Rankin Field is a former airport and military airfield located approximately 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Tulare, California.

It was a United States Army Air Forces basic (Level 1) flying training facility during World War II.

Recognizing the need to drastically expand, Hap Arnold initiated a program under which civilian schools provided the first 60 hours of flight time to Army Aviation Cadets.

While Germany lost air superiority because it was not able to replace pilots killed in combat, Arnold's program began tapering off nine months before D-Day.

Among those trained at Rankin were two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, Major Richard Bong, who went on to become the top Ace of the United States Army Air Force, shooting down at least 40 Japanese aircraft, primarily in P-38 Lightnings in the Western Pacific, and Captain Frank Furey.