Scott's USAF Installations Page

Trip Report: Jaunts

First published in 2021-24. Reformatted 2025.

This page is for various minor adventures that, by themselves, do not warrant individual trip reports. This page covers the time frame starting in July 2021. See Variation Authorized for similar material from 1994 through 2004, Miscellany for 2005 through July 2007, and Wanderings for material from 2007 through June 2021. Unlike my "normal" trip reports, this one is alphabetical rather than chronological. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these codes for Air Force properties when I know them.

Carlsbad Army Airfield
5 SW Carlsbad, New Mexico
32-20-30 N, 104-15-30 W

The AAF opened a bombardier school here in October 1942. The base was declared surplus in late 1945 and transferred to the Corps of Engineers in 1946. One Norden bombsight storage buildings remains in its original location at 32-21-14.6 N, 104-15-20.2 W.

Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building

A second Norden building has been relocated from the airfield to Bataan Recreation Area in Carlsbad at 32-24-45.2 N, 104-13-13.9 W. It was originally located at 32-20-49.6 N, 104-15-06.2 W.

Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building
Norden bombsight storage building

Chanute Air Force Base
1 SE Rantoul, Illinois
40-17-45 N, 88-08-40 W

Rantoul Aviation Field was established in May 1917 and named after Octave Chanute the following month. Most of our WWI bases were disposed of after the war, but in 1922 Chanute was announced as a permanent post. It closed in 1991 after seven decades of service, a target of the BRAC process. These photos are from my June 2026 visit.

Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Maintenance building
Maintenance building
Hangar and maintenance building
Hangar and maintenance building
Hangar and maintenance building
Hangar and maintenance building
Hangar and maintenance building
Fire station
Fire station and elevated water storage tank
Chapel
Housing
Hospital
Hospital
Hospital

Cottonwood Air Force Station
Cottonwood, Idaho
PIN 3294, ILC ENYW
46-04-01 N, 116-27-51 W

This property was assigned to Air Defense Command on 21 December 1955. It was listed in the 1956 USAF Installations Directory with identifier SM-150; this was changed to Z-150 on 1 July 1963. The property was inactivated on 1 March 1965. I visited the former operations site in August 2025. The former support facilities are further down the hill and now occupied by a prison. The former housing area is at the edge of town and I drove past it without stopping for photos.
General view
AN/FPS-24 FD Search radar tower
AN/FPS-24 FD Search radar tower
AN/FPS-24 FD Search radar tower
AN/FPS-24 FD Search radar tower
AN/FPS-24 FD Search radar tower
AN/FPS-24 FD Search radar tower
Radar operations building foundations
AN/MPS-7 radar tower foundations (foreground), AN/FPS-24 FD Search radar tower (background)
Height-finder radar tower [1] foundations
Height-finder radar tower [2] foundations
Generator building foundations
Building (possibly dining facility) foundations
Water storage tank
Water storage tank
Water storage tank detail

Douglas Army Airfield
8 NW Douglas, Arizona
31-27-50 N, 109-36-10 W

Dyess Small Arms Range Annex
aka Camp Barkeley
View, Texas
32-19-30 N, 99-52-00 W

The familiar gate was gone, and the property developed into a gated community, when I visited in June 2026. This was a small portion of the WWII Camp Barkeley; the range complex went to the Texas National Guard in 1949, and the USAF entered into a joint lease in 1970. It served as the M16 range for Dyess AFB until sometime in the 1980s, and I have fond memories of training there during my brief SAMTU experience, 1977-79. On paper it was Dyess Small Arms Range Annex, but in everyday use we called it Camp Barkeley.

General view looking downrange toward beaten zone
General view looking downrange toward beaten zone
General view looking downrange toward beaten zone

Felts Field
Spokane, Washington
47-40-55 N, 117-19-25 W

This was a joint-use field, serving as a military airfield and also the Spokane Municipal Airport. First military use was in 1927 or earlier, and it was declared surplus in 1944.
Pre-war terminal building
Pre-war terminal building
Hangar

Francis E. Warren Air Force Missile Site 3 (565-B)
Cheyenne, Wyoming

I toured this former Atlas D missile site back in March 2005. I took these additional images from outside the fence in July 2021.
General view
General view
General view
Closer view of two launcher buildings

Gasbuggy Nuclear Test Site
Dulce, New Mexico
36-40-40.4 N, 107-12-32.6 W

This was not a military site. The Atomic Energy Commission detonated a nuclear device here on 10 December 1967. This was part of Operation Plowshare, which looked for possible peaceful uses of nuclear devices.
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Historical marker

George Field
5 NE Lawrenceville, Illinois
38-46-00 N, 87-36-10 W

This AAF base opened in 1942 as an advanced twin engine and glider flying school. In 1944 it transferred from Flying Training Command to Troop Carrier Command. It was inactivated in 1946, and conveyed to the Town of Lawrenceville in 1948. I visited in June 2026.

Gnome Nuclear Test Site
Loving, New Mexico
32-15-47.3 N, 103-51-59.3 W

Like Gasbuggy, Gnome was part of Operation Plowshare. The Atomic Energy Commission detonated a nuclear device here on 10 December 1961 (six years before Gasbuggy).
General view
General view
General view
Historical marker
Interpretive sign

Liberal Army Airfield
1.5 WNW Liberal, Kansas
37-02-40 N, 100-57-50 W

I visited this WWII airfield back in August 2007. I returned in July 2023 and viewed this hangar from the nearby Mid-America Air Museum, which is well worth a visit.
Hangar
Hangar

Lonestar Pecos Electronic Scoring Site
aka Rattlesnake Electronic Scoring Site
17 SW Pecos, Texas
ILC PECO
31-13-02.1 N, 103-39-35.6 W

The term electronic scoring site (ESS) replaced the earlier term radar bomb scoring site (RBSS). This property was activated in 2001 and the facility began operations in 2002. By May 2011 the Air Force had declared it surplus and it was available for disposal through the General Services Administration.
Sign
Gate
Gate
Signs on fence next to gate
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Fence
Fence and sign

Pasco Engineering Depot
Pasco, Washington
46-12-50 N, 119-03-50 W

This was an Army depot from 1942 to 1948, then again from 1950 to 1955. It was built for the Army Service Forces but is similar in layout and building design to Army Air Forces depots from the same time period.
Warehouse
Warehouse

Pratt Army Airfield
5 N Pratt, Kansas
37-42-15 N, 98-44-45 W

Rattlesnake Springs Rest Camp
22 SW Carlsbad, New Mexico
32-06-39 N, 104-27-56 W

Now a picnic area, this property started government service as Camp NP-1 with the Civilian Conservation Corps. In July 1943, it was permitted to the War Department for use as a rest, or recreational, camp. It served this purpose only until October 1944, when it was declared surplus. I visited in June 2026.

General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view

Walker Air Force Missile Site No. 4
Roswell, New Mexico
PIN 7812

Walker Recreation Annex
121 West 3rd St, Roswell, New Mexico
33-23-44.1 N, 104-31-26.1 W

This building started life as a funeral home, then in 1943 it was acquired by the government and converted to a USO. After the war, it was transferred to the Air Force and served Walker AFB as a recreation annex until 1967. During its Air Force time, it was known as Roswell Recreation Center, Roswell Recreation Annex, and finally Walker Recreation Annex.

Recreation building
Recreation building
Recreation building
Recreation building

Updated August 1, 2026

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Trip Report: Jaunts

Carlsbad Army Airfield 5 SW Carlsbad, New Mexico 32-20-30 N, 104-15-30 W

Chanute Air Force Base 1 SE Rantoul, Illinois 40-17-45 N, 88-08-40 W

Cottonwood Air Force Station Cottonwood, Idaho PIN 3294, ILC ENYW 46-04-01 N, 116-27-51 W

Douglas Army Airfield 8 NW Douglas, Arizona 31-27-50 N, 109-36-10 W

Dyess Small Arms Range Annex aka Camp Barkeley View, Texas 32-19-30 N, 99-52-00 W

Felts Field Spokane, Washington 47-40-55 N, 117-19-25 W

Francis E. Warren Air Force Missile Site 3 (565-B) Cheyenne, Wyoming

Gasbuggy Nuclear Test Site Dulce, New Mexico 36-40-40.4 N, 107-12-32.6 W

George Field 5 NE Lawrenceville, Illinois 38-46-00 N, 87-36-10 W

Gnome Nuclear Test Site Loving, New Mexico 32-15-47.3 N, 103-51-59.3 W

Liberal Army Airfield 1.5 WNW Liberal, Kansas 37-02-40 N, 100-57-50 W

Lonestar Pecos Electronic Scoring Site aka Rattlesnake Electronic Scoring Site 17 SW Pecos, Texas ILC PECO 31-13-02.1 N, 103-39-35.6 W

Pasco Engineering Depot Pasco, Washington 46-12-50 N, 119-03-50 W

Pratt Army Airfield 5 N Pratt, Kansas 37-42-15 N, 98-44-45 W

Rattlesnake Springs Rest Camp 22 SW Carlsbad, New Mexico 32-06-39 N, 104-27-56 W

Walker Air Force Missile Site No. 4 Roswell, New Mexico PIN 7812

Walker Recreation Annex 121 West 3rd St, Roswell, New Mexico 33-23-44.1 N, 104-31-26.1 W