Trip Report: Midwest Dirt
First published in 2007. Reformatted 2025. Carl Edwards says "I'm always at home on Midwest dirt" in a television commercial. Me too, but instead of racing on short tracks like Carl does, I bounce along dirt roads looking for military history. My move from Texas to Colorado gave me the opportunity to spend a few days in Kansas enjoying those red dirt section roads. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.Saturday, 25 August 2007
Waving goodbye to the DFW Metroplex at 0815, I took I-35 out of Texas, across Oklahoma, and into Kansas. McConnell AF Missile Site No. 12 (532-3) KSParking area and general view of site
Obsolete USAF sign
General view of site McConnell AF Missile Site No. 13 (532-4) KS
Parking area and general view of site
Concrete pad
General view of site McConnell AF Missile Site No. 15 (532-6) KS
Parking area and general view of site
Concrete pad
General view of site McConnell AF Missile Site No. 15 Water Annex KS
General view of well enclosure
Close up view of well enclosure
General view of well McConnell AF Missile Site No. 14 (532-5) KS
Access road McConnell AF Missile Site No. 14 Water Annex KS
General view of compound
General view of compound McConnell AF Missile Site No. 16 (532-7) KS
Parking area and general view of site
General view of site showing monitoring wells
General view of site McConnell AF Missile Site No. 18 Water Annex KS
General view of compound
Water system building
Water system building McConnell AF Missile Site No. 18 (532-9) KS
Parking area and general view of site
Obsolete USAF sign
Obsolete USAF sign close up McConnell AF Missile Site No. 17 (532-8) KS
Parking area and general view of site
Concrete pad
General view of site McConnell AF Missile Site No. 17 Water Annex KS
General view of compound
General view of compound
Building Pratt Army Air Field KS. After all these Titan II installations I needed a change of pace, so I found one WWII airfield to finish up the day. is now Pratt Industrial Airport (PTT).
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Parachute and dinghy building
Norden bombsight storage building (L) and Norden bombsight maintenance building vaults (R)
Norden bombsight storage building (L) and Norden bombsight maintenance building vaults (R) I stopped for the night in Pratt, Kansas, at 1830. 10.25 hours on the road, covering 529 miles.
Sunday, 26 August 2007
Getting an early start from Pratt, my first order of business was to make a wide sweep to the west and back east, collecting some far-flung WWII airfields. Liberal Army Air Field KS. This WWII airfield is now Liberal Municipal Airport (LBL).Buildings
Building
Hangar
Warehouses
Warehouse Garden City Army Air Field KS. This is now Garden City Municipal Airport (GCK). I saw only one building that may have been WWII vintage.
Building Dodge City Army Air Field KS. This is now partly empty land, dotted with WWII vintage chimneys, and partly occupied by the Stanley Feed Yard. One hangar is barely visible, as is a small section of airfield apron.
Chimney
Chimneys
General view
Hangar
Airfield apron Great Bend Army Air Field KS. The former WWII airfield is now Great Bend Municipal Airport (GBD).
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Elevated water storage tank
Norden bombsight maintenance building vaults (L) and Norden bombsight storage building (R)
Norden bombsight maintenance building vaults (L) and Norden bombsight storage building (R)
Norden bombsight storage building (L) and Norden bombsight maintenance building vaults (R) From Great Bend I continued east toward Salina, picking off a couple Schilling AFB Atlas F missile sites. Schilling AF Missile Site No. 6 (550-6) KS
General view of site
Gate
Azimuth marker Schilling AF Missile Site No. 4 (550-4) KS
Access road
Azimuth marker
Azimuth marker and gate Schilling Communications Annex (Receiver) KS. This property was now home to Salina Speedway, with the Air Force communications building still standing prominently at the facility. If I had been a day earlier the gates would have been open for Saturday night's racing events--unfortunately the place was locked up when I made my visit. Midwest dirt!
Building
General view
General view Schilling Air Force Base KS. The former base is now Salina Municipal Airport (SLN).
Munitions area building
Munitions area building
Munitions area storage igloo
Munitions area storage igloo
Munitions area storage igloo
Munitions area storage igloo
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
Double-cantilever hangar
SAC readiness crew building
SAC readiness crew building
SAC readiness crew building
SAC readiness crew building
SAC readiness crew building
SAC readiness crew building Schilling Instrument Landing System Middle Marker Annex KS. I made a quick revisit of this navigational aid site.
General view Tonight's hotel was in Salina, Kansas. This day's drive covered 542 miles in 11.5 hours.
Monday, 27 August 2007
I ate breakfast at the hotel and hit the road about 0715. Schilling AF Missile Site No. 3 (550-3) KSGate
General view of site
Azimuth marker
Azimuth marker Schilling AF Missile Site No. 2 (550-2) KS
Access road
Quonset hut Schilling AF Missile Site No. 1 (550-1) KS
Gate
General view of site
Water system building
Azimuth marker Schilling AF Missile Site No. 10 (550-10) KS
Gate
General view of site
Azimuth marker Schilling AF Missile Site No. 9 (550-9) KS
Gate
General view of site
Water system building and larger unknown building Schilling AF Missile Site No. 7 (550-7) KS
Access road Schilling AF Missile Site No. 8 (550-8) KS
Access road
General view of site
Azimuth marker Walker Army Air Field KS. I cruised west on I-70 to Walker, and made my way north to the WWII airfield. It's not easy to get to, and is heavily secured with signs warning against trespassing.
Hangar
Hangar
Tower for water storage tank
Tower for water storage tank
Chimneys
Chimney
Hangar buttresses
Hangar buttresses
Hangar buttresses
Building
Oberlin Communications Site GWEN 843 KS. West again, then north. With the typical 299-foot tower and dual equipment shelters, It appears unchanged since its Air Force use ended several years ago.
General view
General view
Equipment shelters I stopped for the night in Goodland, Kansas. This was an 11.25-hour driving day, covering 558 miles.
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
This was an easy day. Sleep in, visit one airport, and drive west for a few hours. Goodland Municipal Airport KS. Now Renner Field/Goodland Municipal Airport (GLD). I noted two hangars on the flightline that appeared to be WWII or earlier construction. A vintage aerial recognition sign is still in good condition.General view
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Aerial recognition sign I made it to my new digs in Denver by noon, covering 207 miles in 4 hours today. This four-day trip covered 1,836 total miles. Updated March 29, 2025
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