Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport

Overview

The Airport is a safe, efficient aviation facility capable of meeting the business transportation needs of the region and supporting economic growth in Temple.     

Draughon–Miller Central Texas Regional Airport covers an area of 922 acres (373 ha) at an elevation of 682 feet (208 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 15/33 is 7,000 by 150 feet (2,134 x 46 m) and 2/20 is 4,740 by 100 feet (1,445 x 30 m).

History

In July 1942, the United States Army Air Forces acquired pasture land and began construction of Temple Army Airfield including three concrete runways, several taxiways, a large parking apron, and a control tower, along with housing and other buildings for support services. Buildings were utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames, and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tar paper.

Temple AAF was a sub-base of Waco Army Airfield and was used as a basic flying school by the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, Gulf Training Center (later Central Flying Training Command). Cadets received basic flying indoctrination and training, primarily in North American BT-9s and Stearman PT-17s. By late 1944, its primary activity was multi-engine transition training and combat crew assembling on North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers. Flight training continued until the base was closed on 31 October 1945.

With the end of the war, the airfield was determined to be excess by the military and turned over to the City of Temple, which closed "Temple Municipal Airport," [which had been built about 2 miles northwest of the central business district in 1937 by Works Progress Administration] and renamed Temple Army Airfield "Draughon–Miller" in honor of two Temple fliers who had died in World War II. The city used the former site of Temple Municipal Airport first as a landfill, and later for a planned industrial area.