Kelso, US πΊπΈ Closed Airport
US-10123
-
2611 ft
US-CA
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 34.881901Β° N, -115.733002Β° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: 43CA 43CA 43CA
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The exact date of abandonment is unknown. The airstrip likely fell into disuse during the latter half of the 20th century. Its de facto closure was solidified with the establishment of the Mojave National Preserve on October 31, 1994, which prohibits unauthorized aircraft landings within its boundaries.
The airstrip was not officially decommissioned in the manner of a public airport. It was likely a private field that was abandoned when the mining or recreational activities it supported ceased. Its inclusion within the newly formed Mojave National Preserve in 1994 legally restricted its use to preserve the area's natural and cultural resources.
The site is completely abandoned and unmaintained. The faint outlines of the two dirt runways are still visible on satellite imagery but are heavily degraded, washed out, and overgrown with desert scrub. The land is part of the Mojave National Preserve and is managed by the U.S. National Park Service. It is not a legal, safe, or permissible place to land an aircraft.
The name 'Dick Taylor Airstrip' and the ICAO code 'US-10123' are not officially recognized in aviation databases and appear to be fictional, likely originating from flight simulator scenery add-ons (e.g., for Microsoft Flight Simulator) to identify the location. The physical site is a real, but officially unnamed, abandoned airstrip. It is sometimes referred to geographically as the 'Kelso Dunes Airstrip' or 'Kelbaker Road Airstrip'. It was a simple, private facility with two unpaved, perpendicular dirt runways. Its primary purpose was likely to support nearby mining operations, such as the Vulcan Mine, or to provide private recreational access to the desert before it became a protected area.
There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening this airstrip. Its location within a protected National Preserve, where conservation is the primary management objective, makes any future development for aviation purposes extremely unlikely and contrary to the mission of the National Park Service.
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