Payne Field

Payne Field was a military training airfield in West Point consisting of wooden structures for administration, officer housing, and training facilities spread across approximately 533 acres. The installation could accommodate and support up to 1,000 military personnel at the same time.

The field was established in 1918 as one of thirty-two training camps created after the United States entered World War I. Operations ceased in 1920 when military aviation training in the country was reorganized.

The airfield received its name from Captain Dewitt Payne, a University of Michigan graduate who specialized in military aeronautics at the University of Illinois.

The location was remote and situated in a humid region prone to insect problems that affected daily operations. Visitors should know that today only traces and archaeological remains survive at the site.

In 1919, Major Theodore Macauley landed at the facility during the first North American transcontinental round trip flight to conduct repairs. This historic event made the field a significant stop in a remarkable aviation endeavor.