Bay Field

The exact reason for closure is not officially documented. However, for a small, privately-owned turf airfield in a rural area, the closure was almost certainly due to economic reasons or a change in land use. Common factors for such airfields include the owner finding it no longer financially viable to maintain, the owner passing away or selling the property, or deciding to convert the land fully back to more profitable agricultural use.

The site of the former Bay Field has been fully converted back to private agricultural land. Current satellite imagery shows the area is used for farming and grazing. The faint outlines of the two former runways are still visible from the air as distinct lines in the vegetation, but there are no remaining airport structures like hangars, terminals, or other buildings. The land is completely repurposed.

Bay Field was a private general aviation airport of local significance. First appearing on charts around 1961, it served the small community of Stapleton, Nebraska. It primarily handled light, single-engine aircraft for personal/recreational flying and likely agricultural operations, such as crop dusting, which is common in the region. The airfield featured two unpaved, turf runways in an 'L' configuration, with the longest being approximately 2,600 feet. It was never a commercial or military facility and represents a typical example of the numerous private airfields that supported American general aviation in the mid-20th century.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Bay Field. The property has been private agricultural land for several decades, and the cost and legal process to re-certify it as an airfield would be prohibitive. It is considered permanently closed.