Hicks Field

The first trainees arrived in November 1917 to a very crude facility. Most structures were unfinished and personnel lived and worked in canvas tents. The flu epidemic killed many assigned personnel. The airfield was taken over by United States Army in April 1918. The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" became the primary aircraft used for flight training after the Army takeover.

Training units assigned to Hicks Field were:[2]

• Post Headquarters, Hicks Field – October 1919
• 78th Aero Squadron, February 1918

Re-designated as Squadron "A", July–November 1918

• 79th Aero Squadron, February 1918

Re-designated as Squadron "B", July–November 1918

• 82d Aero Squadron, March 1918

Re-designated as Squadron "C", July–November 1918

• 206th Aero Squadron, April 1918

Re-designated as Squadron "D", July–November 1918

• 275th Aero Squadron, February 1918

Re-designated as Squadron "E", July–November 1918

• Flying School Detachment (Consolidation of Squadrons A-E), November 1918 – November 1919

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. (The helium plant was located in Fort Worth at what is now Meacham Blvd and Blue Mound Road. It was never located at the airfield. J Hodgson, Fort Worth Aviation Museum)

During World War II, Hicks Field was equipped with Fairchild PT-19 trainers by the Army Air Forces

Aviation Cadets with Flight Instructor for Level 1 Primary flight training at Hicks Field, 1943

In preparation for the eventual U.S. entry into World War II, the United States Army Air Corps sought to expand the nation's combat air forces by asking civilian flight schools to provide the primary phase of training for air cadets. Consequently, it contracted with civilian flying schools to provide primary flying training, with the graduates being moved on to basic and advanced training at regular military training airfields.[3]

Taken over by United States Army Air Corps in 1940, Hicks Field was reopened and its facilities improved. It was used as a contract primary flight training facility by the USAAF Gulf Coast Training Center (later Central Flying Command). The Texas Aviation School and the W. F. Long Flying School provided flying training to aviation cadets. Initially under supervision of 307th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment, later re-designated 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-19s as the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks 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.

Hicks Field was converted to a civil airport by April 1945.[4] In 1954, Hicks was used by Bell Helicopter for flight testing of the HSL anti-submarine warfare helicopter.[5]

2001 USGS aerial photo of the former Hicks Field facility

Hicks fell into disuse by 1976, having been removed from maps, and with only a few businesses remaining. In 1985, the similarly named but unrelated Hicks Airfield opened a short distance away. The original airfield was redeveloped into an industrial park by the early 1990s, although a few World War II-era hangars still stood.[4]