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Crailsheim: Army Airfield AAF

Fliegerhorst Crailsheim

For historical information only, do not use for navigation or aviation purposes!
CoordinatesN490806 E0100235 (WGS84) Google Maps
Elevation 1387 ft
Federal stateBaden-Württemberg
Location indicatorDBCA (195x), EDER (196x-198x)
Map with location of Crailsheim Army Airfield AAF, Germany
Germany during the Cold War
The history of the Cold War airfields: Crailsheim

Location of airfield

2 km west of Crailsheim city center, at the former World War II air base (Fliegerhorst).

During World War II

Use

Luftwaffe air base (Fliegerhorst).

Situation

Crailsheim Air Base in World War II on a US map 1944
Crailsheim Air Base in World War II on a US map from 1944
Source: McMaster University Library Digital Archive, Lizenz: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 CC BY-NC 2.5 CA

Overview

Crailsheim airfield, Germany, on a US map from the 1950s
Crailsheim airfield on a US map from the 1950s
Source: AMS M841 GSGS 4414, Courtesy Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University

During the Cold War

Use

US Army airfield, probably used until the early 1980s. Already in 1971, the airfield was declared as closed to all transient aircrafts and that there were holes in the runway. 10 years later, while still being listed as an Army airfield, it was closed to all aircrafts. Helicopters were advised to use the nearby McKee heliport. From the mid 1980s, there were no signs that it was used as airfield anymore.

In the 1960s

Overview

Crailsheim Air Base aerial image 1968
Aerial image of former Crailsheim Air Base from 1968
Source: Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg, EL 68 IX Nr 5853, http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=2-5949668-1
Crailsheim Army Airfield with paved runway
Enlargement: Crailsheim Army Airfield with a paved runway
US Army airplane
Enlargement: Plane
Former Fliegerhorst Crailsheim buildings
Enlargement: Air base buildings in the southeast
Crailsheim McKee Barracks
Enlargement: McKee Barracks in the north

In the 1970s

Situation

Overview

Army Airfield (AAF) map from 1971
Army Airfield (AAF) map from 1971 - Shown are a 549 m long (1,800 feet) and 20 m wide (67 feet) paved runway 08/26 and a parallel grass runway with 183 m x 20 m (600 feet x 65 feet). The field is located 263° and 7.2 nautical miles from the Dinkelsbühl "DKB" VOR radio beacon and has a height of 423 m (1,387 feet) above sea level.
Source: DoD
Crailsheim Army Airfield, Germany, on a US satellite image 1977
Crailsheim Army Airfield on a US satellite image from 07 July 1977 - 1: airfield; 2: McKee Barracks
Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Runways

Data for the year 1971:
  • 08/26: 549 m x 20 m
  • 08/26: 183 m x 20 m Grass
The runway of the Army Airfield was situated south of the old air base take-off platforms, close to today's Ludwig-Erhard-Straße and ran parallel to this road.

In the 1980s and early 1990s

Additional information

I was an American Soldier stationed at McKee Barracks between 1984-1987. One day a small privately owned jet made an emergency landing on post. The pilot was a former member of the German Luftwaffe. He said that he was flying in the area and started having some serious problem with his aircraft. He remembered that there was a airfield at McKee Barracks from his experience in World War II. He headed for McKee Barracks. The airfield is still there but it was covered with grass. Somehow he put the plane down on the parking lot and street at the back of the post. He put this aircraft in such a position that after it was repaired he had to hire a stunt pilot to get it out of there.
Delbert S. Buttman
Thanks Delbert for this nice story!

Today: Industrial park

Use

Closed.

Links

Bibliography

  • Ries, Karl; Dierich, Wolfgang: "Fliegerhorste und Einsatzhäfen der Luftwaffe" Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 1993 - Allied map

Recommended

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