You’ll like this. I found this 1979 Sectional Aeronautical Chart. The current Sectional charts don’t show Ed’s Airpark and haven’t for over 25 years or so. In fact, they don’t show anything where Ed’s used to be, northwest of Picacho Army Heliport. However, on this 1979 chart excerpt, you can see the “X” of a closed airfield where Picacho Heliport is now, and just west of it is Ed’s Airpark, with an elevation of 1644 feet, a longest runway length of 5100 feet, and the field frequency of 122.8. … Who knew that some random middle-of-nowhere dirt strip airfield in Arizona, would become a big hit 34 years later?
On this 1979 chart excerpt, you can see the “X” of a closed airfield where Picacho Heliport is now, and just west of it, Ed’s Airpark; click to embiggen. ~image courtesy Mike Daftarian
A few more 1990 images from Iain … the two C-54s were at Avra Valley and the other two were at Gila River Memorial. I am sure I went into a compound at Mesa Falcon Field and shot more Hudsons but I can’t find the slides. I’m missing some from Davis Monthan and also LUKE AFB that I definitely remember having. I hope i will find them in a box in the future!
More photos of aircraft that were parked at Ed’s Airpark before being moved down to Avra Valley Airpark. These photos are a followup to the 28. December post about a 1990 Picacho C-54 airtanker, based on an inquiry from Iain Mackenzie in Scotland. THANKS so much to Mike Daftarian for looking these up. That Picacho C-54 post also has Mike’s photos of Ed’s Airpark in the comments at the bottom of the page.