History of abandoned airfields

[English]

I found this great little website that depicts runways closed long ago (and some not so long ago). Pretty cool to read about some of the runways that used to exist.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/index.htm

 

[mudkow60]

That is a neat site.

I get to fly around many of the closed fields around Pensacola, Fl. It is neat to get more info on what I am seeing. I have even had the opportunity to land at a few.

Thanks for sharing the site.

 

[A1FlyBoy]

Just north of Chicago between PWK and the old Glenview NAS, if you take some back roads, you can still see a large building with a hangar type door hidden between industrial and commercial type buildings.. the faded name of an old airport on the door can still be made out if you are into aviation and know what you are looking for. I've always wanted to know more about the previous airfield there and this website is very interesting..


Thanks for posting it!

 

[mtrv]

Thanks for the link.

I had known for years, that an airfield had been located on a bluff, where I bought a new home in 1987.

While digging trenches for the sprinkler system, we hit a smooth layer of road base, apprarently where a taxiway once existed.

This website contains the map of the airport, along with a 1997 photo showing my (previous) home in the exact location. Had always wondered how the runway & taxiways were laid out, & now I know. Thanks again.

 

[CFIcare]

Wow. I recognize quite a few of those mysterious sites in the North Tampa and South Tampa pages. When I was a CFI, I know I used at least one of the sites as a simulated emergency landing site with a student. I recall saying,when my student was having trouble making up his mind on where to "land"... "See that nice patch with no trees? Looks like a runway to me!"...funny. It really was a runway!

 

[njcapt]

One of my favorite web sites. I have been meaning to hoof it on over to the site of the old Flushing airport when on a LGA RON, but I had better hurry up if I want to poke around there before I need a SCUBA rig to do it. Mother Nature is well on her way toward reclaiming the old field.

 

[shamrock]

Thanks English!

I saw that site a few years back but haven't been able to find it since then.

Kind of sad to see Mountain Meadow (aka Johnnycake) airport near Burlington CT added to the list. For some strange reason my engine always seemed to fail near that airport when I was working on my Private. Kind of like the Bermuda Triangle of central Connecticut I guess.

 

[mattpilot]

cool site.. thanks a lot

 

[NuGuy]

Heyas all,

It's a great site. Lot's of those old fields are really interesting.

But some of the stories are pretty sad...old owner dies, owner went bankrupt, family sells out, but the worst are the political shenanagans where the land is snaked out from owner, and now the supreme court has opened the door for confiscating fields where the owners still WANT to run the airport.

The end result is always the same...more $hitbox houses, townhouses or condos. Just what we fricking need.

Nu

 

[wrxpilot]

Thanks English! That's a great site... I had no idea there was an airfield close to where I lived in Denver (Columbine airport). Too bad it didn't make it, it would've been a great location today...

 

[groundpointsix]

Thanks English!

I saw that site a few years back but haven't been able to find it since then.

Kind of sad to see Mountain Meadow (aka Johnnycake) airport near Burlington CT added to the list. For some strange reason my engine always seemed to fail near that airport when I was working on my Private. Kind of like the Bermuda Triangle of central Connecticut I guess.

Shamrock-

Do you know if Johnnycake is gone for good now? I've been hanging onto some hope that something would happen to save the airport. At the very least I hope the restaurant stays in business-- great food.

Also, between this and the hockey thread I'm guessing you grew up in CT. Where abouts? I grew up in Litchfield and got my private at Robertson. PM me if you prefer.

 

[C601]

wow excellent find...thanks

 

[2000flyer]

As a young lad I used to ride my bike on the old runways at the once Rochester Airport in Minnesota. It is now a subdivision but, for a time, a 10-year old sure had a blast "taking off."

Thanks for the website post!

2000Flyer

 

[Vector4fun]

That is a neat site. I somehow came across it years ago and sent the guy some info on some fields in Texas I knew about. Sad part was, I used to FLY in/out of those fields.

 

[English]

I flew into Carmel Valley Vintage Airfield several years ago. I was saddened to see it made it onto the website. They closed it a few years ago.

 

[FN FAL]

Although not related to lost airfields, but related to WWII...where I grew up in Richmond VA, they had this area called "Lost City".

It was pretty cool....we used to sneak in there all the time and it was near the RIC airport. What it was, was fake streets with nothing on them but street lights configured to look like the city of Richmond in the event of a bomber attack. I guess the defense was quite simple, turn the city lights out and turn on the lights of the "lost city".

I'm sure they have a subdivision built on that land now, but was fun skipping school and haning out in a miniature version of the city of Richmond.

 

[Dickensheets]

Willow Creek CA. airport is 1/4 mile from where I grew up and my parents still live there. I use it to this day just for fun with the permission of the property owner.

Low pass to check the surface and in I go, great little mountain strip.

 

[CoolHands]

Thanks English!

I live right next to DFW in Euless and I have been looking for years for pictures of the old Greater Southwest Regional Airport. Great Website!

 

[shamrock]

Shamrock-

Do you know if Johnnycake is gone for good now? I've been hanging onto some hope that something would happen to save the airport. At the very least I hope the restaurant stays in business-- great food.

Also, between this and the hockey thread I'm guessing you grew up in CT. Where abouts? I grew up in Litchfield and got my private at Robertson. PM me if you prefer.

Check your PMs. Good to see another child of 4B8 on the board.

 

[LearLove]

One of my favorite web sites. I have been meaning to hoof it on over to the site of the old Flushing airport when on a LGA RON, but I had better hurry up if I want to poke around there before I need a SCUBA rig to do it. Mother Nature is well on her way toward reclaiming the old field.

As of 2003-2004 the entrance road was blocked off due to "West Nile Virus" which is what it said on the sign.

And guess who got his aviation career started there, non other than Frank Lorenzo. He did aircraft sales or something of that nature at the FBO if I'm not mistaken.