Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
California: Southeastern Fresno area
© 2002, © 2014 by Paul Freeman. Revised 11/26/14.
This site covers airfields in all 50 states: Click here for the site's main menu.
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Adams Airport (revised 11/29/13) - Kleinhammer Field (added 11/26/14)
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Kleinhammer Field / Machado Dusters Airport, Lemoore, CA
36.316, -119.79 (South of Fresno, CA)
Kleinhammer Field, as depicted on the 1947 Word Aeronautical Chart.
This small general aviation airport on the north side of the little town of Lemoore
was not yet depicted on the 1943 Tulare Lake AAF Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Roger Connor)
nor listed among active airfields in the 1945 AAF Airfields Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
According to an article in the 7/3/45 Fresno Bee, “Spencer Kleinhammer, Lemoore district turkey raiser & amateur aviator,
today announced he has received authority from the Civil Aeronautics Administration to establish a private civilian flying field on his ranch one mile north of Lemoore.
Kleinhammer says the new airport will be known as Kleinhammer Field.
He declares work has been started on a hangar & field office.
The new field, as designated officially on CAA maps, has a landing strip 1,800' long & 250' wide.
It is laid out at 345 degrees, approximately in a northwest/southeast direction.
The runway at present is leveled dirt & will be oiled as soon as materials are available.
Kleinhammer says the field will be available to all fliers who wish to use it.”
The earliest depiction which has been located of Kleinhammer Field was on the 1947 World Aeronautical Chart,
which depicted Kleinhammer Field as having a mere 1,500' unpaved runway.
The earliest topo map depiction which has been located of Kleinhammer Field was on the 1948 USGS topo map.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Kleinhammer Field was on the September 1949 Mt. Whitney Sectional Chart.
It depicted Kleinhammer as having a mere 1,500' unpaved runway.
The most detailed depiction which has been located of Kleinhammer Field was on the 1954 USGS topo map.
It depicted a single northwest/southeast runway, labeled simply as “Landing Strip”,
with a ramp & 1 small building at the south end.
Kleinhammer Field was still depicted on the 1960 USGS topo map.
Kleinhammer Field was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1960-62,
as it was no longer depicted on the 1962 USGS topo map.
At some later date, Kleinhammer Field was also known as Machado Dusters Airport.
A 1976 USGS aerial photo showed that the Kleinhammer Field runway had been reused as a street for a trailer park.
Kleinhammer Field was no longer depicted at all on the April 1980 San Francisco Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mitchell Hymowitz).
A 2013 aerial view looking northeast shows the alignment of the Kleinhammer Field runway remains recognizable as a street in a trailer park.
The site of Kleinhammer Field is located northwest of the intersection of Hanford Armona Road & Antelope Drive.
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36.705, -119.74 (Southeast of Fresno, CA)
Adams Airport, as depicted on the 1946 USGS topo map (courtesy of Dallam Oliver-Lee).
This small general aviation airport was evidently established at some point between 1945-46,
as it was not yet depicted on the 1923 USGS topo map (courtesy of Dallam Oliver-Lee)
nor listed among active airfields in the 1945 AAF Airfields Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction which has been located of Adams Airport was on the 1946 USGS topo map (courtesy of Dallam Oliver-Lee).
It depicted Adams Airport as having a northwest/southeast paved runway with a paved ramp on the east side with 1 small building.
The earliest photo which has been located of Adams Airport was a 4/23/46 USGS aerial view (courtesy of Dallam Oliver-Lee, enhanced by Bill Grasha).
It depicted Adams Airport as having a northwest/southeast runway with a ramp on the east side with over a dozen light aircraft & a hangar.
A 3/13/50 USGS aerial view (courtesy of Dallam Oliver-Lee, enhanced by Bill Grasha) still depicted Adams Airport as remaining intact,
but it may have been abandoned by that point.
The last depiction which has been located of Adams Airport was on the 1960 USGS topo map (courtesy of Dallam Oliver-Lee).
It depicted Adams Airport as a commercial/municipal airport.
Adams Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1960-62,
as it was no longer depicted on the 1962 USGS topo map (courtesy of Dallam Oliver-Lee)
or on the April 1980 San Francisco Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mitchell Hymowitz).
An 8/27/12 aerial view (courtesy of Dallam Oliver-Lee) showed multiple buildings having been built over the site of Adams Airport.
It appears that the airport hangars on the east side of the property may remain standing.
The site of Adams Airport is located southwest of the intersection of East Jensen Avenue & South Chestnut Avenue.
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