"This former military airfield is located within what was the
27,000-acre Sahuarita Bombing &
Gunnery Range(large file). The range was first used in 1942 by
aircraft from Davis-Monthan. According to a 1943 table
of 2nd Air Force Flight Strips, construction of the Sahuarita
Flight Strip was completed in 1943, and it had a 5,400' paved
runway. The Commanding Officer at Davis-Monthan requested the
closing of the Air-to-Ground Gunnery Range at Sahuarita in the same
year due to its dangerously close location to the Flight Strip.
After WW2 the runway was used for emergency landings. In 1950,
bomber crews from Carswell
AFB, TX, conducted many of the bombing missions flown on the
Sahuarita Range. The Strategic Air Command retained the Flight
Strip for emergencies on the range even though it was dangerously
close to the firing and bombing targets. The final portions of the
Sahuarita Range were released by the federal government in 1978.
The Flight Strip property is currently owned by the State of
AZ."
Quoted with permission from Abandoned &
Little-Known Airfields
This cache is on State Trust Land and you must have a State Trust
Land recreation permit to legally access it. Yearly permits are $15
for individuals and $20 for families. More information about
optaining a permit can be found at the Arizona State Land
Department’s
website.
The gravel path that you will walk down is actually the "air
route" arrow that signaled aircraft the direction the strip was
used for takeoffs and landings. You will park at the peak of this
"arrow."
Benchmark descriptions for CG0244,
CG0245,
CG0246
and CG0250
give you an idea of the layout of the site.
The cache has been stocked full of toy soldiers, planes, tanks,
compasses and spy glasses.
You can view the practice bomb targets via Google Maps:
Northern Target:
N 31° 55.784 W 110° 52.565
Southern Target:
N 32° 00.937 W 110° 53.643
Terrain
o Parking within 1000-ft
o Gravel road within 100-ft
o May require squatting or kneeling