Gardner Airport

While no single official reason is documented, the closure is consistent with economic factors common to many former military airfields. As a privately-owned, general aviation airport, the costs of maintenance, insurance, and taxes likely outweighed its revenue and utility. The land was subsequently repurposed for more profitable activities such as agriculture and motorsports.

The site is no longer an active airport. The original triangular runway pattern is still clearly visible in satellite imagery. The northeast/southwest runway has been repurposed and is actively used as a private drag racing strip, sometimes referred to as the Gardner-Tidwell Airstrip. The remaining land, including the other former runways, is primarily used for cattle grazing and other agricultural purposes.

Gardner Airport has significant military history. It was originally constructed during World War II as a military airfield known as Hendricks Army Airfield Auxiliary #4 (Gardner Field). Its primary purpose was to serve as an auxiliary and emergency landing field for the B-17 Flying Fortress combat crew training school based at the nearby Hendricks Army Airfield (now Sebring Regional Airport). It was built with a classic WWII triangular layout of three 4,000-foot paved runways. After the war, the federal government transferred the property to civilian control, and it became Gardner Airport (its former FAA identifier was X15), serving the general aviation community in Hardee County.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Gardner Airport. The conversion of its primary runway for motorsports and the integration of the land into agricultural operations make a return to aviation activities extremely unlikely.