Canal.

The earliest depiction of this location of the Stahmann Farms Airfield which has been located

was on the 1966 Roswell Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted the field as having a 7,400' unpaved runway.

 

A 1967 NM State Land Office map depicted the Stahmann Farms Airfield (west side of map),

as well as another airfield within the town of Mesquite (east side of map).



Stahmann Farms Airfield was depicted on the July 1977 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

as having a single 7,400' paved runway.

 

Stahmann Farms stopped using chemical insecticides in 1987,

so any crop-dusting operations presumably ended by this time.



The Stahmann Farms Airfield was evidently further expanded at some point between 1977-96,

as the 1996 USGS aerial photo shows the airfield as having two large paved runways:

a 7,700' north/south runway & a 5,500' east/west runway.

The airfield was apparently closed at some point between 1977-96,

as the 1996 photo shows closed runway "X" markings on the ends of both runways.

 

Stahmann Farms was depicted on 1998 aeronautical charts as an abandoned airfield.



A circa 2001-2005 USGS aerial photo looking southeast at the Stahmann Farms Airfield.



Michael Simmons reported in 2003 that the Stahmann Farms airfield is once again used by crop dusters,

although it is still not listed as an active airfield.




A February 2005 photo looking north from the runway intersection at Stahmann Farms.

Note the two new cellular towers behind the buildings.



A visitor to the Stahmann Farms Airport reported in Feubrary 2005 that the airfield “is far from abandoned.

This little field lies on top of a old lava flow which forms a bluff overlooking the Las Cruces Valley

and can’t otherwise be seen from anywhere nearby.

It is only accessible via a series of unmapped dirt trails through acres of Pecan groves.

It is right in the middle of their orchard, which is quite a sight containing 180,000 trees,

but because the airfield is on a bluff about 200 feet above them, they’re not a factor to any air traffic.

Though it is listed as an abandoned airfield, the Stahmann Farms field remains well maintained,

though the addition of a two cellular towers on site, and the lack of a paved access road would indicate that it is not often used.

The field has a small terminal & two large hangars.

It also has fuel, and runway lighting on both runways.

One of the taxiways was repaved in the 1990s and the runways to this day are free of debris or vegetation.”



A February 2005 photo one of the two identical hangars at Stahmann Farms.



A February 2005 photo of what appears to be the terminal building at the Stahmann Farms Airfield.



A February 2005 photo looking south along the 7400 foot runway at Stahmann Farms.



A February 2005 photo looking east from the runway intersection of the Stahmann Farms Airfield.

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