Conner Airport

Military Deactivation. The airport, historically known as Goffs Army Airfield, was a component of the World War II-era Desert Training Center (DTC), also known as the California-Arizona Maneuver Area (CAMA). As the war effort shifted away from the North African theater, the need for large-scale desert warfare training diminished. The DTC was officially closed in May 1944, and its associated airfields, including Goffs, were subsequently declared surplus and deactivated by the U.S. Army.

The site is a privately owned, active airstrip known as Conner Field. It is not a public-use airport and offers no services. The current owners maintain a portion of the original WWII runway system for their private, recreational use. Satellite imagery shows the ghostly outlines of the extensive original military runway and taxiway layout, though much of it is deteriorated. The site is essentially a 'ghost airport' that has been partially revived for private aviation, preserving its historical footprint on the landscape.

The site's primary historical significance is as Goffs Army Airfield (AAF), established in 1942. It was one of the key support airfields for General George S. Patton's Desert Training Center, the largest military training ground in the history of warfare. Goffs AAF was not a primary combat training base but served a critical logistical and support role. Its operations included:
- A supply depot for the vast training area.
- A base for observation and liaison aircraft (like the Piper L-4 Grasshopper and Stinson L-5 Sentinel) that supported ground troop maneuvers.
- A landing and navigation practice field for bomber crews from other bases, who used the vast, empty desert for training runs.
- Emergency landing strip for aircraft operating within the DTC.
The airfield featured multiple runways and a large parking apron, the outlines of which are still visible today. The modern name 'Conner Airport' and the identifier US-1038 are from its later status as a private field, not its historical military use.

There are no known plans or prospects to reopen the airport for public or commercial use. Its remote location, private ownership, and the proximity of other regional airports (like Needles Airport, KEDW) make any such development economically unfeasible. It is expected to remain a private airstrip, valued more for its historical significance and recreational use by its owners than for any commercial potential.