Eagle Field (airport) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eagle Field
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USGS 2006 orthophoto
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||
| Owner | Joseph L. Davis | ||||||||||
| Serves | Dos Palos, California | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 153 ft / 47 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 36°53′59″N 120°40′04″W / 36.89972°N 120.66778°W | ||||||||||
| Website | www.EagleField.net | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
 CL01
Location in California
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| Runway | |||||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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Eagle Field (FAA LID: CL01) is a private airport located in Fresno County, California, United States. It's about 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Dos Palos, a city in nearby Merced County.
Contents
History of Eagle Field
Eagle Field first opened on June 24, 1943. Back then, it was a training airfield for pilots during World War II. It was known as Dos Palos Airport. The airport was part of the United States Army Air Forces' training program. A company called Coast Aviation Corp. helped run the training.
The airport had three grass runways. These were used for planes to take off and land. There were also smaller airfields nearby. These were used for extra practice or in case of emergencies. Some of these auxiliary fields included:
- Hammond Auxiliary Field (its exact location is not known)
- Vail Auxiliary Field (36°46′12″N 120°40′00″W / 36.77000°N 120.66667°W)
- Dos Palos Emergency Field (36°50′35″N 120°43′00″W / 36.84306°N 120.71667°W)
- Canal Field Auxiliary Field (36°56′34″N 120°47′20″W / 36.94278°N 120.78889°W)
- Mason Auxiliary Field (36°43′50″N 120°34′50″W / 36.73056°N 120.58056°W)
Pilots learned to fly using planes like the Ryan PT-22. They also used PT-17 Stearmans and P-40 Warhawks. The airfield closed down on December 28, 1944. This happened as the war was ending and fewer pilots were needed. It was then given to the Army Corps of Engineers.
After that, it became a place to store extra training planes. These included UC-78s, PT-17s, Vultee BT-13/15s, and AT-6 Texans. Later, it was sold. Today, it is sometimes used by planes that spray crops on farms. For a short time after the war, the City of Dos Palos even had a golf course there. In 1980, the property was put up for sale.
Eagle Field was also featured in a short scene from the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Central California Historical Military Museum
Eagle Field is now home to the Central California Historical Military Museum. This museum is also called Eagle Field AAF – WWII Living History and Military Museum. Many of the original buildings from the war are still at the airfield. The museum is open to the public.
Airport Facilities and Aircraft
Eagle Field covers an area of 127 acres (51 ha). It is 153 feet (47 m) above sea level. The airport has one runway named 12/30. It has an asphalt surface and measures 2,300 by 60 feet (701 x 18 m). There are 8 aircraft based at this airport. These include 6 single-engine planes, 1 multi-engine plane, and 1 jet.
See Also
- California World War II Army Airfields
- 35th Flying Training Wing (World War II)
Images for kids
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Eagle Field from a 2006 USGS photo
