Leadville Army Airfield | |
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Part of Army Air Force Training Command | |
Lake County, near Leadville, Colorado | |
Coordinates | 39°16′59.98″N 106°19′59.98″W / 39.2833278°N 106.3333278°W |
Type | Army Airfield |
Site information | |
Controlled by |
United States Army Air Forces ( Third & Second Air Forces) |
Site history | |
Built | 1942[ citation needed] |
In use | 1943-1944 |
Leadville Municipal Airport (Leadville Army Airfield c. Aug 1943-5) [1] was a Colorado World War II Army Airfield "adjacent to Highway No. 24" [2] and named for Leadville, Colorado, 2 mi (3.2 km) southeast.[ citation needed]
On September 10, 1943, the existing Leadville Flight Strip of ~49 acres (20 ha) included a 300 ft × 1,450 ft (91 m × 442 m) landing strip, and the "buildings area" was ~8 acres (3.2 ha). [2]
The Leadville landing field became* a United States Army Air Forces Third Air Force auxiliary field of Colorado Springs' Peterson Field which was a photo reconnaissance training facility and base of the 35th Altitude Training Unit. [3][ failed verification]
After being used as a post-war municipal airport, the Leadville facility closed and was dismantled by 1949.[ citation needed]
*Peterson AAF gliders were used for Camp Hale's [4] Mountain Training Center (October 10, 1942 – October 23, 1943), which operated for a few months at the beginning of Leadville Army Airfield. [5] Camp Hale also had a Military Munitions Site [6] where unexploded ordnance was found in 2002.