World War I Lake Worth Airfield
#1
Posted 31 January 2012 - 10:01 PM
#2
Posted 01 February 2012 - 09:03 AM
#3
Posted 01 February 2012 - 10:07 AM
#4
Posted 01 February 2012 - 11:40 AM
#5
Posted 01 February 2012 - 09:42 PM
#6
Posted 01 February 2012 - 10:05 PM
There warn't one. Not in WW1, anyways.
The WWI landing field was located on the east side of the lake west of 9 Mile Bridge Road on the old Sansom Ranch. At least one account from the early 1920s when it was used for an airshow refers to the site as Marion Samson Field and mentions an old hangar.
There are additional references to areas near Lake Work that were used for various military training exercises including drills and artillery prcatice but I do not know if these were at the landing field site.
Check Paul Freeman's site for photos and information about a WWI bombing target located west of Hicks Field in the Blue Mound / Saginaw area.
Abandoned Airfields
M C
#7
Posted 02 February 2012 - 10:33 AM
#8
Posted 03 February 2012 - 07:55 PM
#9
Posted 10 February 2012 - 12:14 PM
During World War I Canadian pilots of the Royal Flying Corps were trained at Hicks Field and airfields at Benbrook and Everman. J'Nell Pate mentioned in her book "Arsenal of Defense" that an airfield was located on the "shores of Lake Worth." I am trying to determine the exact location of that airfield. It was actually an auxillary airfield used to support planes that used a bombing range located in the Lake Worth area. I would appreciate any information about the airfield.
Cowboy6, you may have already checked this out but Wikipedia has an historical account of WWI airfields in Fort Worth, including Hicks. Of course, some have challenged the authenticity of anything coming from Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia..../Hicks_Airfield
#10
Posted 12 February 2012 - 09:01 PM
http://texashistory......?q=lake worth
The Charbonneau pasture (now a housing area) is the logical location since it wss adjacent to the main route to Lake Worth in 1917 and is about the only location on the east shore that is flat enough for an airstip.
If anyone knows how the location can be documented, I would appreciate your help.
#12
Posted 13 February 2012 - 12:25 PM
A couple of pertinent excerpts:
The club was the Southwest Motor Club which had just moved its headquarters to the Moslah Temple Mosque on Lake Worth.
The meet will be held in the Marion Sansom Field, about a half mile west of the old aviation hangar on the Nine-Mile Bridge Road and two miles northeast of the club building.
========
In your original post you cited J'Nell Pate's "Arsenal of Defense." This is a transcription of the sample page you sent me:
(Hicks Field) The gunnery range extended northwest over the waters of Lake Worth for live air-to-ground and air-to-air firing. An advanced landing ground was constructed on the shore of the lake so that the planes would not have to fly back to the field to exchange pilots and gunnery crews.
=========
Here's the photo:
#13
Posted 25 February 2012 - 08:21 PM
#14
Posted 24 April 2012 - 08:28 AM
I will ask my Dad if he remembers where Hicks was located.
#15
Posted 23 May 2012 - 02:19 PM
http://www.airfields...SW.htm#benbrook
The only area field I know of located on a lake was MCAS Eagle Mountain Lake, during WWII (now Kenneth Copeland Airport).
#16
Posted 30 July 2021 - 08:13 AM
During World War I Canadian pilots of the Royal Flying Corps were trained at Hicks Field and airfields at Benbrook and Everman. J'Nell Pate mentioned in her book "Arsenal of Defense" that an airfield was located on the "shores of Lake Worth." I am trying to determine the exact location of that airfield. It was actually an auxillary airfield used to support planes that used a bombing range located in the Lake Worth area. I would appreciate any information about the airfield.
Cowboy6, you may have already checked this out but Wikipedia has an historical account of WWI airfields in Fort Worth, including Hicks. Of course, some have challenged the authenticity of anything coming from Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia..../Hicks_Airfield
Some friends live by Hicks Airfield and I was impressed to see the collection of hangars there that are considered "Airport Homes" or "Hangar Homes." I've seen this in other resort communities where you basically pull out of your driveway onto the airfield but didn't realize this was available right here in FW.
Here's google maps of the back side of some of the hangar homes.
https://goo.gl/maps/7uFBham8pSU9BK7g9
http://www.airportpr...cksAirfield.htm
#17
Posted 31 July 2021 - 07:00 AM
I believe there was a seaplane base on Lake Worth operated by Consolidated Aircraft (predecessor to Convair, GD, etc.) so their seaplanes had close access to the Convair plant. However, I think that was in the early '40's. Other than that, I'm not sure of any other airfields during the WW1 time frame near Lake Worth other than those already mentioned (Benbrook, etc.). Not sure when the airfield that eventually became Carswell AFB came into existence. Maybe that's the one you're thinking of?
#18
Posted 31 July 2021 - 10:01 PM
I am not sure about Lake Worth area, but I do know there was an RCAF training field in Benbrook, I believe called "Benbrook Field." The area is now a residential neighborhood off 377. Vernon Castle Drive is named for Vernon Castle, a famous dancer of the era who was killed in a training accident there. There's also a small memorial, and I believe that's all that remains of that field.
http://www.airfields...SW.htm#benbrook
The only area field I know of located on a lake was MCAS Eagle Mountain Lake, during WWII (now Kenneth Copeland Airport).
Interestingly enough, I was looking at HistoricAerials of the Kenneth Copeland Airport (formerly MCAS Eagle Mtn Lake) and noticed in 1956 the water levels at the boat ramp was down to river levels. I did not realize how severe the drought of the 1950's were. My original reason for looking into this was, do you think that boat ramp was conducive for servicing seaplanes or if there were ever any need for seaplanes to and from MCAS Ealge Mtn Lake?
https://goo.gl/maps/UeFyJVT6mDAKaSCs8
1963 (wide)
1963 Boat Ramp:
1956 Boat Ramp:
You see even here at the dam the water level is very low:
1952 Aerial for comparison water levels are up:
#19
Posted 01 August 2021 - 11:59 AM
Parker and Palo Pinto Counties are dotted with abandoned helicopter bases that supported Fort Wolters. I know a family that owns one that is featured on the abandoned airfields website. The long strips are still usable. The terminal building is used as a house and the hangers and control tower are still standing. I've flown out of there in the family's Cessna 182 a few times.
- UncaMikey likes this
#20
Posted 30 August 2021 - 08:56 AM
Parker and Palo Pinto Counties are dotted with abandoned helicopter bases that supported Fort Wolters. I know a family that owns one that is featured on the abandoned airfields website. The long strips are still usable. The terminal building is used as a house and the hangers and control tower are still standing. I've flown out of there in the family's Cessna 182 a few times.
well, now i have a new dream home idea...
#21
Posted 30 August 2021 - 09:29 AM
Parker and Palo Pinto Counties are dotted with abandoned helicopter bases that supported Fort Wolters. I know a family that owns one that is featured on the abandoned airfields website. The long strips are still usable. The terminal building is used as a house and the hangers and control tower are still standing. I've flown out of there in the family's Cessna 182 a few times.
Ah, finally a subject I know something about! I was a student ('68) and later an instructor ('70-'71) at Wolters. There were three big heliports (Main, Downing, and Dempsey) and many stagefields. Flight classes were in the morning and afternoon. Groups of students/instructors would take off from a heliport and fly out to a stagefield to practice, then fly back after their session was over.
There is a list of all the heliports and stagefields here; the links take you directly to Google maps so you can see what they look like today: http://www.fortwolte...stagefields.htm
#22
Posted 30 August 2021 - 09:57 AM
Thanks, UncaMikey. I don't know a word that was said in my last meeting, but browsing that site was more fun anyway.
#23
Posted 30 March 2023 - 07:58 AM
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