El Tiro Gliderport , formally
Marana Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 5 (
Sahuaro Field), is marked on the Phoenix
sectional chart is a
non-towered private use
gliderport northwest of
Tucson, Arizona, United States. The airport property is leased from the
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...
and has been operated by the Tucson Soaring Club, Inc. (a chapter of the
Soaring Society of America) since 1983.
Marana Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 5 (aka Sahuaro Field) was one of five auxiliary fields that served
Marana Army Air Field
Pinal Airpark , also known as Pinal County Airpark, is a non-towered, county-owned, public-use airport located northwest of the central business district of Marana, in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. Silverbell Army Heliport is co-loca ...
(now
Pinal Airpark) and is one of many
Arizona World War II Army Airfields. Sahuaro Field first appeared on the Phoenix
sectional chart in 1945. The airfield was originally described as a " square-shaped property having a square
asphalt landing mat." After
World War II there is evidence of the airfield being used by the
United States Air Force in 1957 for pilot training in
North American T-6 Texan and
T-28 Trojan aircraft. From 1958 the airport was reportedly abandoned until Tucson Soaring Club leased the property.
Facilities
* 8L/26R measuring ,
dirt
* 8L/26R measuring ,
asphalt,
superimposed
Superimposition is the placement of one thing over another, typically so that both are still evident.
Graphics
In graphics, superimposition is the placement of an image or video on top of an already-existing image or video, usually to add to ...
on 8L/26R
* 8/26 measuring , dirt center
* 8R/26L measuring , dirt
* 17L/35R measuring , dirt/treated
* 17R/35L measuring , dirt/treated
Old runways
* 4L/23R , asphalt
* 4R/23L , asphalt
* 13L/32R , asphalt
* 13R/32R , asphalt
Gallery
File:Marana_Army_Air_Field_1945_Phoenix_Sectional_Chart.jpg, 1945 Phoenix sectional chart shows El Tiro Gliderport as Marana Auxiliary Army Airfield No. 5 (aka Sahuaro Field).
File:United States Geological Survey topo map of Marana Auxiliary Airfield No. 5.jpg, 1957 USGS topo map of Marana Auxiliary Airfield No 5
File:Glider and tow plane at El Tiro Gliderport AZ.jpg, Grob G103 Twin Astir glider preparing to launch in tow by the Air Tractor tow plane at El Tiro in 2020
See also
*
Pinal Airpark
*
Arizona World War II Army Airfields
*
List of airports in Arizona
This is a list of airports in Arizona (a U.S. state), grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public-use and military airports in the state. Some private-use and former airports may be included where notable, such as airports that w ...
References
External links
{{Arizona during World War II
Airports in Pima County, Arizona
Aviation in Arizona