Shafter Airport - History

History

Lerdo Field, as the airport was initially known during World War II was first opened in June 1941 when the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) dispatched a small garrison of airmen to open an airfield at Shafter.

The name was derived from close proximity to the highway of the same name. The airfield commander utilized Bakersfield College as his headquarters, while airmen were quartered in temporary facilities from Bakersfield to Wasco while barracks and other structures were being built. As construction proceeded though the rest of the year, the Minter Sub-Depot was established as a branch of the Sacramento Air Depot.

In August, the first operational training units (OTU)s began arriving at Minter, the airfields mission being advanced pilot training of USAAC bomber, attack, transport and pursuit pilots. In April 1942, contracts for the construction of more than 65 on-base buildings were let while the constantly increasing numbers of cadets were housed in a large tent city erected as temporary shelter.

With the relative completion of construction in July 1942, the airfield was renamed Minter Field Army Airfield a member of the locally prominent Minter family. The Lieutenant, a World War I veteran, was killed in a mid-air collision over March Field in July, 1932. The airfield was placed under the overall command of the United States Army Air Forces West Coast Training Center. Known sub-bases and auxiliaries of Minter Field were:

• Wasco Auxiliary Airfield (No.1) – 35°37′12″N 119°21′14″W / 35.62000°N 119.35389°W / 35.62000; -119.35389 (Wasco Auxiliary Airfield)
• Bakersfield Auxiliary Airfield (No.2) – Location undetermined
• Famoso Bakersfield Auxiliary Airfield (No.3) – 35°38′28″N 119°12′43″W / 35.64111°N 119.21194°W / 35.64111; -119.21194 (Famoso Bakersfield Auxiliary Airfield)
• Dunlap Auxiliary Airfield (No.4) (AKA Jasmin Landing Field) – 35°44′37″N 119°08′37″W / 35.74361°N 119.14361°W / 35.74361; -119.14361 (Dunlap Auxiliary Airfield)
• Semi-tropic Auxiliary Airfield (No.5) – 35°45′25″N 119°30′45″W / 35.75694°N 119.51250°W / 35.75694; -119.51250 (Semi-tropic Auxiliary Airfield)
• Poso Auxiliary Airfield (No.6) – 35°35′48″N 119°08′01″W / 35.59667°N 119.13361°W / 35.59667; -119.13361 (Poso Auxiliary Airfield)
• Lost Hills Auxiliary Airfield (No.7) – 35°37′27″N 119°41′15″W / 35.62417°N 119.68750°W / 35.62417; -119.68750 (Lost Hills Auxiliary Airfield)
• Coalinga Municipal Airport (Old) (Closed) – 36°09′27″N 120°21′35″W / 36.15750°N 120.35972°W / 36.15750; -120.35972 (Coalinga Municipal Airport (Old))

The primary aircraft flown at Minter Field was the Vultee BT-13 Valiant, which was used for basic flight training. Other training aircraft included the Cessna UC-78 Bobcat, as well as the AT-6 Texan advanced trainer, North American B-25 Mitchell twin-engine medium bomber, and Lockheed P-38 Lightning, as well as other widely used fighter, bomber and observation craft.

With the end of the war in 1945, airfield was determined to be excess by the military and turned over to the local government for civil use in March 1948.

The Gossamer Condor piloted by Bryan Allen won the first Kremer prize on August 23, 1977 by completing a figure '8' course specified by the Royal Aeronautical Society at Minter Field. A California State Monument is located at the Field for this event.