Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:

Central Georgia

© 2002, © 2023 by Paul Freeman. Revised 11/28/23.

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(Original) Columbus Municipal Airport (revised 6/1/22) - McDonough Airport (revised 3/17/22) - Miller Field (revised 10/7/19)

Putnam County Airport (revised 11/28/23) - Reginald Grant Memorial Airport (revised 11/28/23)

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McDonough Airport, McDonough, GA

33.41, -84.154 (Southeast of Atlanta, GA)

McDonough Airport, as depicted on the May 1935 Birmingham Sectional Chart.



McDonough Airport was evidently established at some point between 1934-35,

as it was not yet depicted on the 1934 Birmingham Sectional Chart.

The earliest depiction which has been located of McDonough Airport was on the May 1935 Birmingham Sectional Chart,

which depicted McDonough Airport as an auxiliary airfield.



Jim Daigneau reported, “Charlie Norton grew up in McDonough. He remembered several people keeping Aeroncas & Taylorcrafts at McDonough Airport.

He said it was part of the Ruben Greer Farm. There were some sheds / T-hangars on the northwest corner of the field.

It was a good, level pasture with about 2,000-2,500' available. The runway was located just east & parallel to the current King Mill Road.

He remembered an Ercoupe taking off one day that could not climb enough to clear the power lines at the south end of the field so the pilot flew under them.

He mentioned Gene Hudson, who had been a B-24 pilot in WW2, was the high school principal, and kept a Taylorcraft at the field.

One day, as he was about to walk into school, Mr. Hudson called him over & asked if he would like to fly over to Carrolton with him. Needless to say, Charlie said yes.”



The earliest photo which has been located of McDonough Airport was a 1955 aerial view.

It showed McDonough Airport to consist of an northwest/southeast unpaved runway, with a few small buildings on the northwest end.



The earliest photo which is available of McDonough Airport was a 1962 aerial view (courtesy of David Henderson).

It depicted McDonough Airport as having a northwest/southeast unpaved runway, with a few T-hangars on the northwest end.



A 1962 aerial view showed McDonough Airport to have a much more distinct northwest/southeast runway, with several T-hangars having been added on the northwest corner.



The earliest topo map depiction which has been located of McDonough Airport was on the 1964 USGS topo map.

It depicted McDonough Airport as having a northwest/southeast unpaved runway, with a few small buildings on the northwest end.



The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of McDonough Airport was on the 1968 Birmingham Sectional Chart.

It depicted McDonough Airport as having a 2,300' unpaved runway, with a parachute drop zone to the east.



McDonough Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1968-74,

as it was no longer depicted on the 1974 Atlanta Sectional Chart.



A 1981 aerial view (courtesy of David Henderson) showed the McDonough Airport T-hangars

to have been removed at some point between 1964-81, but the runway remained intact.



A 1993 aerial view showed a large industrial building having covered the majority of the McDonough Airport site, but a portion of the former runway remained to the southeast.



A 2020 aerial view showed a large industrial building covering the majority of the McDonough Airport site, but a portion of the former runway remained to the southeast (bottom-right).



Jim Daigneau observed in 2022, “The current area is an industrial park & completely covered with warehouses.”

As of 2022, street maps label the large building covering the McDonough Airport site as a Nestle facility.



Thanks to Jim Daigneau for pointing out this airfield.

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(Original) Columbus Municipal Airport, Columbus, GA

32.448, -84.971 (Southwest of Atlanta, GA)

The original Columbus Municipal Airport, as depicted on the 1929 Rand McNally Air Trails Map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The original Municipal Airport for the town of Columbus was located adjacent to the south side of the town.

The date of construction of the airport has not been determined.

The earliest depiction of the field which has been located

was on the 1929 Rand McNally Air Trails Map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It described Columbus as an auxiliary airfield, operated by the Department of Public Works.

The field was said to measure 3,400' x 2,550'.



The 1931 USGS topo map did not depict the Columbus Municipal Airport.



The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

described the Columbus Municipal Airport as having 2 sod runways,

2,800' northwest/southeast & 2,200' northeast/southwest.



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Columbus Municipal Airport was on the April 1933 Birmingham Sectional Chart.



A 4/28/43 aerial view looking east from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock)

depicted the “Columbus Municipal Airport (Old)”

as having an open grass area with a single hangar at the southwest corner.



The November 1944 Birmingham Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Columbus as a municipal/commercial airport.



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described the “Columbus Municipal Airport (Old)”

as a 210 acre irregularly-shaped property within which were 3 sod runways, the longest being the 4,500' east/west strip.

The field was said to have a single 100' square steel hangar,

to be owned by the City of Columbus, and to be privately operated.



The 1945 USGS topo map did not depict the Columbus Municipal Airport.



An undated photo from a December 1947 advertisement (courtesy of David Henderson) showing 2 Pipers outside Columbus Municipal Airport's King's School of Aviation hangar.



A 1949 USDA aerial photo of the Columbus Municipal Airport depicted the field as having 2 unpaved runways.

A parking apron was located on the southeast side of the field,

but there did not appear to be any buildings or hangars at the airport.



The 1949 USGS topo map depicted Columbus Municipal Airport as an open area with a few small buildings on the west side.



The 1959 USGS topo map depicted Columbus Municipal Airport as having 2 grass runways & a few small buildings on the west side.



The August 1962 Birmingham Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Columbus as having a 4,700' unpaved runway.



The 1967 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

described the Columbus Municipal Airport as having 2 sod runways:

4,700' Runway 12/30 & 4,000' Runway 16/34.

The field was said to offer fuel, repairs, hangars, tiedowns, and charters.

The operators were listed as G. Dean Allen King & Jack A. King (Cessna dealers).



The 1968 Flight Guide (courtesy of Robert Levittan) depicted Columbus Municipal Airport

as having a single 4,700' unpaved Runway 11/29, along with a closed crosswind runway,

and one building on the west side.



Inexplicably, a 1968 USGS aerial photo of Columbus Municipal Airport (courtesy of David Henderson)

appeared to depict a paved runway (with 5 closed-runway “X” symbols) to the northeast of the unpaved runway,

even though all previous indications are that the Columbus runways were always unpaved.



The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Columbus Municipal Airport was on the September 1968 Birmingham Sectional Chart.

It depicted Columbus as having a 3,800' unpaved runway.



A circa 1968-69 photo (courtesy of Richard Ogletree) of his father's Cessna in front of the King's School of Aviation hangar at Columbus Airport.

Richard recalled, “I was exposed to general aviation at the age of 10 when my father started flying for pleasure.

He started flying out of the old Columbus airport.

At that time [1968-69] there was only one sod runway.”



Cham Watkins recalled, “I spent quite a bit of my childhood under Dean [King's] watchful eye.

My father who flew B-17s & B-29s in the war & kept his license current

and it was a great treat to go to this airport & rent a plane from King's School of Aviation for a father/son jaunt around the city.

Later, it became a Saturday ritual for my parents to drop me off there

and I would spend the day begging rides from very benevolent airplane owners

who for some reason put up with me while I learned about flying & operating off a grass strip.

In 1969, I was 14 & vividly remember the closing & moving

of King's School of Aviation over to the current Columbus Airport. It was a sad day.

By now, Dean had purchased the business from his brother Jack & was the sole owner.

Sadly, Dean had a son who was an excellent pilot & he had much hope to hand him the business one day

but as fate would have it, his son was killed in an automobile accident at the age of about 18.

Dean never fully recovered, and the move to the other airport,

which was made necessary because of a decision the local government made during that time to not renew his lease

so that they could develop the land as industrial, was never profitable.”



The 1970 USGS topo map depicted a single paved northwest/southeast runway, generically labeled as “Landing Strip”,

presumably after the original Columbus Airport's closure.



The original Columbus Municipal Airport was no longer depicted at all

on the April 1974 Atlanta Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).



The 1975 USGS topo map showed that a road (Blanchard Boulevard)

had been built along the alignment of the former Columbus Airport's Runway 12/30.

The airport site had been reused as the Blanchard Industrial Park.



A 2005 photo by Bengie Phillips of the front & side of the former Columbus Airport hangar

which sits at the eastern corner of the intersection of Jackson Avenue & Victory Drive.

The former windsock pole appears to remain on top of the hangar.

According to Bengie, the former hangar “is currently being used as a body shop by one of the local car dealers.”



A 2017 aerial view looking northeast showed Blanchard Boulevard was built over the former Columbus Airport Runway 12/30.

The hangar which was visible in the 1949 aerial photograph is still visible, at the southwest corner of the former airport property.

The remainder of the former airport site is covered with a variety of buildings.

According to Bengie Phillips, just east of the hangar is the Interstate Brands Corporation (Dolly Madison) Bakery,

then the Georgia National Guard Armory, then the now-closed RC Cola Bottling Plant.

All of this lies in the Blanchard Industrial Park.



A 2017 aerial view showing the former hangar & paved ramp which remains at the southwest corner of the original Columbus Municipal Airport property.



The site of the original Columbus Municipal Airport is located at the intersection of Blanchard Boulevard & Jackson Avenue.

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Miller Field, Macon, GA

32.862, -83.569 (Southeast of Atlanta, GA)

A 1929 photo (either 10/12/29 or 2/20/29) of a Curtiss Condor visitng Miller Field as part of the 1929 National Air Tour (courtesy of James Preston).



The first airport for the town of Macon was located on the northeast side of the town.

The date of construction of Miller Field has not been determined.

The earliest depiction which has been located of Miller Field was a series of photos, from either 10/12/29 or 2/20/29,

of several aircraft visitng Miller Field as part of the 1929 National Air Tour (courtesy of James Preston).



A 1929 photo (either 10/12/29 or 2/20/29) of an amphibian (a Loening?) visitng Miller Field as part of the 1929 National Air Tour (courtesy of James Preston).



A 1929 photo (either 10/12/29 or 2/20/29) of a Lockheed Vega 5C Special NC32M from The Detroit News visitng Miller Field as part of the 1929 National Air Tour (courtesy of James Preston).



A 10/12/29 photo of a Ford Trimotor & a smaller biplane at Miller Field during the 1929 National Air Tour (courtesy of Marty Steiner).



A Spring 1930 photo of a large gathering (possibly for the airport's opening) in front of a hangar marked “U.S. Air Mail, Miller Field” (courtesy of Tom Sicks).

Tom Sicks reported, “I found this picture when going through my father's pictures. At the time he worked for Sparks Circus which had its winter quarters in Macon, GA.”



A December 1932 photo (courtesy of Jim Preston) of an Army Air Corps Douglas O-38 biplane leaving Miller Field, piloted by General Blanton Winship.

The plane might have been from Bolling Field, as the fuselage logo of the Capitol Dome is very similar to the Army Air Corps Bolling Field Detachment insignia.



A December 1932 photo (courtesy of Jim Preston) of General Blanton Winship & his nephew David Walker in front of the Eastern Air Transport building at Miller Field.



A circa 1930s photo (courtesy of Jim Preston) of a Huff Daland Duster biplane at Miller Field.



The only aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Miller Field was on the January 1935 Savannah Sectional Chart.



A 5/13/38 USGS aerial view (courtesy of Jim Preston) depicted Miller Field possibly after its closing.

The field appeared to consist of an unpaved landing area, possibly containing a northeast/southwest runway,

with a few buildings (hangars?) on the northwest side.



Miller Field was evidently closed at some point between 1932-40,

as the Charles Bowden golf course was built on the site of the “vacant” airport & opened in September 1940.



A 1954 aerial photo showed the golf course covering the site, with no trace perceptible of Miller Field.



A 2015 aerial view of the site of Miller Field, occupied by the Charles Bolden Golf Course.



The site of Miller Field is located south of the intersection of Shurling Drive & Millerfield Road, appropriately enough.



Thanks to Jim Preston for pointing out this airfield.

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Reginald Grant Memorial Airport (2A2), Thomaston, GA

32.94, -84.34 (South of Atlanta, GA)

Grant Memorial Airport, as depicted on the October 1947 Birmingham Sectional Chart.



Grant Memorial Airport was evidently established at some point between 1946-47,

as it was not yet listed among active airfields in the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock)

nor depicted on the April 1946 Birmingham Sectional Chart.

The earliest depiction which has been located of Grant Memorial Airport was on the October 1947 Birmingham Sectional Chart.

It depicted the Grant Memorial as a commercial/municipal airport.



The earliest photo which has been located of Grant Memorial Airport was a 4/4/51 aerial photo (courtesy of David Henderson).

It depicted the field as having 2 unpaved runways.

There did not appear to be any airport-related structures.



Grant Memorial Airport evidently gained a paved runway at some point between 1951-68,

as the 1968 Flight Guide (courtesy of Robert Levittan) depicted the field as having a single 3,000' paved Runway 3/21,

along with an unpaved Runway 9/27.

Six small buildings were depicted on the east side of the field.



Grant Memorial Airport evidently gained a paved runway at some point between 1951-69,

as a 2/26/69 aerial view showed Runway 3/21 had been paved & an 2 small buildings had been added to the southeast of the runway intersection.

Seven single-engine aircraft were visible on the field.



The earliest topo map depiction which has been located of Grant Memorial Airport was on the 1972 USGS topo map.



The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Grant Memorial Airport was on the 1978 Atlanta Sectional Chart (courtesy of David Henderson).

It depicted Grant Memorial as having a single paved 3,000' northeast/southwest runway.



The 1985 USGS topo map (courtesy of David Henderson) depicted Grant Memorial Airport as having a single paved northeast/southwest runway,

with a ramp & 2 small buildings on the southeast side.

The clearing for the crosswind runway was still depicted, but no longer as a runway.



The 1985 GA Airport Directory (courtesy of Charlie Evans) depicted Reginald Grant Airport as having a 3,000' paved Runway 3/21 & a 2,000' turf Runway 9/27,

and an administration building & 2 hangars on the southeast side.



A 1/26/93 aerial view (courtesy of David Henderson) showed Grant Memorial Airport perhaps at its zenith of popularity,

with a total of 18 light aircraft visible on the field.

Taxiways had been constructed & a hangar had been added on the east side of the FBO at some point between 1969-93.



According to David Henderson, “Grant Memorial closed in 1994

shortly after the opening of the newly-constructed Thomaston Upson County Airport several miles to the east.”



According to the Thomaston Airport website, “The existing airport (Reginald Grant Field) had one 2,900' runway,

a circle-to-land NDB approach, 6 T-hangars & 15 based aircraft.”



A circa 2011 aerial view looking north (courtesy of David Henderson) of the site of Grant Memorial Airport.

David observed, the photo “shows the old FBO & hangar along with small sections of taxiways & runway still intact.”



A circa 2011 aerial view looking north (courtesy of David Henderson) of the hangar which remains at the site of Grant Memorial Airport.



David Henderson reported in 2013, “Transportation Boulevard winds along the length of the former airport

and the road leading to the old FBO is still named Aviation Drive.

The Georgia DOT occupies most of the buildings on the former airport site.”



The site of Grant Memorial Airport is located at the western terminus of Aviation Drive, appropriately enough.

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Putnam County Airport (32A), Warfield, GA

33.3, -83.38 (Southeast of Atlanta, GA)

Putnam County Airport, as seen while under construction in a 3/17/71 USGS aerial view.



Putnam County Airport was evidently constructed in 1971, as it was not yet listed in the 1968 Flight Guide (courtesy of Robert Levittan),

and it appeared to have been under construction in a 3/17/71 USGS aerial view.

It depicted land being clearing for a single northwest/southeast runway on the south side of 2 industrial buildings.



Putnam County Airport was not yet depicted on the 1972 USGS topo map.



A 4/29/74 USGS aerial view depicted Putnam County Airport as having a single paved northwest/southeast runway.



Putnam County Airport was not yet depicted on the October 1975 Atlanta Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction of Putnam County Airport which has been located

was on the October 1976 Atlanta Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted Putnam County Airport as having a single 3,000' paved runway.



The April 1980 Atlanta Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Putnam County as having a single 3,000' paved runway.



The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury) described Putnam County Airport as having a single 3,000' asphalt Runway 10/28.



Marion Seckinger recalled, “I'd stop on occasion at the Putnam County Airport just to see what was parked there.

During one visit in the mid to late 1980s, I stopped to talk with a aircraft owner.

He related that he was going to be forced to move to the Baldwin County Airport in the near future.

It seemed that a local businessman, Dudley Horton, had a mobile-home manufacturing facility adjacent to the airport.

He coveted that wide-open & paved space to park finished mobile homes on.

The story was that he was to purchase & donate a tract so that another airport could be built, but that has never come to pass.”



The 1985 USGS topo map depicted the “County Airport” as having a single paved northwest/southeast runway,

with a few buildings to the west & north.



The 1985 GA Airport Directory (courtesy of Charlie Evans) depicted Putnam County Airport as having a 3,000' paved Runway 10/28, and a ramp on the northwest side.



Putnam County Airport was described by the 1986 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy) as being unattended.

The field was depicted as having a single 3,000' paved Runway 10/28.

A ramp was located north of the western end of the runway.

A single small building was located on the north edge of the ramp,

and 2 much larger buildings were located on the northern side of the field.



Putnam County Airport was apparently closed at some point between 1986-93.



According to Brad Turner, “The airfield was closed because Horton Homes needed room to expand its production & storage of mobile homes & trailers.

A political solution was reached in which the Horton Corporation agreed to hire more locals

if they were permitted to close the airport & use the room for expansion.

Only a few persons, myself included, used the field since the Milledgeville airfield

at the southern end of Lake Sinclair was more populated & built adjacent to the water.

At the time of the closure, the prospect of more local employment outweighed the needs of only a few local pilots

and a decision was made to close the airfield. I still miss it.”



A 1993 USGS aerial view looking northeast at the site of Putnam County Airport showed the runway was still intact, used to store trailers.

It is not apparent if any of the airport buildings remained standing.



A 1999 aerial photo showed that an industrial building had been built at some point between 1993-99 adjacent to the southeast side of the runway.



A 1/29/12 aerial photo of the site of Putnam County Airport shows that the majority of the runway pavement remains, but the site is hardly recognizable as a former airport.



The site of Putnam County Airport is located east of the intersection of Routes 441 & 129, one mile south of Eatonton.

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