Finney Field

Finney Field. . In the late 1930s, area aviation enthusiasts organized Plainview Flying Club, acquiring a two-seat Aeronca Chief with a 65-horsepower engine. Their first site was six miles south of Plainview, later moving north of Plainview near Finney Switch. In September 1940, the city of Plainview and Hale County jointly purchased 320 acres at the site for a municipal airport facility named Finney Field. , When the U.S. Entered world war two, pilot training swiftly accelerated. Clent Breedlove, a civilian contractor in the federal government's Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) since 1939, Contracted in May 1942 to train pre-glider students at Finney Field. Plainview Pre-Glider School (officially 4th Army Air Forces Glider Training Detachment, or AAFGTD) was activated on June 1, 1942. The facility had two runways and 23 buildings, including headquarters, hangars, barracks, mess hall and medical clinic. There were also three auxiliary airfields within nine miles. Finney Field was a primary school where student pilots, with an instructor pilot on board, flew powered aircraft to 1,000 to 5,000 feet altitude, turned off engine power, and steered and landed the aircraft in "dead stick" mode. After a four-week course, students graduated to advanced glider training, often at Army air fields at Dalhart (TX), Fort Sumner (NM) or Victorville (CA). Total of 1,169 pre-glider students trained here, with 876 completing the course. Finney Field transitioned to a liaison pilot program for another 241 students, remaining open until April 14, 1943, when Breedlove moved the operation to Lamesa. , Ralph Brown and Claude Hutcherson converted the field to a private airport with an aerial service, private lessons and charter flights. It was later the site of Cloverlake Dairy. Finney Field is remembered for its local contributions to aviation and its international impact in military training.