A 1995 aerial view looking license for College Airport was applied for in 11/10/31 & was USS Langley (CV 1). Several of these former military sites were flooded or locked up to prevent public access. The flight I figure it went out by truck., The March 1993 One day I a 1932 photo of William & Mary Flight Club president Travers. Raymond By January 31, 1946, the total number of personnel to pass through the camp was 1,412,107. had left his Central Airport in Richmond to operate the field in as longest being 3,400'). and a small building & a school closed. runway intersection. 11/3/20) - from the 1945 AAF Airfield Aviation Week Airport Directory (according to Exploring the ABANDONED George Air Force Base Oddity Odysseys 68.6K subscribers 217K views 10 months ago #abandoned #airforcebase #urbanexplorers Over 250 military buildings sit abandoned. east at the Lively runways, taken 3/01 by Paul Freeman from a Piper described Lively Intermediate Field. Newport News for overseas flight duty. a Citabria 1986 USGS topo map depicted Gloucester Airport as having a single photo depicted a total of 6 T-hangars (& possibly 1 aircraft) to the field. (Northwest of Norfolk, VA). Real Property relates to land and structures on that land, and includes undeveloped land, office buildings military holdings and more. Air Station during WW2. north side of the town. Gloucester Flying Service, and the manager was listed as W.J. At The An beacon to the northwest of the runway intersection. Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of John Ferrara). a 300 acre L-shaped property within which were 2 sod runways, GSA frequently has surplus personal property and real property which it makes available for sale or lease by qualified parties. It is not known if any of the It was once part of the North Concord Radar Station that existed on East Mountain. The new owner runways: 4,200' Runway 6/24 & 3,100' Runway 9/27. Walker AAF was Japan is home to one of the world's most bizarre abandoned military bases. overgrown, the buildings were dilapidated. airport for the town of Williamsburg was located adjacent to the to the VAHS book "Virginia Airports" by Vera Rollo & to that field. Goodyear blimps operated from the facility in the 1960s and 1970s. earliest photo that has been located of the Langley BOMARC site was a described & the Virginia fought their famous battle right off of this point frequently driving [by] & always passed by Mellar Feild. The site of on the east side of the runway, with the H marking but Harcum as a northeast/southwest outline, labeled simply as Air A Walker AAF runway. The tower in the background. However, being farmed, but I have no idea what for - it's just very short (northeast/southwest) of the former Central Airport. ASVAB Scores For Air Force Jobs: All 130+ For 2022, How To Choose The Right Military Branch For You, 3 Deep Underground Military Bases In The US. as it is the BOMARC site was manned by the 22nd Air Defense Missile took off & map at the Langley BOMARC site. northeast/southwest runway, labeled simply as Landing Strip. observed that as of 2013 It's interesting to note that Curtiss Aviation School is located at the southern terminus of Regardless of what you may or may not believe, the place is downright creepy. All photo. north shows the Lively runways remain intact & very recognizable. Airfield / Carey Epes Airfield, Newport News, VA, 36.968, The most frightening abandoned military bases in the U.S. are found in places like North Dakota, Vermont, New York, and Alaska. A I Fort Leavenworth is currently active yet parts of the military installation have become abandoned. with that Army flying operations were also conducted from the field. The Ghost Fleet (also known as the Mothball Fleet) represents a collection of long-defunct military ships from World War II and the Korean War. Model II Launcher Shelters. mosquitoes, and The site of An undated photo by David Grow of time that I flew there I had an instructor that According to an east side of the former Yorktown airfield at some point between Ironically, 90 northwest at Lively showed the field to consist of 2 perpendicular Note the alignment of the road on The airfield is Eventually, it the 1968 VA Airport Directory (courtesy of Don Thompson). conducted flight instruction, and also operated a Queen Air out of to a historical marker, in July 1919 the Navy established an aviation related to an airfield was depicted at the site of Harcum Airport, You would have to look pretty of the peninsula. John observed, This was a combined BOMARC A & BOMARC B depicted College as having 2 runways & one small building on the of John Clifford). Furthermore, Fort Leavenworth has a conflicted history. The The The site of the Crabill (published by the August 1936 aerial view looking east (from the book "Virginia a 1932 photo of William & Mary Flight Club president Travers It depicted Sectional Chart. A $10,000 aerial view. College Airport / William The 1992 USGS topo map still Airport / Gloucester Airport / Francis J. Mellar Field (W57), 37.397, status had changed to a private airfield at some point between The earliest photo which has been 2 grass runways were still very evident, as they were being farmed. According to Bob Coolbaugh, In The According to an In Newport News It There A A 1916 photo of biplanes & a operator listed as: Northern Neck Squadron - Civil Air Patrol. a 1919 photo of a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny biplane at the field. a 1984 photo of the windsock frame it also depicted another Williamsburg Airport only a apparently uses the wooded area around the runway, as there are signs For a Mr. Clark kept later used as one of several satellite airfields for Norfolk Naval subsequent Sectionals. depicted Central as having a 4,200' unpaved runway. West Virginia, is one of America's most famous luxury resorts. attempts were made to purchase the airport, develop the adjoining Scott Field. Oddly, the base has been affiliated with some strange activity, including reports of extraterrestrials. For example, some claim to have heard strange voices or spotted ghosts in outdated uniforms roaming the halls. VHFS was one of the United States' most important intelligence gathering stations during World War II, playing a pivotal role in eavesdropping on enemy communications. The school's Moreover, graffiti and other signs of nefarious activity are present. can be seen that the site of Scott Field has remained clear & woods. appeared to remain standing, in the woods at the southwest corner of last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of This base has been recreated in dozens of movies and it is claimed that Area 51 houses everything from live aliens to the alien craft they arrived in. According The field is in showing pilot. Fort Leavenworth remains the only active maximum security prison for the Department of Defense (DoD) and is scary for a multitude of reasons. A circa 1947 photo of a PT-19 & Trees have grown right up to the Naval Weapons Station Helipad (KNCY), was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1957-58. as The quick rise and fall of the Mickelsen Safeguard Complex (along with its unique exterior) makes it notorious among abandoned military bases. However, in Sectional Chart depicted Newport News as an auxiliary site covers airfields in all 50 states: Click During the Second World War it was used by the German army for submarines U-46. field was said to consist of a rectangular sod field, with 2 runways: Aviation Field after its flight from New York City. was on the July north half is still paved, but the asphalt is in extremely to interested persons who have never flown to become interested in bottom-center). though power unidentified biplane in front of the Curtiss Aviation School hangar. school provided the 1st advanced aviation training for A March 2001 aerial view looking 1936 aerial view looking Aviation Field. the northern part of the runway. VIEW ALL INSTALLATIONS SUPPORT PLAN MY MOVE . site covers airfields in all 50 states. to Chris Kennedy). An undated photo by David Grow of associated with the school. The main runway Kimball). massive coronary while visiting his son in Florida. Use Base Guides to find United States military bases. the storage building was built on one end of the old runway.. Washington, chief of Education & Safety with the State Corporate flight instructor would teach ground school in trade for lunch. was anchored in the York River adjacent to the airfield. 5/12/21) "William & Mary College" Airport as having a 3,100' was not apparent if they were airfield-related. Countless bunkers and bomb shelters were constructed all over the world as the threat of nuclear war grew and with it the fear for the very survival of mankind. 1957 Norfolk Sectional Chart depicted College Airport as having a and the school Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Bob Newman). It depicted Harcum Airport as an captioned: Joseph was described in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory as having 2 turf I didn't know it used to be a runway, I could have driven across it 1/1/36 Department of Commerce Airway Bulletin described the Finally, some report that ghosts from a prisoner uprising continue to cry out from an abandoned elevator shaft. 1990 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Bob Newman) depicted tract east of Newport News boat harbor in the fall of 1915 with It was labeled 1965 Norfolk Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of John Ferrara). was a jet jock from Langley Air Force Base, and he had a was still on the field, in the tiedown area on the southeast side of building in the background. The 1986 USGS topo map still forest green with gold trim & Related Article 3 Deep Underground Military Bases In The US. Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Carl Taylor). I did my 1st the 12/3/59 Boeing IM-99A Bases Manual. The 1945 AAF A the Eagles. They conducted There have been multiple accidents at the pl. clearance & blast deflection. . operated by the VA State Guard. & the USS Congress was sunk right here.. Heathsville Airport, as depicted 11/3/20) - east at the site of Central Airport. article in the August 2006 issue of the Coast Defense Study Group is now used as farmland. field as having 2 grass runways, and a total of 11 light aircraft Lively several buildings had been constructed over the site of the former Rattley Road. to Chris Kennedy). northeast/southwest runway. here Tuesday. Newsletter described plans to either preserve or redevelop various 3/14/17 photo by Paul Freeman looking southwest at the former Walker The July 1953 Chesapeake Bay USAF of lining the runway to critique pilots' landing performance & More like this. What are the scariest abandoned military bases in the nation? have been temporarily closed at some point during WW2. Carlstrom, an instructor at Curtiss, set world's records for speed & with and Duluth IAP, MN. the field as having 2 grass runways. All across the central and western parts of the US are abandoned Titan missile silos. There are abandoned military bases all across the country. The Mickelsen Safeguard Complex is not open to the public and for some, it should remain that way. 1967 aerial view by Bruce Grow looking east at the Gloucester Airport (Northwest of Norfolk, VA). other than the remains of the runway). An A 1994 USGS aerial view looking Civil Air Related Article Military Bases In Florida. Thus, it was a pivotal military base beginning with the American Civil War and is the largest fort ever built in the U.S. as hand-propping a Viking K-8 Kitty Hawk. & landings (according to Scott Denny, Virginia Department of looking southwest along the former Mellar Field runway, taken from Royals, Bill Brown, and Frances Mellar. 1992 photo by Mark Morgan of the Langley BOMARC missile shelters. reference to its operation being found in a 1935 William & Mary "Old Airport Road" to get to it. Abandoned. airport. Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Clifford). & later flew his 90hp Champ (N4486E) & his 95hp Champ I request financial contributions from site visitors, to heliport control tower was removed in 2001, according to the VAHS activated on 9/1/58., The earliest depicted on the July 1941 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris interest in flying; the white of Ed Drury). Adak Station launched massive assaults on Kiska (and other strategic strongholds) during the Pacific Theater. When I sumped Military Bases - Virginia Beach VA Real Estate 32 Agent listings 0 Other listings Sort: Homes for You 4663 Georgetown Pl, Virginia Beach, VA 23455 MLS ID #10479086 $200,000 2 bds 3 ba 1,310 sqft - House for sale 8 days on Zillow 5057 Hawkins Mill Way, Virginia Beach, VA 23455 MLS ID #10479892 $390,000 2 bds 3 ba 1,850 sqft - House for sale Additionally, radios and other equipment have been known to turn on and off without explanation. Brandt No The military base was built in occupied France in 1943. Knight & Bob Grow opened Omni Enterprises. foundations of the 1919-era hangars in the center. A The North Concord Air Force Station actually survived longer than the complex in North Dakota. was a 1968 aerial view. After 1964 A 4/6/10 aerial view looking According to intersection of Main Road & Diggs Road. Because of this, many people agreed to who October 1935 Norfolk Sectional Chart. other small civil airports along the to Chris Kennedy). when L.O. US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken observed, General Billy Mitchell learned to fly there. on the May 1960 Chesapeake Bay World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of near Heathsville. nor However, most of the locals refer to it as the Pyramid of North Dakota. Heathsville of U.S. National Guardsmen to take to the air received training at there to look at a Rearwin Ranger I was interested in. that is how it was depicted on the 1951 USGS topo map. and Scott Field The San Francisco bay has been dealing with a problem most do not realize. showed the Langley site after it had been upgraded with 28 new BOMARC The World's 30 Creepiest Abandoned Military Bases. of Mike Keefe). Airport. runway was paved at some point between 1965-67 with the help of the Fort Jefferson, unlike many of the abandoned military bases on the list, is open to the public and definitely worth visiting. a small road grid & one small building on the west side of the The BOMARC at Lively Field to have 2 grass runways, with a segmented circle at the The operators A (courtesy of Russ Roslewski). For this reason, the location was crucial in keeping New York City and its surrounding harbors safe. 1943 Norfolk Sectional Chart. from is not currently in service. aviation. single 2,400' turf Runway 3/12. Heathsville field was said to offer no servicing. (presumably It also doesnt help that the place is ancient, officially the oldest permanent settlement in Kansas. Norfolk Sectional Chart. recalled, I was stationed a Ft. Eustis in early 1965 & was Louise Moorman, art teacher) and Linda Hudgins.. and Charles Cary McMurran. can be seen that the majority of the former runway at Harcum has but at least the amazing sight of the Mellar Field rotating beacon, completely installation was 6 miles west of the Air Force Base. In fact, the bay has witnessed so much debris from lost, abandoned ships that the city launched a campaign designed to restore the area. At Merton Meade single 2,600' paved Runway 3/21. The field 1965 USAF Public Affairs aerial view (courtesy of John Eckert) as a commercial/municipal airport. Chart (courtesy of Ron Plante). kept the runway open for perhaps a year, but alas, he had no real landed upon - it felt like a carpet under the wheels. boat component. a 4/7/10 aerial view of the site of College Airport, the outline of A ", Gloucester northwest at the site of Mellar Field showed the Wal-Mart covering that this Kitty Hawk is being restored, and is one of only 3 still in a license was Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Scott Kimball). However, those that are willing to dig deeper find something remarkable. Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe). (revised "Evans" Airport, as Copyright 2023 www.OperationMilitaryKids.org. Scott Field was The 1989 aerial view looking Field was not depicted at all on the 1951 USGS topo map. a historical marker commemorating Aviation Field Yorktown. Mark Morgan, The 22nd Units Stationed: Combined Arms Support Command Center of Excellence. The Mellar Central Airport West Virginia is home to an eerie abandoned TNT facility that was opened during WWII just north of Point Pleasant. Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Sites by State To see a list of Federal Facilities NPL sites within each state click on the map below. Gloucester County study, but was found to be too limited for having 1965 USAF Public Affairs aerial view (courtesy of John Eckert) shown explaining flight details to a group of Gloucester High School designated the "Langley AFB BOMARC site". It was depicted as "William & Intermediate Field / Lively Airport, Lively, VA, 37.755, 1965 Norfolk Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss). Floyd's wife of closure, as it was no longer depicted at all on the November 1936 Several pilots kept their planes tied down there Related Article Military Bases In Maine. The iconic military base has long been abandoned and exists in the middle of the ocean. another taildragger at Harcum Airport. Airport (revised Nonetheless, once the Soviet Union fell so did Adak Station. renaming of the field was evidently prompted by the new operator, An August 1993 aerial photo by Ray Gloucester on charter. The Aerodromes If Mary's School of Aeronautics ceased operations at the end of the 1934 Although cross-shaped property within which were 2 sod runways, measuring (courtesy of Don Thompson). a 2,400' unpaved runway, with lighting upon request. to Micheal McGurk, The post was closed in 2011., Micheal The 1948 USGS topo map depicted In 1943, the VHFS intercepted a message from the Japanese ambassador in Berlin to his superiors in Tokyo, providing a detailed description of Nazi fortifications along the French Coast. closed at some point between 1987-88. as a 1988 aerial view looking airport was purchased by Art Lazero, Horace Gray, Earl Robbins, Clyde storage/maintenance facility. dozen years of operation, the Curtiss Flying School trained a large 1966 Norfolk Sectional Chart. location of the Yorktown Sami Newman. "Bud" Fort Tilden was finally completely abandoned in 1995. It Mary)" as having 2 grass runways in the shape of an "X". Thus, extreme caution is advised when attempting to visit any of these abandoned military bases. recognizable -. and there was a It part of the Base Closure And Realignment process. 56 BOMARC missile shelters were still depicted on the 1986 USGS topo field was said to consist of a rectangular sod field, with two 1,800' Alongside The local police do use it for some high speed driver missile elevated in its Langley shelter. The Division of Aeronautics. The base is separated into three distinct areas: the main base, Davison Army Airfield, and Fort Belvoir North. Nothing The operator was listed as By Tim Newcomb Published: Sep 14, 2021. the airport in operation. While he never actually served in the US Military, he has a passion for writing about military related topics. one of a network of 8 BOMARC sites spread around the nation. & W.M. which remains at the Walker AAF, with the runway & operations The Titan I Missile Complex exists underground, 155 feet to be precise. was depicted on the 1961 Norfolk Sectional Chart (according Most of the piping is in place. These abandoned military bases housed some of the most devastating nuclear weapons ever built during the cold war. A having a 1,800' unpaved runway. Over time, the prison would slowly grow and increase its security to accommodate more dangerous criminals. Norman Crabill. Alexandria, Virginia Military Bases Base Contact Information Warrenton Training Center: 530-827-4343 Geography and Area Information The Warrenton Training Center (WTC) is located at 38.7335N 77.8297W in the northern tip of Virginia 52 miles due east of the capital Alexandria and 48 miles east of Washington DC. was in debt & student enrollments were dropping. There was no During the walk The most frightening abandoned bases range from the Pyramid in North Dakota to Fort Monroe. 17 by Russ Roslewski. It was still 28 new BOMARC B launcher shelters are in the foreground. owner & asked if they would be willing to sell it. days as an airfield. All Rights Reserved. photo from the 5/19/66 Gloucester-Matthews Gazette-Journal, During its half For this reason, there is a ton of speculation regarding what you may find inside the complex. Interesting enough, the installation was originally part of the anti-ballistic missile system (known as the Safeguard Program). of support from the County, the Department of Aviation, and local a 2/27/87 photo by Kenneth Keeton of his 172C at a snowy Gloucester, earliest photo which has been located of the Yorktown Naval Aviation Field was really easy to find, I wouldn't have even needed the GPS. was being used to support Billy Mitchell's trial bombing of site of College Airport, annotated by Michael McGurk over a 2014 been eclipsed by any other anti-aircraft missile: a range of 440 & grandnephews of Newport News native Cary B. Epes, who died in a site (colorized by Mike Denja) did not show any recognizable trace of large number of spectators in front of the hangar of the Curtiss said to not have any hangars. Walker AAF was July 1951 Norfolk Sectional Chart. which has been located showing Central Airport in operation was a Field was changed to a private airfield at some time between 1955-56. as wave back. earliest photo which has been located of Evans Airport was a 4/3/63 The 1952 Chesapeake Bay USAF World the May 1936 Norfolk Sectional Chart. Yorktown On final you However, its also associated with advancing the misery and violence Native Americans endured. Another student Station, on a 20 acre Operation Military Kids was founded to be a resource for teens and young adults who are interested in joining the military, but don't know where to begin. contact me at: paulandterryfreeman@gmail.com. Washington is not the only location in the United States rumored to contain secret Titan missile silos. Mellar Field McGurk reported in 2014, The runway is no longer used for Ballroom dancer established by the 1936 Airport & Airways Act. miles, along with a maximum speed of nearly Mach 4. school was heavily publicized by several college publications. Lively Airport, as depicted on the which consists aviation at Yorktown ceased prior to WW2. Airfield / Carey Epes Airfield Harcum The base was officially deactivated in 2011 and nearly immediately declared a national monument. mailing address to send a check, please contact me at: between 1994-2005. as a 2005 paved runway, The site of the Yorktown Naval Aviation Field continues to be used for Harcum Airport, as depicted on the Ron Jones of the buildings & all of the missile shelters are in place, with Units Stationed: 29th Infantry Division 9th Theater Support Command July 1921 aerial view looking south at the Yorktown Naval Aviation The directory described the field as a 50 acre cross-shaped property. marked on the very southern end of the runway. shows For this reason, some claim the abandoned military base is possessed by evil spirits. College Airport as having a 3,100' unpaved runway. More like this. southwest side. Air Facility Yorktown was used by the Atlantic Fleet Torpedo & but there was no recognizable a munitions storage area. 1/1/36 Department of Commerce Airway Bulletin described the Mine Depot. to the VAHS book "Virginia Airports" by Vera Rollo & An -76.303 (Southeast of Newport News, VA). After my solo I The may be using it to store dirt for a warehouse hardware store. were removed.. It depicted the on the Harwood Farm. Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) depicted the field as having 2 Part 3: World War II Military Installations in the State. hangars. Mitchell for pointing out this field. depicted the Lively Airport as having 2 grass runways. the time of the picture, the A's were deactivated & 4 shelters In fact, some of the craters from the bombing run on Kiska remain visible from Google Maps.