GOLD POINT, NV

Arizona Abandoned Airfield, USAF training military base, old drag strip Froggy Bottom / Perryville

Arizona, Goodyear Auxiliary Army Airfield #6 was built in 1943 as one of a large number of satellite airfields for the United States Air Force, which was the largest single-engine advanced training base in the world during World War Two. According to a 1992 Army Corps of Engineers Report, the Goodyear Auxiliary #6 property consisted of a total of 1,159 acres.

According to the "History of Luke AFB" (obtained by David Brooks from the public affairs office at Luke AFB), Goodyear Field (#6) had three 4,000' x 300' runways, and the construction costs for its airdrome was $263,000. Among Luke's auxiliary airfields, "Fighter & Goodyear Fields boasted the most facilities, each having separate buildings for crew chiefs, operations, supply, barracks, pit latrine, crash truck shed, generator shed and a control tower." The earliest depiction the Goodyear auxiliary airfield which has been located was on the March 1945 Phoenix Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

A 1949 aerial photo (courtesy of John Arthur) depicted the Goodyear Aux #6 airfield in its original configuration, with 3 runways & a parking ramp on the southeast side. Several small buildings were just east of the parking ramp.

The site was declared excess & deeded to the State of Arizona in 1949, but was then reestablished & expanded by the Air Force later that same year. It was last used for emergency landings, dart target launchings, and as an emergency drop zone for flight training missions from Luke AFB. "Luke AF #6" was depicted as an active airfield on the 1956 Phoenix Sectional chart (courtesy of John Voss), which described the longest runway as being a 5,300' hard-surfaced strip. The Army Corps of Engineers indicated that the site was declared excess in 1957.

However, "Luke AF #6" was still depicted as an active airfield on the 1966 Phoenix Local aeronautical chart (courtesy of John Voss). Luke AF Aux #6 was evidently closed at some point between 1966-71, as it was labeled "closed" on the August 1971 USAF Tactical Pilotage Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). At some point between 1966-71 the primary runway was apparently lengthened to its ultimate configuration of 6,200'. That may indicate that it was used at a relatively late period in its history for jet aircraft, as 6,200' is longer than the typical runway of a WW2 era training field.

You can clearly see the numbers "312" and a red scorpion painted on the pavement during this video footage. It is told that the 312thTFTS FS "scorpions" role was training and was disbanded in 1991. Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located at the time of this video.

Was recently made aware that this was used in the 70's & 80's as a drag strip and was given the name "froggy bottoms".

Thanks to http://www.airfields-freeman.com/ for factual information! Please DONATE if you can: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=QL3NU78SH5DNG

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