Miami Municipal Airport / Amelia Earhart Field and All-American Airport / Masters Field / Naval & Marine Corps Air Station Miami Photo Gallery by Sunbird Photos by Don Boyd at pbase.com

Miami Municipal Airport / Amelia Earhart Field and All-American Airport / Masters Field / Naval & Marine Corps Air Station Miami

I've created this gallery to preserve the rapidly disappearing history of some old Miami-area airports, notably Miami Municipal Airport (later Navy Municipal/South Field #2, and Amelia Earhart Field), and Masters Field (part of Naval Air Station Miami and later Marine Corps Air Station Miami). There is somewhat faulty information being displayed on Wikipedia and other websites and even our local major newspaper reported at least three times that I know of that Amelia Earhart took off from Opa-locka Airport (which didn't exist until the early 1960's when the federal government gave the airport to Dade County) on her ill-fated round the world flight in 1937. That was not the case because she took off from Miami Municipal Airport which was located two miles south of Opa-locka Airport's southern boundary at NW 135th Street.

Please visit our Old Hialeah / Old Miami / Old South Florida website's Historical Aviation Gallery https://pbase.com/donboyd/memories_aviation_miamimunimasters for more old photos of these airports and https://pbase.com/donboyd/aviation for other Miami-area airports.

WANTED: photos of Miami Municipal/Navy Municipal/Amelia Earhart and Masters Field/Naval Air Station Miami/USMC Air Station Miami or aircraft at those airports. We need to preserve more history of these airports and having the photos on the web is a great way to do that. We will return the photos via Priority Mail after scanning. Please contact us at SunbirdPhotos@gmail.com or 305-401-9225. Thanks!

The photos below are a small sample of what I have on Curtiss Field, Miami Municipal, Amelia Earhart Field and All-American/Master's Field: please see our Old Miami Aviation galleries on my personal website at: https://pbase.com/donboyd/memories_aviation_miamimunimasters

1929 - Ground breaking ceremony at Curtiss Flying Service / Pitcairn Aviation hangar, Miami Municipal Airport, Florida	1929 - Guests attending a ground-breaking ceremony at Miami Municipal Airport in NW Dade County, FL	1929 - Students at the Curtiss Flying School, Miami Municipal Airport, FL	1930 - the Goodyear Blimp Defender at Miami Municipal Airport	1930 - Curtiss-Wright Corporation aircraft hangar at Miami Municipal Airport in Northwest Dade County
1932 - U. S. Weather Bureau Airport Station, Miami Municipal Airport	1933 - All American Air Races at Miami Municipal Airport	1935 - Roadwork at Miami Municipal Airport in NW Dade County, Florida	1942 - Aerial view of Miami Municipal Airport in NW Dade County	Then: Navy Municipal (former Miami Municipal) and Naval Air Station Miami Master Field (former All-American Airport)
Both: Miami Municipal / Amelia Earhart Field and All-American Airport / Masters Field / NAS Miami South Field #1	Now: Miami Municipal Airport / Amelia Earhart Field and All-American Airport / Masters Field / Marine Corps Air Station Miami	1943 - Masters Field (part of Naval Air Station Miami) - former All-American Airport and Miami International (Master) Airport	1947 - Miami Municipal Airport (later Amelia Earhart Field) in foreground, Masters Field in background	1947 and 2007 - then and now for Miami Municipal Airport and Masters Field
1947 - First Day Cover for Amelia Earhart Field Dedication, October 26, 1947	1956 - Amelia Earhart Field (former Miami Municipal Airport and Navy Municipal Airport)	1958 - Masters Field Course - Motorsports Racing at former Marine Corps Air Station Miami, now Miami-Dade College North Campus	1959 - Advertisement for the Drag Races at Amelia Earhart Field	1959 & 1960 - George W. Young's Drag Racing Timing Slips for Amelia Earhart Field and Masters Field, Miami
1959/1960: George W. Young racing his 1957 Corvette at Amelia Earhart Field, Miami, Florida	1963 - Master's Field (closed) - Former Marine Corps Air Station Miami

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Sunbird Photos by Don Boyd		18-Feb-2015 22:44
Donald Baumann, thank you for posting your comments. I'd love to have any and all photos from those days, especially Ms. Lake inspecting your squadron. I believe the hangars at Amelia Earhart Field were destroyed in the early to mid-1960's. Don .

Donald A. Baumann		11-Dec-2014 19:37
The movie you are talking about was called Slattery's hurricane, which VP801 was part of. I have some pictures of Veronica Lake inspecting our squadron before the grand opening in downtown Miami, where we marched in the opening parade. That was real blast. I will see if I can get those pictures and send them in. On the other subject about you being the only ones there 1951/1952, I had transferred to the United States Marine Corps at that time after my stand in Korea I was transferred To the Third Marine Air Wing It Cherry Point. Then we transferred the third Marine air wing to Opa-Locka Florida to Masters field. Amelia Eahrhardt's hangar was still in place when we were there. I was discharged from the third Marine air wing in Opa-Locka. I was offered a job at the space center working on the shuttle and I took that job coming to Miami a few times for vacation I found out that they tore down the hangar and made a park called the Amelia Eahrhardt nowhere near the field where she took off. What a shame. Don Baumann dab13133@comcast.net

Sunbird Photos by Don Boyd		30-Sep-2013 14:40
Don Whatley, you are correct and I made a mistake in my comment below yours. However I did identify the tracks as Seaboard Airline Railway on a few of the photos such as the one athttp://www.pbase.com/airlinerphotos/image/65260338 . Thank you for the background information on the tracks and the year. I also have an Old Hialeah/Old Miami/Old South Florida site at: http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/memories with an aviation section at http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/memories_aviation that I keep more up to date than this site. Best regards, Don .

Guest		17-Aug-2013 17:18
Don, Those were the tracks of the Seaboard Airline Railway a predecessor to CSX. They were built in 1927 when SAL Rwy. extended their main line from Wildwood to Miami to compete with the Florida East Coast. Love the site!- Don Whatley

Sunbird Photos by Don Boyd		11-Jun-2012 06:05
Al, congrats on your achievement with the Graviton particle you discovered but you have confused Masters Field with Miami Municipal Airport. Amelia Earhart took off from Miami Municipal, not Masters Field. The two airports were next to each other but separately owned and they were separated by the north-south Atlantic Coast Line railroad tracks. See the aerial photos for further clarification. Don

Al Schrader		11-Jun-2012 00:07
WoW. All these years and I never knew that Amelia Earhart had taken off on her ill fated trip from Masters Field. In 1974 I drag raced at Masters Field. I also tested some of the first rockets I ever built at Masters Field. The 10 billion dollar Large Hadron Collider was built to study the Graviton particle I discovered, so I guess you could say that Masters Field has had more than one famous participant.....Alfred Schrader 2,012

Sunbird Photos by Don Boyd		07-Mar-2011 18:50
Bill, thank you for posting those memories of flight ops at Amelia Earhart Field. Congrats on your long flying career! Don

Bill Brown		07-Mar-2011 04:26
I moved to 442 E 56th Street in 1950. Worked at the Pure oil station at the corner of 8th ave and 56th street after school. As a kid I watched the PBY's landing west to east (almost right down my street). I daydreamed about being in the cockpit. After over 54 yrs of flying (24 military and 30+ corporate) I retired last year and now live in Orlando.

Guest		07-Feb-2011 22:46
Born in Miami 60 years ago of course these photos bring back lot's of memories. Having a relative that after doing a little teaching new pilot's, went to work at Chalk's airline he flew them, painted them, went to Bahamas, Ft. Laurderdale daily. I can remember those seaplanes landing in the Govt. Cut, also taking off, loud, noisy shaky but durable strong planes. Yes this site tells a lot about my past and aviation history. Love it thank you. James

Arlen W Wiggins		20-Mar-2009 00:51
I was stationed at Masters Field in 1951 with VP23 the Navy's hurricane hunter squadron. We had PB4Y2 Privateer planes. Early in 1952 VP23 was moved to NAS Brunswick Maine. A Squadron in Jacksonville took over the hurricane job. The commanding officer was Commander Blanton. I'm pretty sure that we were the only group at Masters Field. For you movie buffs a movie was made about the hurricane hunters a few years before I got there starring Richard Widmark and Veronica Lake. I think I still have some pictures from 1951. I'll try to find them and send copies to you. Arlen W Wiggins

Sunbird Photos by Don Boyd		17-Mar-2009 02:32
Hi K: of course you must have had a brother named Rodney? I knew him back at Hialeah High and he was an okay guy. How is he? Also, the above photos are a small sampling of what I have on these old airports. Please also check my personal site in the Aviation gallery at:http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/memories_aviation_miamimunimasters Thanks for writing in! Don

K. DeRemer		08-Mar-2009 05:55
This is incredible. I grew up on 59th St & 6th Ave.,Hialeah. I had always heard there used to be a bronze plaque at the field, but it was stolen. I also knew they had drag races there later. We used to play out their. Much later Hialeah police built a building there, where they also burned pot. I moved out of Hialeah around 1980. I never knew if the rumors were true. I watched a biography show tonight on Amelia Earhart. I can't believe it took me all these years to find out the truth. Thank You.

Chuck Stewart		24-Feb-2009 23:33
Check out this Eastern Airlines tribute on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKadFKdbMug

KEITH PIERCE		01-Jan-2008 18:21
Don thanks for the memories. I was in the 3rd Marine Air Wing Photographic Recon. at Opa-Locka from 1951-1953. I was one of the first there when the base opened. we had a Corpral as CO. Our wing was VMJ-3. We were not at Masters Field but the field adjacent to it. we had a plane crash outside that back fence, on the railroad and the firemen had to go all the way around to get to it. Pilot was injured but not killed. Thanks for preserving this history.

john		02-Aug-2007 09:34
we lived at 290 e 46th hialeah, kept the horses on 49th street and palm ave, hialeah high was not built yet, 1950, I was in the class of 59. But I do remember, an air show where a p-80 landed in cow pasture, the north side of opa-locka, about 1947 or 48 , and a ad4 skyraider, just missed white stallion stables, at red road and 135 st. this about 52, I would like to know E.A.L. had a passenger terminal on the 36th street.

Burl Grey		30-May-2007 15:52
I have clear memories of the steady roar of airplane engines to the West of where I lived in the 1930's. I lived at 2123 NW 44th St. I remember walking South on 22nd Avenue to 36th Street and seeing concrete being poured to make the road. Sometime before or afterward I rode in a model A ford West on 36th St and passing Le June we went a short distance and then truned south (Red Road, I think) and drove waay South to a hog farm which my step grandparents daughter (Mertie) and her husband Ralph Baldwin owned. I'm still amazed that when I hear a propeller driven airplane, I remember, as a little boy, hearing the Air Races in the 1930's.

Lee Martines		10-May-2007 08:03
There also used to be a go-cart track somewhere around the NE corner of the field. Memorial Day 1960, there were a series of races scheduled, and a truck drove up pulling a closed trailer that was loaded with multiple carts, engines and supplies that belonged to NASCAR driver "Tiger" Tom Pistone. He and his mechanic had come to Miami to show the local boys how it was done. Unfortunately for Tom, those local boys wiped the track with him. All the while, I sat in my car outside the fence listening to the Indianapolis 500 race, which was won by Miami's own Jim Rathman. It was definitely a great day for Miami.

Sunbird Photos by Don Boyd		23-Dec-2006 03:46
You are correct, there was no access via roadway from the east, only a taxiway over the railroad tracks during the World War II time frame. I don't believe I stated that there was a roadway from the east. In reference to NW 119th Street, there was a narrow dirt road that dead-ended on the north side of the airport at the railroad tracks or before then. I did put equivalent street numbers just for location reference purposes. Don

Guest		21-Dec-2006 05:19
i do not think a road was available to miami municiple airport on the east side, it was the r/r tracks. the access road was lejune road, the south had a canal and the north was not developed as a roadway (119th st) yet. we held our drag races there in the 50's and 60's and there was not an east roadwaythen.

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