Lancaster Airport (California) facts for kids
Lancaster Airport was an airport about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of Lancaster, California. It was closed in the late 1940s and is now a housing development.
History
The airport was established about 1929 as a municipal airport, operated by W. B. Carter. The airport was said to have 2 dirt runways in an “L” shape: 2,250' east/west & 1,350' north/south. A hangar on the southeast corner was said to be marked with “Lancaster”.
On 28 July 1942 the airport was taken over by the United States Army Air Forces and used as a contract primary pilot training airfield under the AAF West Coast Training Center (later Western Flying Training Command). The 3043d Army Air Force Base Unit administered the contract to a civilian operated primary flying school. Training was performed with Fairchild PT-19s; several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks were assigned. Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force personnel also trained at the airfield.
The contract training was replaced by Oxnard Army Airfield's primary school which moved to Lancaster on 27 June 1944. Conducted contract flying training until inactivated on 1 November 1945.
After the war the airport returned to general aviation operations until it closed about 1949. The land was redeveloped into suburban housing, although traces of the airport could be seen in aerial photography until about 1970.
