Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Southwestern Louisiana
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 12/3/08.
Lake Charles Airport / Louisiana Flyers Airport / East Lake Charles Airport (4R5), Lake Charles, LA
30.22 North / 93.14 West (West of New Orleans, LA)
Lake Charles Airport, as depicted on the 1944 USGS topo map.
Photo of the airport while open has not been located.
This little grass airfield predated the much-larger Lake Charles AFB / Chenault AFB
which was eventually constructed directly adjacent to it to the west.
The date of construction of Lake Charles Airport has not been determined.
The earliest depiction which has been located of the field was on the 1944 USGS topo map.
It depicted Lake Charles Airport as having 3 grass runways,
with a row of small buildings along the northwest side of the field.
It did not yet depict Lake Charles Army Airfield.
The 1953 Aviation Week Airport Directory (courtesy of David Brooks)
described the “Lake Charles Airport” as a municipal field with a 3,000' unpaved runway.
The remarks said “Use with caution when wet.
If unusable use Lake Charles AFB with fee.”
Lawrence Dugas recalled, “I learned to fly on the grass strip in Lake Charles in 1957.
I was stationed at Chennault AFB until 1960.
There was a flying club there for the men in the Air Force.
Louisiana Flyers operated there & Ray Lambert had a maintenance shop there
and did work for McFillian who was the Piper dealer & operated a Fixed Base Operator at South Lake Charles.
I worked as a mechanic helper with Ray for about three years.”
This airfield was not listed among active airfields in the 1963 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
The adjacent Chennault AFB was closed in 1963.
The Aerodromes table on the September 1964 Beaumont Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described the Louisiana Flyers Airport as having a single 3,240' turf runway.
The adjacent Chenault AFB had been closed by that point.
It was apparently renamed "East Lake Charles" Airport at some point in the next 3 years,
as that is how it was listed in the 1967 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described the field as having a single 3,000' sod Runway 15/33,
and said that it was operated by Louisiana Flyers Inc. & Lambert Aircraft Service.
The field was said to offer charter, tiedowns, fuel, and repairs.
The runway at East Lake Charles has apparently been lengthened somewhat at some point within the next 12 years,
as the 1979 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted the field as having a single 3,850' Runway 15/33.
A parallel taxiway on the east side led to a ramp at the northeast corner of the field,
with a total of 9 small buildings (hangars?).
East Lake Charles was still listed as an active airport in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury).
The last aeronautical chart depiction of East Lake Charles Airport which has been located
was on the 1985 LA Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Jed Keck).
It depicted East Lake Charles as having a 3,800' unpaved runway.
The 1996 USGS topo map still depicted East Lake Charles Airport,
adjacent to the runway of the reopened Chenault Field,
but that does not necessarily indicate it was still open at that point.
As seen in the 1998 USGS aerial photo,
the grass runway of East Lake Charles Airport still remained intact,
as well as the group of small hangars at the northeast corner of the field.
But there was no indication that the field was still open at that point.
The East Lake Charles Airport evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1985-2000,
as it was no longer listed among active airfields in the 2000 AOPA Airport Directory.
The site of East Lake Charles Airport is located east of Chenault Field's main runway,
and west of the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks.
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