Flying S Ranch Airport

The airport was a private airstrip located on a farm, likely owned and operated by an individual (FAA records from the period list Steven L. Schipull as the owner). The closure was not the result of military conversion, a specific accident, or broad economic reasons. The most probable cause for its official closure was the cessation of aviation activities by the owner, who may have sold their aircraft, retired from flying, or simply chose to have the strip removed from official records to eliminate potential liability. This is a common lifecycle for private farm strips.

The site is currently part of an active private farm. High-resolution satellite imagery from as recent as 2023 shows that the physical turf runway is still clearly visible, well-defined, and appears to be regularly mowed. A large building, consistent in appearance with a hangar or large machine shed, remains at the northwest end of the strip. While officially 'closed' and no longer appearing on aviation charts, the physical landing area is still maintained. The property is private, and the site is not used for any public purpose.

Flying S Ranch Airport held local significance as a quintessential example of a private American farm strip. It had no IATA code and its ICAO-like identifier (US-10371) was a non-official designator used by third-party databases. The airport consisted of a single turf runway (approximately 2200 ft long) and likely a small hangar. Operations were strictly private general aviation. It would have been used by the owner for personal and recreational flying, and potentially for light agricultural purposes. It did not handle any commercial, cargo, or military traffic. Its history is representative of the personal freedom and utility that general aviation provided to individuals in rural, agricultural communities during the mid-to-late 20th century.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Flying S Ranch Airport as a public or officially charted facility. As a private airstrip on private land, its potential for future aviation use is entirely at the discretion of the current landowner for their own personal use. A public reopening is considered extremely unlikely.