Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:

Western Kansas

© 2002, © 2016 by Paul Freeman. Revised 9/10/16.

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Garden City Aux AAF #1 / Ingalls Municipal Airport (revised 9/10/16) - Garden City Aux AAF #2 (revised 3/1/14)

Garden City Aux AAF #3 (revised 3/1/14) - (Original) Garden City Municipal Airport (revised 2/27/16)

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(Original) Garden City Municipal Airport, Garden City, KS

37.97, -100.82 (West of Wichita, KS)

The original Garden City Airport,

as depicted on the 1929 Rand McNally Standard Indexed Map with Air Trails of KS (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The original Garden City Municipal Airport was located approximately 2 miles east of the center of the town.



The Garden City Airport was evidently constructed in 1928,

as described in an article by Murriel Keiser in the 4/23/28 issue of Aviation Magazine (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It said “With the errection of an airport, the installation of a Porterfield Flying School,

and the organization of an N.A.A. Chapter, Garden City has become a center of air travel in southwestern KS.

One winged cavalcade flew into the airport shortly after its completion this spring.

The airport is bordered by a 4' white lime ribbon which marks the edge of a 1,320' x 2,640' field.

Twenty acres of sod near the administration building affords ample space for small planes to takeoff & land.”



The earliest depiction of the original Garden City Airport which has been located

was on the 1929 Rand McNally Standard Indexed Map with Air Trails of KS (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It described Garden City as a municipal field, operated by C.B. Eggen.

The field was described as measuring 2,640' x 1,320'.



An aerial view of the original Garden City Municipal Airport,

from The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

The directory described Garden City Municipal Airport as consisting of a 160-acre square sod field,

having two 2,600' cinder runways, oriented north/south & east/west.

The field was said to provide fuel, repairs, and storage.

The operator was listed as the Garden City Flying Service.



The The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)

described Garden City Municipal Airport as having a 2,600' square sod landing area.



According to Drew Van Horne, "Continental Air Lines inaugurated service into the Original Garden City Municipal Airport

late in 1938 utilizing Lockheed 10-E equipment on a Denver to Wichita routing via Colorado Springs,

Pueblo (original airport) and Garden City with 1 flight a day in each direction."



A 10/6/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock)

depicted the Garden City Municipal Airport as having 4 unpaved runways,

with several small hangars on the southeast side.



The Garden City Airport was described by the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)

as having a 4,300' unpaved runway,

which the remarks said was "unsafe for heavy aircraft."



Garden City Airport, as depicted on the 1945 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described the Garden City Municipal Airport

as a 255 acre irregularly-shaped property having 4 dirt runways, the longest being the 4,488' northwest/southeast strip.

The field was said to have two 90' x 62' metal hangars,

to be served by Continental Air Lines, and to be owned & operated by the City of Garden City.



After the much larger Garden City Army Airfield (to the southeast) had been declared excess by the military in 1947,

it became the new Municipal Airport for the town of Garden City.

The old airport apparently continued in operation for a few more years though,

as both the old airport, labeled "Garden City (Mun)", and the "New Garden City" Airport

were depicted on the March 1949 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



"Garden City Municipal Airport",

as depicted in the 1949 KS Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The 1949 KS Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Garden City Municipal Airport as having 4 sod runways,

with the longest being the 4,422' northwest/southeast strip.

A total of 4 buildings (hangars?) were situated at the southeast corner of the field.

The airport offered repairs & fuel, and the operator was listed as M. M. Higins.



The original Garden City Municipal Airport was still depicted as an active airfield

on the October 1950 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The last photo which has been located showing the original Garden City Municipal Airport still intact was a 12/19/54 USGS aerial view.

It depicted the field as having 3 runways, with a few small buildings on the southeast side.



The original Garden City Airport was no longer depicted on the 1955 USGS topo map or later topo maps.



According to Drew Van Horne, "The latest reference I could find for the Original [Garden City] Airport

was in my 1956 Aviation Week Airport & Business Flying Directory."

It described the Garden City Airport at 37-57/100-49 as having 3 unpaved runways,

with the longest being a 4,422' north-northwest/south-southeast strip.”



According to Drew Van Horne, "My 1961 Aviation Week Airport & Business Flying Directory does not list the airport,

so the airport was presumably closed down sometime between 1956-61."



As seen in the northwest corner of the 1991 USGS aerial photo,

the outline of at least 2 of the former runways

were still recognizable at the site of the original Garden City Municipal Airport.

None of the buildings on the eastern portion of the site seemed to date from the airport days, though,

as none of them seemed to match the layout of the buildings from the 1949 airport directory.



A 2014 aerial photo showed the faint diagonal outlines of 2 former runways

were still recognizable on the northwest portion of the site of the original Garden City Municipal Airport.



The site of the original Garden City Municipal Airport

is located northwest of the intersection of Route 50 & North Farmland Road.

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Garden City Aux Army Airfield #1 / Ingalls Municipal Airport (30K), Ingalls, KS

37.91, -100.53 (West of Wichita, KS)

The earliest depiction which has been located of “Garden City Army Air Field Auxiliary #1”

was a 10/6/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock).



According to an Army Corps of Engineers report, Garden City Auxiliary Field #1 was constructed in the 1943

as one of 3 auxiliary landing fields for the basic flying school located at Garden City AAF (12 miles west).

The site consisted of a total of 640 acres, on which the Army constructed concrete runways,

taxiways, parking area, a control tower & other buildings.



A 5/15/43 AAF list of airfields of the Gulf Coast Training Center (courtesy of Ron Plante)

described Garden City Auxiliary #1 as having 3 concrete runways, with the longest being two 3,000' north/south strips.



The earliest depiction which has been located of “Garden City Army Air Field Auxiliary #1”

was a 10/6/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock).

It depicted the field as having a very unusual configuration: 2 parallel north/south concrete runways

joined by a concrete parking area in the center, forming an “M” shape.

A few small buildings were visible on the south side of the field.



Garden City AAF Aux #1 was described by the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)

as having a 3,000' hard-surface runway,

which the remarks described as a "3,000' x 2,200' bituminous landing mat."



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Garden City Auxiliary Field #1 which has been located

was on the February 1944 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted Garden City Aux “#1” along with Garden City AAF & its other auxiliary airfields.



"Garden City AAF (Aux)" & all 3 of its auxiliary airfields were still depicted

as military airfields on the 1945 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described “Garden City Army Air Field Auxiliary #1”

as a 626 acre square property on which was situated a 3,000' x 2,200' concrete landing mat.

The field was said to not have any hangars,

to owned by the U.S. Government, and operated by the Army Air Forces.



Garden City Aux #1 was declared excess in 1945,

and the site was conveyed to the City of Ingalls in 1948.



"Ingalls Municipal Airport", as depicted in the 1949 KS Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The 1949 KS Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Ingalls Municipal Airport as having a bituminous landing mat in an "M" shape, measuring 3,000' x 2,200'.

A total of 4 buildings (hangars?) were situated at the southeast corner of the field.

The airport was not attended and the operator was listed as the Mayor of Ingalls.



"Ingalls" was depicted on the October 1963 Sangre De Christo Mountains World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton)

as having a 3,000' hard-surface runway.



The 1965 Jeppesen Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Ingalls Airport as having a 3,000' paved Runway 17/35,

along with multiple closed runways.

The manager was listed as George Johnson.



A 3/6/65 USGS aerial photo showed Garden City Aux #2's unusual M-shaped airfield remained in fine condition.



The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Ingalls Airport

was on the June 1965 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ron Kunse).

It depicted Ingalls Airport as having a 3,000' paved north/south runway.



Strangely, the 1968 USGS topo map depicted “Ingalls Landing Strip” as having only a single north/south paved runway,

but did not depict at all the majority of the surrounding paved surface.



A 1995 USGS aerial photo showed the Garden City Aux #1 Airfield remained completely intact.

A narrow portion of the western runway was marked as Runway 17/35,

and a (post-WW2) hangar was located just southwest of the center of the airfield.



As of 2004 the airfield was known as Ingalls Municipal Airport,

and was being (barely) used as a landing strip for a crop dusting operation.

The field was listed as being home to 3 single-engine aircraft.



A 3/16/12 aerial photo showed Ingall's western runway 17/35 had recently been repaved,

along with a narrow crosswind runway.



See also: http://www.hnd.usace.army.mil/OEW/factshts/factshts/gc021000.htm

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Garden City Aux Army Airfield #2, Garden City, KS

38 North / 100.63 West (West of Wichita, KS)

The earliest depiction which has been located of “Garden City Army Air Field Auxiliary #2”

was a 10/6/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock).



According to a 1995 Army Corps of Engineers Report,

the Army purchased 356 acres at this site in 1943,

to be used as one of 3 auxiliary airfields to support the basic flying school

at the Garden City Army Air Field (located to the southwest).

"The field consisted of nothing more than bituminous surface landing area & fencing."



A 5/15/43 AAF list of airfields of the Gulf Coast Training Center (courtesy of Ron Plante)

described Garden City Auxiliary #2 as having 3 asphalt runways, with the longest being two 3,000' north/south strips.



The earliest depiction which has been located of “Garden City Army Air Field Auxiliary #2”

was a 10/6/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock).

It depicted the field as having an “M”-shaped paved landing mat on which were a total of 5 runways.

There were no buildings visible at the airfield.



Garden City AAF Aux #2 was described by the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)

as having a 3,000' x 2,200' bituminous landing mat.



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Garden City Auxiliary Field #2 which has been located

was on the February 1944 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted Garden City Aux “#2” along with Garden City AAF & its other auxiliary airfields.



Garden City Aux #2 was still depicted as an active airfield on the 1945 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described “Garden City Army Air Field Auxiliary #2”

as a 357 acre square property on which was situated a 3,000' x 2,200' bituminous all-way landing area.

The field was said to not have any hangars,

to owned by the U.S. Government, and operated by the Army Air Forces.



According to the 1995 Army report, the #2 Auxiliary Field was declared excess in 1945,

and the site was conveyed by quitclaim deed to private individuals in 1948.



Garden City Aux #2 was apparently never reused as a civil airfield,

as it was not depicted at all on the October 1963 Sangre De Christo Mountains World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton).



A 3/6/65 USGS aerial photo showed the recognizable outline of Garden City Aux #2's unusual M-shaped airfield configuration.



Garden City Aux #2 was not depicted at all on USGS topo maps from 1975, 1978, or 1991.



According to the 1995 Army report, "The site has since been converted to cultivated fields

with only minor evidence of broken-up concrete on the site."



A 3/16/12 aerial photo showed the recognizable outline of Garden City Aux #2's unusual M-shaped airfield configuration.



Garden City Aux #2 is located southwest of the intersection of East Gray County Line Road & Route 27.



Thanks to Chris Kennedy for pointing out this airfield.

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Garden City Aux Army Airfield #3, Garden City, KS

38 North / 100.77 West (West of Wichita, KS)

The earliest depiction which has been located of “Garden City Army Air Field Auxiliary #3”

was a 10/6/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock).



According to a 1995 Army Corps of Engineers Report,

the Army purchased & obtained easements for a total of 297 acres at this site in 1943,

to be used as one of 3 auxiliary airfields to support the basic flying school

at the Garden City Army Air Field (located to the southeast).

"The Army constructed asphalt roads, concrete runways, wood frame buildings, and fencing."



A 5/15/43 AAF list of airfields of the Gulf Coast Training Center (courtesy of Ron Plante)

described Garden City Auxiliary #3 as having 3 asphalt runways, with the longest being two 3,000' north/south strips.



The earliest depiction which has been located of “Garden City Army Air Field Auxiliary #3”

was a 10/6/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock).

It depicted the field as having an “M”-shaped paved landing mat on which were a total of 5 runways.

There were no buildings visible at the airfield.



Garden City AAF Aux #3 was described by the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)

as having a 3,000' x 2,200' bituminous landing mat.



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Garden City Auxiliary Field #3 which has been located

was on the February 1944 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted Garden City Aux “#3” along with Garden City AAF & its other auxiliary airfields.



Garden City Aux #3 was still depicted as an active airfield on the 1945 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described “Garden City Army Air Field Auxiliary #3”

as a 270 acre square property on which was situated a 3,000' x 2,200' bituminous all-way landing area.

The field was said to not have any hangars,

to owned by the U.S. Government, and operated by the Army Air Forces.



According to the 1995 Army report, the auxiliary field was declared surplus in 1945,

and the site was conveyed by quitclaim deed to private individuals in 1947.



Garden City Aux #3 was apparently never reused as a civil airfield,

as it was not depicted at all on the March 1949 Wichita Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It was labeled "feedlot" on the 1978 & 1991 USGS topo maps.



A 1991 USGS aerial photo showed the site of Garden City Aux #3 had been reused as a cattle feedlot.

Unlike the other 2 Garden City Auxiliary Airfields,

the once-distinctive runway layout was no longer recognizable.



According to the 1995 Army report, "The site is presently being used for cropland & a feed lot.

None of the original structures or site improvements remain.

There are only remnants of the runway to mark the facility location."



A 3/16/12 aerial photo showed the site of Garden City Aux #3 has been reused as a cattle feedlot.

Unlike the other 2 Garden City Auxiliary Airfields, the once-distinctive runway layout was no longer recognizable.



Garden City Aux #3 is located northwest of the intersection of East Mary Street & North 16 Mile Road.



Thanks to Chris Kennedy for pointing out this airfield.

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