Flying Through Time: 76 Years of Shalz Field ✈️
- Kristina Hemel
- Sep 18
- 3 min read
On September 18, 1949, Colby officially dedicated its municipal airport - a milestone that connected northwest Kansas to the skies. Seventy-six years later, Shalz Field still serves as a hub for aviation, community pride, and local history. Thanks to the Prairie Museum of Art & History, we’re able to look back at the airport’s fascinating journey.
Early Aviation Dreams in Colby
In the 1920s, Colby residents began imagining what an airport could mean for growth and opportunity. That dream took flight when the Chicago & Southwestern Air Lines expressed interest in making Colby a stop on its Denver-to-Kansas City route in 1927. The city quickly prioritized finding a landing field, leading to Colby’s first airport - a simple pasture on the Wallace farm west of town.
By 1930, the Colby Free Press was joking about Forrest Wallace getting “quite a wallop” with airplanes practically in his backyard. The Wallace pasture would later host early fliers like Dwight Murray, who parked his Piper Cub there in the 1940s.
Building the Municipal Airport
Momentum grew in the 1940s. In 1942, the Chamber of Commerce pushed for a bond election to fund a proper airport. Voters approved a $65,000 bond in April 1943 by a wide margin—340 to 101—and later that year, the city officially named it the Colby Municipal Airport.
World War II delayed construction, but by December 1944, the airport was active. The grand dedication came on September 18, 1949, setting the stage for decades of aviation in Thomas County.
Prairie Musem of Art & History 1962 and NWKS Radio 2022
Honoring Joe Shalz
On June 2, 1975, the Colby City Council renamed the airport Shalz Field in honor of Joe Shalz, nicknamed “The Flying Dutchman.” An early Thomas County aviator, Shalz made a name for himself in the 1920s with adventurous flights that inspired locals to look skyward.
Growth and Improvements
Through the decades, Shalz Field continued to modernize. In the 1980s, federal grants helped extend and widen runways, improve taxiways, add new lighting, and build a new terminal in 1984. Today, the airport features:
A 5,110-foot concrete runway and two turf runways
Fuel service (100LL & Jet-A)
A pilot lounge, conference room, and courtesy car service
Modern weather and lighting systems
On average, the airport hosts 5,500 aircraft operations per year, nearly all general aviation, with a few military flights sprinkled in.
Colby in the Spotlight
Shalz Field has also played host to many aviation events throughout the years! helping highlight the importance of regional airports in keeping Kansas connected by air.
And back in the 1960s–70s, Colby even enjoyed commuter airline service through Air Midwest, with small Cessna 402s flying nonstop to Denver and connections through Wichita.
76 Years and Counting
Today, Shalz Field continues to support everything from crop-dusting and ultralights to private planes and weekend fliers. It’s not just an airport—it’s a piece of Colby’s identity.
So as we celebrate September 18, 1949 – September 18, 2025, we tip our hats to 76 years of Shalz Field. Here’s to the pioneers who dreamed big in a Wallace pasture, the aviators who kept flying through the decades, and the community that continues to believe in the power of a local airport.
Happy anniversary, Shalz Field—your story is still soaring high!
Info from: Wikipedia, Prairie Museum of Art & History blog post 2015, City of Colby, AirNav
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