Drane Field
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
3400 Airfield Drive West
Lakeland, Florida 33811
Polk County
(863) 648-3298
This site is located in the Central region of the state.
DIRECTIONS
Located southwest of Lakeland, take I-4 exit 15 to County Line Road. County Road north to US-92. Left on US-92 to FL-572. Right on FL-572 to airport (approximately three miles).
Lakeland Army Airfield was originally constructed for the City of Lakeland in mid-1942 and named Drane Field to honor the local State Representative. An auxiliary base to MacDill in Tampa, this site was officially designated Lakeland Field #2 in September 1942. The Lodwick School of Aeronautics, one of the contract pilot training schools, produced pilots for B-17 and B-24 service at this site. Many British and Greek pilots, and pilots of other nationalities, trained both here and at Lakeland Army Air Base.
Markers are present at the present day Lakeland Linder Airport to commemorate the 320th Bombardment Group (M) and the 344th Bomb Group (M). While no buildings remain from the WWII era, some foundations are still present on the Lakeland Linder site. Haldeman-Elder Airport, also known as Eaton Park, served as an auxiliary field to this base.
