Hatbox Field

Obsolescence and replacement. Hatbox Field's runways and facilities were insufficient for the larger, faster aircraft of the jet age. The city of Muskogee developed a new, more modern airport, Davis Field (now Muskogee-Davis Regional Airport, KMKO), which opened in 1970 to handle commercial and advanced general aviation traffic. Hatbox Field was subsequently phased out and officially closed as an active airfield.

The site has been completely redeveloped and is now a major public recreation area known as the **Hatbox Sports Complex** and **Love-Hatbox Sports Complex**. The former airport grounds now contain numerous baseball and softball fields, soccer fields, a skate park, an amphitheater, walking trails, and the River Country Water Park. While the airport infrastructure like the terminal and most hangars are gone, the faint outline of the old runways and taxiways can still be discerned in aerial and satellite imagery, integrated into the park's layout. The Three Rivers Museum, located nearby in the former Midland Valley Railroad Depot, preserves much of the airport's history.

Hatbox Field holds significant importance in early and military aviation history.

- **Establishment and Naming:** Opened in 1927, it was one of Oklahoma's first municipal airports. Its unique name originates from a local story about aviator Charles "Hatbox" Harmon, who, while flying over the field in 1921, had his hatbox fall out of his cockpit and land in the field below.

- **Early Commercial Aviation:** In the late 1920s and 1930s, it was a key stop for early airlines, including Paul R. Braniff, Inc. (which became Braniff Airways) and Texas Air Transport (a predecessor to American Airlines), connecting Muskogee to cities like Tulsa and Dallas. Famous aviators, including Amelia Earhart, visited the field.

- **World War II:** The airport's most significant role was during World War II. It was leased by the U.S. Army Air Forces and designated as Hatbox Field Army Airfield. From 1941 to 1944, it served as a primary flight training school operated under contract by the Spartan School of Aeronautics. Thousands of American and British Royal Air Force cadets received their initial flight training here, primarily on Fairchild PT-19 trainers, before advancing to more complex aircraft.

None. There are no plans or prospects for reopening Hatbox Field as an airport. The land has been fully and permanently repurposed for public recreation and sports. Furthermore, the city of Muskogee is adequately served by the nearby Muskogee-Davis Regional Airport (KMKO), making a second airport unnecessary.