Richmond NAS was built in 1941-2 as a base for spotter blimps used to protect Florida-area shipping from German U-Boat attacks. It survived the war intact but was destroyed on September 15, 1945, when a suspected Category 4 hurricane hit the airfield directly. One of the enormous blimp hangars caught fire, possibly from a spark, and every building on the field was destroyed, along with all aircraft on the field at the time.
The former airfield is now used as a parking area for the Miami Metro Zoo. The building foundations are long gone, but one of the oblong blimp tiedowns can still be seen at the bottom of this image.
Abandoned, Military - Naval Air Stations, Military - Historic
Links: www.airfields-freeman.com
By: charlene