Rankin Field Weapons Range

Rankin Field was established by Tex Rankin in 1940 when he signed a contract with the War Department contract to open a school to train United States Army Air Corps flight cadets. The “Rankin Aeronautical Academy, Inc.” was established and in February 1941. Due to the need for more pilots, in 1939 civilian schools provided the first 60 hours of flight time to Army Aviation Cadets. Rankin Field became one of the 62 civilian-owned flying schools in the U.S. that taught 1.4 million World War II Army pilots to fly. With the end of World War II, Rankin Academy closed and the airfield was inactivated on 30 September 1945.

The Tulare County Deputy Sheriff’s Association (TCDSA) acquired Rankin Field in 1997 and had a vision to reopen the old training facility. In the fall of 1999 that vision became reality and Rankin Field Weapons Range was born. Rankin now boasts multiple pistol ranges, a 100-yard rifle range (with shaded structures and a handicap bench) and a classroom where numerous training classes are offered. We have a variety of ammunition and paper targets available for sale, as well as reactive and steel targets for on-site use.