Carlstrom Field

Military Deactivation. The airfield was declared surplus following the end of World War II. With the drastic reduction in the need for pilot training, the U.S. Army Air Forces inactivated the base and turned it over to the War Assets Administration for disposal.

The site is no longer recognizable as an airport and has been completely redeveloped. The land is now occupied by two major state facilities:
1. **DeSoto Correctional Institution:** A state prison for adult males operated by the Florida Department of Corrections, which covers a large portion of the former airfield.
2. **DeSoto Juvenile Correctional Facility:** A high-security residential facility for male juvenile offenders, operated by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

While the runways are gone, the distinct circular road layout of the original airfield cantonment area is still partially visible in the road network of the correctional facilities. Some original concrete foundations from the WWII-era hangars and buildings may also remain on the grounds.

Carlstrom Field has significant historical importance as a primary flight training base during both World War I and World War II.

**World War I Era (1917-1922):**
- Established in 1917 as part of the massive expansion of the U.S. Army Air Service for the war effort.
- Named in honor of 1st Lieutenant Victor Carlstrom, a prominent early aviator who died in a crash in 1917.
- Along with its nearby auxiliary, Dorr Field, it served as a major primary flight training school where thousands of cadets learned to fly, primarily using the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplane.
- It was closed in 1922 as part of the post-WWI military drawdown.

**World War II Era (1941-1945):**
- The facility was reactivated in March 1941 in anticipation of the U.S. entry into WWII.
- The U.S. Army Air Forces leased the field to the Riddle Aeronautical Institute (a precursor to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University), which operated it as a civilian contract flight school.
- It was a key location for the "Arnold Scheme," providing primary flight training to thousands of British Royal Air Force (RAF) cadets before the U.S. officially entered the war.
- After the U.S. entry, it continued to train American aviation cadets.
- The primary training aircraft used during this period was the Boeing-Stearman PT-17 Kaydet. The base consisted of grass runways, numerous barracks, and support buildings. Its operations were vital to supplying trained pilots for the Allied war effort.

None. There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Carlstrom Field as an airport. The site has been extensively and permanently redeveloped with high-security state correctional institutions, making any conversion back to aviation use infeasible.