Help with a new book.

[TheRealDeal]

Are you only looking at the contiguous United States or are you looking far enough North to include Alaska??

You want interesting history, aviation is the History of that state. You could start with Merrill Field and go on for days.
Merrill has gone through the most amazing transformations over the years and is still one of the busiest GA Airports around.
There is still a lot of History flying around there daily, stuff you just don't see flying much in the lower 48.

 

[Palerider957]

Are you only looking at the contiguous United States or are you looking far enough North to include Alaska??

You want interesting history, aviation is the History of that state. You could start with Merrill Field and go on for days.
Merrill has gone through the most amazing transformations over the years and is still one of the busiest GA Airports around.
There is still a lot of History flying around there daily, stuff you just don't see flying much in the lower 48.

Thanks for the info, man. Perhaps volume II will have Alaska. Right now all I can reasonably do is the Eastern U.S. Even that is a lot to bite off on. I do appreciate the input.

 

[kingaira90]

Cedar Key

Cedar Key, FL is my other all time favorite.
http://66.226.83.248/ap/04382

Cedar Key is awsome. Not much at the field (unless it has changed in the last few years), just some houses and tie downs. The taxi driver from town listens to the unicomm and askes if you need a ride when you call in range. The town is a cool bit of history. No chains are allowed in town (ie McDonalds, holiday inn etc). It is all unique local shops, motels and resturaunts. Goooood seafood.-kingaira90

 

[kingaira90]

A Few

St Augustine FL. Cool little airport on the water, naval reserve base or something. Patty Wagstaff does/did fly out of there (aerobatic box over the airport), and a cool little restaurant on the field. In the Oldest town in the US.



Marathon Key, Fl. In my opinion a better airport than Key West, if you want to save money or like the laid-back island atmosphere, not the touristy feel of Key West. Longer runway, only a $3 taxi ride to the tiki hut, about the coolest seafood restaurant on the water in FL.



Arthur Dunn Airpark, Titusville FL. A little hole in the wall airport just north of ticco airport Titusville. A 2700 ft rnwy with trees on either end and a great 90 degree cross wind all of the time. You can see the Vehicle assembly building just after liftoff. And it is a 2min crew car ride to the best (and inexpensive), shrimp restaurant in Florida, Dixie Crossroads. Be ready for a wait in the winter.


Hmm seems like all my favorites have resturaunts near them-kingaira90


Ok one more. Mason City Iowa. Where Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens (sp?) met their end. The rumors I hear are that the Bonanza they died in, is in a hangar there with a tarp over it. Still wreckage, with them removed of course. There is a restaurant at the terminal too ;-) I wouldn't give it any awards though.

 

[surveypilot]

Moton Field

Moton Field (06A) in Tuskegee, AL is where the famed Tuskegee airman were trained. The FBO has defnitely seen her better days, but every inch of the walls is covered in newspaper clippings and memorabilia. Many of the buildings like the old tower are still there.

 

[ghostrider64]

I ran into this elderly fellow that drives the van at Signature Miami....The dude is filled with knowledge about Miami and others... His dad was employee 34 I think at Eastern. Told of a story where his dad had a hard landing somewhere in a connie then got a permit to fly it back to Miami. Upon landing the wing fell off. His dad called the tower and asked for 5 cups of coffee Now thats aviation at it's best...

 

[Palerider957]

I ran into this elderly fellow that drives the van at Signature Miami....The dude is filled with knowledge about Miami and others... His dad was employee 34 I think at Eastern. Told of a story where his dad had a hard landing somewhere in a connie then got a permit to fly it back to Miami. Upon landing the wing fell off. His dad called the tower and asked for 5 cups of coffee Now thats aviation at it's best...

Awesome--THAT is the stuff a good book is made of (not that I've ever had a bad landing!)

 

[flyinlow67]

You have to include LOU. Cool (old) terminal building and lot's of early history there.

 

[Geronimo4497]

KSFM - Sanford ME. I'm based there with my flying machine. Great place to eat (very common stop for the weekend flier) Has some wonderful WWII history, including the old "carrier" runways and targeting range.

 

[EdAtTheAirport]

Someone mentioned "bubbas from Georgia" whatever. For what it's worth, here's my contribution.

KTMA - Tifton, Ga - The most historical airport that I've noticed lately is the Henry Tift Myers airport in Tifton, Ga. I'm not a big history buff, but Henry Tift Myers was a WWII pilot of note, and I believe it also said he was a pilot for President Eisenhower. They have a few interesting pieces on display at the (now modernized) FBO. The Tift Myers VOR (IFM) is also named after him. But you said GA history, rather than military.

KPDK - Peachtree De Kalb (Atlanta) - Of all the airports that I visit, I hate this one the most. It's a Tenerife accident just waiting to happen. Notwithstanding, it has a very active airport management staff (to bust you for noise) and appeared to have a building full of old stuff that hasn't been thrown out in decades. Insofar as PDK is now a megalopolous airport-from-hell, its rise is probably an interesting story. On the plus side, it has one of the best old-style airport restaurants in the south. (The Downwind Restaurant.)

Don't DARE arrive after 11 p.m., or you'll be beaten, gagged, beaten again, and taken to Noise Police hearquarters for further beating and gagging. (If I've scared you away, you can always just visit us here at KLZU, far more friendly, and drive to PDK. About a 30 min drive if you avoid rush hour.) If you're in search of history though, I'd bet there's lots of it there.

KGKT - Gatlinburg, TN -- I went there on the day of an airshow, and had a great time. Wonderful people. I'm not sure how much history, per se, is there, but it's certainly worth a visit. Still has some memorabilia hanging around. I think it had a museum on the field. Call them for more info.

KFRG - Farmingdale/Republic, NY - I grew up on Long Island, so maybe I'm partial. Again, this might border on military history, but you can't ignore Long Island's status as "The Cradle of Aviation." FRG has one of those bomber wing restaurants with some memorabilia. There's a college flight program based there (SUNY Farmingdale) where you can probably dig up lots of it. I Googled up an article on it: http://www.babylonbeacon.com/News/2003/1024/Front_Page/006.html

Hope it helps.