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{{about|the present-day civil airfield|the World War I airfield|Hicks Field}}
{{Infobox airport
{{Infobox airport
| name = Hicks Airfield
| name = Hicks Airfield
| nativename = Taliaferro Field
| nativename =
| image = Hicks Airfield-TX-31Jan1995-USGS.jpg
| image = Hicks Airfield-TX-31Jan1995-USGS.jpg
| caption = [[USGS]] aerial image, 31 January 1995
| caption =
| FAA = T67
| FAA = T67
| type = Public
| type = Public
| owner = Hicks Airfield Pilots Assn.
| owner = Hicks Airfield Pilots Assn.
| operator =
| operator =
| city-served = [[Fort Worth, Texas]]
| city-served = [[Fort Worth, Texas]]
| location = [[Tarrant County, Texas|Tarrant County]]
| location = [[Tarrant County, Texas|Tarrant County]]
| elevation-f = 855
| elevation-f = 855
| elevation-m = 261
| elevation-m = 261
| coordinates = {{Coord|32|55|52|N|097|24|42|W|region:US-TX_type:airport_scale:10000}}
| coordinates = {{Coord|32|54|44|N|097|24|04|W|region:US-TX_type:airport_scale:10000}}
| website =
| website = https://www.t67.org/
| r1-number = 14/32
| r1-number = 14/32
| r1-length-f = 3,740
| r1-length-f = 3,740
| r1-length-m = 1,140
| r1-length-m = 1,140
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| stat-year = 2009
| stat-year = 2009
| stat1-header = Aircraft operations
| stat1-header = Aircraft operations
| stat1-data = 31,000
| stat1-data = 31,000
| stat2-header = Based aircraft
| stat2-header = Based aircraft
| stat2-data = 327
| stat2-data = 327
| footnotes = Source: [[Federal Aviation Administration]]<ref name="FAA">{{FAA-airport|ID=T67|use=PU|own=PR|site=23887.3*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 8 April 2010.</ref>
| footnotes = Source: [[Federal Aviation Administration]]<ref name="FAA">{{FAA-airport|ID=T67|use=PU|own=PR|site=23887.3*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 8, 2010.</ref>
}}
}}


'''Hicks Airfield''' {{airport codes|||T67}} is a public use [[airport]] located 14 [[nautical mile]]s (26 [[kilometre|km]]) northwest of the [[central business district]] of [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], in [[Tarrant County, Texas|Tarrant County]], [[Texas]], [[United States]].<ref name="FAA" /> The airport is used solely for [[general aviation]] purposes.
'''Hicks Airfield''' {{airport codes|||T67}} is a public use [[airport]] located {{convert|14|nmi|mi km|lk=in}} northwest of the [[central business district]] of [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], in [[Tarrant County, Texas|Tarrant County]], [[Texas]], [[United States]].<ref name="FAA" /> The airport is used solely for [[general aviation]] purposes.


==History==
==History==
[[File:Hicks Airfield Map.jpg|thumb|left|The 1955 [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] map of the original Hicks Field, southeast of the present-day airfield]]
The airfield was established by the Canadian Flying Corps in 1916 as one of three airfields (also Benbrook Field and Baron Field) to train American pilots who entered the Canadian military before the United States entry into [[World War I]]. Canadians named the facility '''Taliaferro Field''' after Walter Taliaferro, a US aviator who had been killed in an accident.
The present Hicks Airfield opened in 1985. It is located near the former site of the unrelated [[Hicks Field]], a military training field used in [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. The original Hicks Field was converted to civil ownership by April 1945 but it fell into disuse by 1976; it was redeveloped into an [[industrial park]] by the early 1990s, although a few World War II-era hangars still stood.<ref name=Hicks_TSHA>{{cite web|last1=Cravens|first1=Chris|last2=Leatherwood|first2=Art|title=Hicks Field|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbh03|work=Handbook of Texas Online|accessdate=3 October 2014|publisher=Texas State Historical Association}}</ref>

The first trainees arrived in November 1916 to a very crude facility. Most structures were unfinished and personnel lived and worked in canvas tents. The Flu Epidemic killed many assigned personnel. After US Entry into World War I in April 1917, the airfield was taken over by United States Army and renamed '''Hicks Field'''. The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" became the primary aircraft used for flight training after the Army takeover. The 22d, 27th, 28th, 139th, 147th, and 148th US Aero Squadrons trained at the facility. Military use ended in early 1919 after the end of World War I.

In 1923, the field became the location of the world's first helium plant, operated by United States Navy. It became a Navy blimp facility until 1929 when shortages closed facility.

Taken over by United States Army Air Corps in 1940, facilities improved and it was used as a contract primary flight training facility by the USAAF Gulf Coast Training Center (later Central Flying Command). Texas Aviation School & W. F. Long Flying School provided flying training to aviation cadets. Initially under supervision of 307th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment, later redesignated as 2555th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Contract Pilot School, Primary) on 1 May 1944. A ten-week course of primary training continued at Hicks, and a total of 2,403 cadets were processed, and about 70% made it to the next level of training at [[Randolph Field]].

Flying training was performed with [[Fairchild PT-19]]s as the primary trainer. Also had several [[PT-17 Stearman]]s and a few [[P-40 Warhawk]]s were assigned. The field was inactivated 20 July 1944 with the drawdown of AAFTC's pilot training program, declared surplus, and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers. It was eventually discharged to the War Assets Administration (WAA) and returned to civil control.

Postwar use included storage and sale of surplus military aircraft, and it was also used by Bell Helicopter as flight test airfield during 1950s. Bell activities ended in late 1950s and the facility became a general aviation airfield, eventually falling into disuse and then closed.

The airport reopened in 1985 with a new facility being built about a mile north-northwest of original airfield. By the 1990s the entire facility was being redeveloped into an industrial area, although most of original facility is still in a state of disuse with deteriorating buildings.


==Facilities and aircraft==
==Facilities and aircraft==
Hicks Airfield covers an area of 77 [[acre]]s (31 [[hectare|ha]]) at an [[elevation]] of 855 feet (261 m) above [[mean sea level]]. It has one [[runway]] designated 14/32 with an [[asphalt]] surface measuring 3,740 by 60 feet (1,140 x 18 m).<ref name="FAA" />
Hicks Airfield covers an area of {{convert|77|acre|ha}} at an [[elevation]] of {{convert|855|ft|m}} above [[mean sea level]]. It has one [[runway]] designated 14/32 with an [[Asphalt concrete|asphalt]] surface measuring {{convert|3,740|by|60|ft|m}}.<ref name="FAA" />


For the 12-month period ending March 7, 2009, the airport had 31,000 [[general aviation]] aircraft operations, an average of 84 per day. At that time there were 327 aircraft based at this airport: 92% single-[[aircraft engine|engine]], 6% multi-engine, 1% [[helicopter]] and 1% [[ultralight]].<ref name="FAA" />
For the 12-month period ending March 7, 2009, the airport had 31,000 [[general aviation]] aircraft operations, an average of 84 per day. At that time there were 327 aircraft based at this airport: 92% single-[[aircraft engine|engine]], 6% multi-engine, 1% [[helicopter]] and 1% [[ultralight]].<ref name="FAA" />

== Accidents and incidents ==
* 20 July 2005: A [[Mooney M20|Mooney M20J]], registration number ''N5670M'', executed a series of "erratic" maneuvers culminating in a "knife-edge drop" while flying near the airport; the aircraft then leveled off at very low altitude and maneuvered to miss two nearby houses before crashing in the yard between them. The crash and post-crash fire killed the pilot and both passengers, destroyed the aircraft, and caused minor injuries to a person on the ground. [[National Transportation Safety Board]] (NTSB) investigators were unable to conclusively determine the cause of the crash.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20050726X01100&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=FA |title=NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report DFW05FA185 |publisher=[[National Transportation Safety Board]]|accessdate= 26 December 2018}}</ref>
* 26 December 2005: A [[Boeing-Stearman Model 75|Boeing A75N1]] [[biplane]], registration number ''N67195'', lost engine power during a steep climb to reenter the [[airfield traffic pattern]] after a [[touch-and-go landing]]; the aircraft [[Spin (aerodynamics)|spun]] and crashed southeast of the departure end of Runway 14. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the pilot was seriously injured, and the single passenger was killed. The accident was attributed to ''"The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing factors were the reported loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the low altitude maneuver."''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20051230X02033&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=LA |title=NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report DFW06LA041 |publisher=[[National Transportation Safety Board]]|accessdate= 26 December 2018}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Texas World War II Army Airfields]]
* [[List of airports in Texas]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==Other sources==
{{Portal box|United States Air Force|Military of the United States}}
{{Refbegin}}
* {{AFHRA}}
* Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
* Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
{{Refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.hicksairport.com/ Hicks Airfield], official website
* [http://www.hicksairport.com/ Hicks Airfield], official website
⚫
* {{cite web|url= http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/avn/airport_directory/t67.pdf |title=Hicks Airfield (T67) }} at [[Texas DOT]] Airport Directory
* [http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/TX/Airfields_TX_FtWorth_NW.htm#hicks Taliaferro Field / Hicks Field] at Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields
⚫
* {{PDFlink|[http://www.txdot.gov/publications/aviation/directory/t67.pdf Hicks Airfield (T67)]}} at [[Texas DOT]] Airport Directory
* {{US-airport-minor|T67}}
* {{US-airport-minor|T67}}


<!--Navigation boxes--><br />
<!--Navigation boxes--><br />
{{Dallas airports}}
{{Dallas airports}}
{{USAAF Training Bases World War II}}


[[Category:1916 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:USAAF Contract Flying School Airfields]]
[[Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Texas]]
[[Category:Airports in Fort Worth, Texas]]
[[Category:Airports in Fort Worth, Texas]]
[[Category:Tarrant County, Texas]]
[[Category:Airports in Tarrant County, Texas]]

Latest revision as of 03:17, 10 August 2024

This article is about the present-day civil airfield. For the World War I airfield, see Hicks Field.
Hicks Airfield
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerHicks Airfield Pilots Assn.
ServesFort Worth, Texas
LocationTarrant County
Elevation AMSL855 ft / 261 m
Coordinates32°54′44″N 097°24′04″W / 32.91222°N 97.40111°W / 32.91222; -97.40111
Websitehttps://www.t67.org/
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14/32 3,740 1,140 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Aircraft operations31,000
Based aircraft327

Hicks Airfield (FAA LID: T67) is a public use airport located 14 nautical miles (16 mi; 26 km) northwest of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States.[1] The airport is used solely for general aviation purposes.

History

[edit]
The 1955 USGS map of the original Hicks Field, southeast of the present-day airfield

The present Hicks Airfield opened in 1985. It is located near the former site of the unrelated Hicks Field, a military training field used in World War I and World War II. The original Hicks Field was converted to civil ownership by April 1945 but it fell into disuse by 1976; it was redeveloped into an industrial park by the early 1990s, although a few World War II-era hangars still stood.[2]

Facilities and aircraft

[edit]

Hicks Airfield covers an area of 77 acres (31 ha) at an elevation of 855 feet (261 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 14/32 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,740 by 60 feet (1,140 by 18 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending March 7, 2009, the airport had 31,000 general aviation aircraft operations, an average of 84 per day. At that time there were 327 aircraft based at this airport: 92% single-engine, 6% multi-engine, 1% helicopter and 1% ultralight.[1]

Accidents and incidents

[edit]
  • 20 July 2005: A Mooney M20J, registration number N5670M, executed a series of "erratic" maneuvers culminating in a "knife-edge drop" while flying near the airport; the aircraft then leveled off at very low altitude and maneuvered to miss two nearby houses before crashing in the yard between them. The crash and post-crash fire killed the pilot and both passengers, destroyed the aircraft, and caused minor injuries to a person on the ground. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators were unable to conclusively determine the cause of the crash.[3]
  • 26 December 2005: A Boeing A75N1 biplane, registration number N67195, lost engine power during a steep climb to reenter the airfield traffic pattern after a touch-and-go landing; the aircraft spun and crashed southeast of the departure end of Runway 14. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the pilot was seriously injured, and the single passenger was killed. The accident was attributed to "The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing factors were the reported loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the low altitude maneuver."[4]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for T67 PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 8, 2010.
  2. ^ Cravens, Chris; Leatherwood, Art. "Hicks Field". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  3. ^ "NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report DFW05FA185". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  4. ^ "NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report DFW06LA041". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
[edit]


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