Kingman Aviation and Route 66

The history of Kingman aviation stretches back even further than the storied legacy of Route 66.

It also laid the groundwork for multiple military installations along the highway. The city of Kingman was home to four airfields—Walapai, Berry, Port Kingman, and, by WWII, the expansive Kingman Army Air Field—each playing a distinct role in the evolution of American aviation.

Located just outside of downtown Kingman, this airfield would foreshadow what has become a century of aviation in the community.

Route 66’s 100-year history includes a significant contribution to the fledgling airmail and passenger air services.

By the late 1920s, Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT)—which later became TWA— initiated its innovative “air-rail” travel system with aerial views and roadside stops.

The legendary Charles Lindbergh helped chart this route, choosing Kingman for its strategic location just miles from town.

The grand opening drew crowds and dignitaries, marking the area as a major player in coast-to-coast air travel.  Kingman became a pivotal refueling and crew stop for early coast-to-coast passengers.

Notice the small station on the bottom left corner of this 1929 Berry Airfield map above this text.

This modern archaeological site is all that remains of the former Berry Station at the Berry Airfield. This is located on the property of the Kingman Municipal Airport, which can be seen in the background of this photograph.

During World War II, the Kingman Army Air Field was constructed and became one of the largest aerial gunnery schools in the U.S., training more than 35,000 personnel. The primary mission of the Air Field was to train crews on the B-17 Flying Fortress as well as other aircraft.

With the Air Field on the south side of Route 66, a large area to the north of the highway was dedicated to ground training for the aerial gunnery school with a mix of BB guns, shotguns, and then .30 caliber and .50 caliber browning machine guns.

The iconic Three Stooges - Moe, Curly, and Larry behind a Browning .50 caliber machine gun visit the Flexible Gunnery School in Kingman in 1943.

Post-war, the Air Field site was used to store and scrap over 5,000 bombers and fighter aircraft, many of which had returned from theaters of battle.

Decades later, the WWII control tower and a couple of hangars remain, and it is now known as the Kingman Municipal Airport.

For decades, the community had plans for better road access to the airport.  A long-awaited interchange project is finally underway to connect I-40 with Kingman Airport and Industrial Park.

To further honor and educate the public about Kingman’s vital role in aviation, the Aviation Heritage Center of Kingman is creating a history and learning center adjacent to the historic World War II control tower at the Kingman Municipal Airport.

It cannot be overstated how significant Route 66 was in supporting the development and early growth of aviation. As a key transportation corridor, it brought together automobiles, trains, aircraft, and the people who operated them.