Desert Center Army Airfield (Desert Center, California)

 airport, Second World War 1939-1945, place with historical importance

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Now known as the Desert Center Airport.

Desert Center was a subbase of Thermal Army Airfield and served as a support base for the Air Technical Services Command. Desert Center AAF was located within the Desert Center Division Camp, which encompassed over 34,000 acres. Desert Center was one of the areas included in the California Arizona Maneuver Area, used during 1942-44 to train General Patton's armored forces for desert combat.

Desert Center AAF was evidently constructed at some point between 1940-43, as it was not yet depicted on the August 1940 San Diego Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). According to the book "The Desert Training Center/CA-AZ Maneuver Area, 1942-44" (via Rick Jackson), Desert Center Army Airfield was first known as the Desert Center Airdrome. According to a history of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Airdrome Detachments (courtesy of Francis Blake), a detachment of the 475th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron was the first flying unit stationed at Desert Center, arriving in 1/15/43.

The earliest chart depiction of Desert Center AAF which has been located was on the August 1943 San Diego Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). Desert Center AAF was described in the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer) as having 5,500' runways. The field also had taxiways & a parking apron.

More than 40 buildings were constructed at the airfield, including an operations building, power house, Link Trainer building, hangar and various supply buildings. When the DTC/C-AMA closed in 1944, the airfield was assigned to the Fourth Air Force, and operational activities decreased greatly. The airfield remained open, however, and was used by B-24 crews flying training missions from March Field.

In 1946, the airfield was turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers, and the buildings were auctioned off to the public. Following the end of WW2, the Desert Center airfield was turned over to Riverside County & reused as a civil field, although most of the buildings were dismantled.

It was listed as "Desert Center CAA Site 17" in the "Aerodromes" table on the 1955 San Diego Sectional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of John Voss). It described the field as having two 5,000' bituminous runways.

The airfield was listed among active airports in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory, under the name of "FAA Site 17". It was described as having two 5,000' bituminous runways: 13/31 & 4/22, and the operator was listed as the FAA.

However, the Desert Center Airfield evidently went through a period of abandonment, as it was labeled "Abandoned airport" on the 1966 San Diego Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy). The former Desert Center AAF was evidently reopened (once again) as a civil airport (owned by Riverside County) at some point between 1966-2002. However, as of 2002 it is all but abandoned: there are no aircraft based at the field, and the Airport Facility Directory data lists a total of a mere 150 takeoffs & landings per year. The sole remaining maintained runway is 5/23, which consists of a 4,200' asphalt strip which has been overlaid over remains of the original military runway. Two buildings still remain standing.

There are remains of Patton’s army all around the airport including foundations from the old buildings and pieces of discarded equipment mixed in with the remains of old agriculture & vandalism.

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