Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Northwestern Pennsylvania
© 2002, © 2024 by Paul Freeman. Revised 1/23/24.
This site covers airfields in all 50 states: Click here for the site's main menu.
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Benninger Airport (revised 1/23/24) - Brokenstraw Field (revised 1/23/24) - Brookville Airport (revised 8/21/22) - Carlson Airport (added 1/11/14) - Culbertson Hills Airport / Edinboro Airport (revised 3/24/23)
Original Dubois Airport / Dubois City Airport (revised 6/14/20) - (Original) Erie County Airport (revised 1/23/24) - (New) Erie County Airport (revised 6/19/18)
(Original) Grove City Airport (revised 10/2/17) - Harri-Emery Field (revised 5/24/19) - Kearsarge Airport (added 9/21/12) - Mercer Airport / Intermediate Field Site 39 (revised 5/24/19)
Mount Jewett Airport (revised 11/17/21) - Oil City Glider Club Gliderport / Splane Memorial Field (revised 3/9/19) - Rhea Airport (revised 1/23/24)
Seneca Airpark (revised 11/17/21) - Sharon Airport (revised 3/24/23) - Warren Airport (revised 1/23/24)
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Brokenstraw Field (original location), Youngsville, PA
41.842, -79.353 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
Brokenstraw Field, as depicted on the December 1932 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
Stephen Castano reported, “The original Brokenstraw Airport, between Youngsville & Pittsfield north of Route 6, was owned & operated by Frank Rensma.”
Candy Sargent reported, “Frank Rensma & his brother started & owned the Brokenstraw Airport.”
The date of construction of Brokenstraw Field has not been determined.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Brokenstraw Field was on the December 1932 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Brokenstraw as a commercial/municipal airport.
The earliest photo which has been located of Brokenstraw Field was a circa 1930s photo of a Piper Cub inside the Brokenstraw Flying School hangar (courtesy of Stephen Castano).
A circa 1930s photo of a path dug through the snow to a Piper Cub inside the Brokenstraw Flying School hangar (courtesy of Stephen Castano).
The May 1934 Cleveland Sectional Chart depicted Brokenstraw Field as a commercial/municipal airport.
Brokenstraw Field may have been closed at some point between 1934-35 (possibly due to the Depression?),
as it was no longer depicted on the 1935 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
The only topo map depiction which has been located of Brokenstraw Field was on the 1943 USGS top map.
A 1946 aerial view looking south at Brokenstraw Field (courtesy of Stephen Castano) depicted 1 light single-engine plane parked near a hangar, on the south side of a grass airfield.
A circa 1940s photo of a surplus Fairchild PT-19 trainer parked at the Sinclair gas pumps, with Brokenstraw Field's hangar (with “Airport” painted on its roof) behind the gas station (courtesy of Stephen Castano).
Brokenstraw Field was still no longer depicted on the 1946 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
Brokenstraw Field was once again depicted on the January 1947 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
A 10/8/56 USGS aerial view depicted Brokenstraw Field as having a row of buildings along the south side of an southwest/northeast grass airfield.
The last depiction which has been located of Brokenstraw Field was on the January 1961 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Brokenstraw as a private airfield having a 2,800' unpaved runway.
Brokenstraw Field was evidently closed at some point between 1961-63,
as it was no longer depicted on the May 1963 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
Candy Sargent reported, “My family bought the Brokenstraw Airport property in the 1970s & sold it in the 1990s.”
A 1966 aerial view showed the east/west grass runway remained clear, but there were no aircraft seen on the property.
According to Stephen Castano, “In 1970 the new & present Brokenstraw Airport was built” less than a half-mile to the southwest.
June 2018 photo (courtesy of Stephen Castano) looking northwest at the site of Brokenstraw Airport,
with an arrow denoting the roofline of the former hangar around which the Williams Lumber buildings have been constructed.
The former runway is in the background, behind the row of trucks at the right.
A 2019 aerial view looking north at the site of Brokenstraw Airport.
Thanks to Stephen Castano for pointing out this airport.
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41.242, -79.426 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
Rhea Airport, as depicted on the July 1956 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
According to the Clarion County Airport website, “During the decades after the war [WW2] the county would see its second airport.
For the public scene aviation would shift to the privately-owned Rhea Airport (also called Rhea’s Field)
located at the intersection of State Route 66 & US 322 (across from the current Country Fair Market & Gas Station).
Rhea Airport opened in 1954.
This new airfield gained a commercial license in the early 1950s shortly after its completion & replaced Parker Cramer Airport as the county’s public face of aviation.”
Rhea Airport was not yet depicted on the December 1955 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Rhea Airport was on the July 1956 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Rhea as having a 2,200' unpaved runway.
The earliest photo which has been located of Rhea Airport was a 1950s aerial view (courtesy of Harrison Fox).
It depicted a single unpaved northwest/southeast runway, with a few small buildings at the northwest end.
Aerial photos from 1966 & 1968 depicted Rhea Airport as having a single unpaved northwest/southeast runway, with 2 light single-engine planes at the northwest end.
The 1969 USGS topo map depicted Rhea Airport as having a single unpaved northwest/southeast runway, with a few small buildings at the northwest end.
According to the Clarion County Airport website, “Due to planned construction on US Route 322 & plans to further develop the area with such attractions as a strip shopping mall,
Rhea Airfield had to be abandoned & planning began on the current facility.”
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Rhea Airport was on the November 1969 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Rhea as having a 2,300' unpaved runway.
Rhea Airport was no longer depicted on the May 1970 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
A 1981 aerial photo showed the site of Rhea Airport had been covered with several buildings.
A 2014 aerial view looking south (courtesy of Harrison Fox) showed no trace remaining of Rhea Airport.
Thanks to Harrison Fox for pointing out this airport.
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41.221, -80.451 (Northwest of Pittsburgh, PA)
Santa Claus standing on an Ercoupe at Sharon Airport in 1948.
According to the article “Sharon Airport aided travelers” in the 7/4/00 Sharon Herald (courtesy of John Yurkon),
“A small airfield was located off Christy Road a few miles southeast of Sharon.
Known as the Sharon Airport, it was also called Chadderton Airport for Edward Chadderton, who operated an over-the-road transportation company,
but also used the field for charter flights, shipping air cargo, and flight instruction.
Chadderton acquired the airfield in 1946, paving & extending the main runway to 3,200'; adding 2 grass airstrips;
building an office, large hangar & 10 T-hangars for small planes, and installing ground lights for night operations.
His air cargo operations used twin-engine Beechcrafts & Cessnas piloted by Robert Blatz & Joe Buckwalter, who doubled as flight instructors.”
The article “Special delivery: Scrapbook tells story of Santa's 1948 arrival by plane” in the 11/27/15 Sharon Herald (courtesy of John Yurkon)
described a visit by Santa Claus to Sharon Airport, an event attended by a large number of spectators.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Sharon Airport was a photo of Santa's 1948 visit.
Sharon Airport was not yet depicted on the January 1949 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Sharon Airport was on the December 1949 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Sharon Airport as having a 2,400' unpaved runway.
A 1950 aerial view showed Sharon Airport to have 3 grass runways,
with 1 light single-engine aircraft & a few small hangars on the northwest & northeast sides.
A 1951 aerial view showed Sharon Airport in an unchanged configuration.
A 1955 aerial view showed Sharon Airport had gained a north/south paved runway at some point between 1951-55.
The earliest topo map depiction which has been located of Sharon Airport was on the 1958 USGS topo map.
It depicted Sharon Airport as having a single paved north/south runway, labeled generically as “Landing Strip”, with a few small buildings on the northwest & northeast sides.
According to John Yurkon, “I grew up near Sharon. I flew a few times at Sharon Airport.
It was a nice paved runway with lighting. I rented a Cessna 150.”
The only aerial photo which is available showing aircraft at Sharon Airport was a 9/8/68 USGS aerial view.
It depicted Sharon Airport as having a single paved north/south runway & 2 grass crosswind runways,
with 3 light single-engine aircraft & several small hangars on the northwest & northeast sides.
The November 1968 Detroit Sectional Chart depicted Sharon Airport as having a single paved 2,400' north/south runway.
The last photo which has been located showing aircraft at Sharon Airport was a 1970 aerial view,
which showed 5 light single-engine aircraft on the field.
The 1971 USGS topo map still depicted Sharon Airport as a generically labeled “Landing Strip”.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Sharon Airport was on the 1977 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Yurkon).
It depicted Sharon Airport as having a single paved 2,300' north/south runway.
Sharon Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1977-81,
as it was labeled “Sharon Airport (Closed)” on the May 1981 Detroit Sectional Chart.
“Sharon Airport (Abandoned)”, as depicted on the 1981 USGS topo map.
A 1983 aerial photo showed Sharon Airport's runways & hangars remaining intact, but there were no aircraft visible on the field.
A 1993 USGS aerial view looking southwest showed Sharon Airport's runways remaining intact, but the hangars had been removed at some point between 1983-93.
A 2004 aerial photo showed a road (Innovation Way) having been constructed over the Sharon Airport site,
but the southern portion of the paved north/south runway remained recognizable.
The 2013 USGS topo map no longer depicted Sharon Airport, but instead showing Innovation Way on the airport site.
A 2016 aerial view looking northwest showed the LindenPointe business campus covering the majority of the Sharon Airport site,
but the southern portion of the paved north/south runway remained recognizable (at bottom-left).
A September 2019 photo looking south showed only the faintest trace remaining of the southern portion of the Sharon Airport runway.
Thanks to John Yurkon for pointing out this airport.
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Carlson Airport (PN06), Edinboro, PA
41.9, -80.1 (Southeast of Erie, PA)
The beginnings of Carlson Airport (circled in red) on a 1969 aerial view (courtesy of Richard Finley).
Carlson Airport was not yet depicted on a 1964 aerial photo.
According to Richard Finley, “Roy [Carlson] was quite a character.
We discovered Civil Air Patrol has a regulation that prevents CAP corporate aircraft from operating at unpaved fields but what Roy offered CAP was just too good to pass up.
He not only did our annuals but he would let us bring the airplane down & put it in his hangar while the annual was being done.
We could work on the plane (under his supervision) which saved us bunches & bunches of money & it was inside out of the weather.
I did a lot of instructing out of Roy's airport thus was quite familiar with it.
Because of the grass field restriction, I (being Group 50's operations officer) set a requirement that only I could operate the corporate plane to & from Carlson airport
and that was restricted to maintenance/inspections.”
Richard continued, “Roy Carlson was a licensed aircraft mechanic with an Inspection Authorization (what you need to do an annual inspection on an airplane).
Roy was also an outstanding mechanic. He had been around the business so long he just naturally understood things that ordinary mechanics were still learning.
As an example, when I first took [Cessna 172] N5130F to him for an annual, he found a problem during the inspection that was extremely serious.
While inspecting the flap system, he noticed a strange noise during the flap operation.
While most people would have ignored it because it was a very light sound & did not seem to affect the operation of the flaps.
Roy got out a flashlight & looked inside the wing. It took a little bit of searching & exercising the flap system but he found it.
He discovered somebody had installed a bolt into a cable connector in the flap system that was much too long.
The odd thing here was the real problem was not in the flap system. It was that the end of this long bolt had been strumming the aileron cable for the right wing.”
Richard continued, “Roy was quite the engineer too.
I went out there one day & found him building a new hangar so he could rent out hangar space.
First, he laid out & poured the concrete hangar floor with no walls around it.
Then he laid out - what looked like additional floor sections – each along the edge of the primary floor he had poured.
Each of these floor sections had several steel eye-bolts embedded into the edge away from where they matched the primary floor.
After he poured these new sections, Roy brought over an old crane he had acquired years before.
He used the crane to raise those new sections into place. They were the walls.
The next thing I knew, he had a new concrete hangar that he constructed in record time.”
Richard continued, “Roy knew just about everybody in Edinboro. People were always stopping in to see him.
He had an office but more often than not, when somebody came to visit, he would go over to this old dirty, dusty & tattered leather recliner off to one side of the garage.
It was like he held court there - Roy, Emperor of Edinboro. He always wore the same old, dirty mechanic's coveralls.
If it was cold, he would wear his old, dirty and tattered insulated ski jacket, the same one he had been wearing for the last 20 years.
When it was cold, he also wore one of those bright orange hunting hats that have the ear protectors that snap together over top the head when not in use.
Roy, of course, never snapped them so they hung out in mid air on either side of his head.
We used to joke that he looked like Deputy Dog when he wore that thing.
Roy had a habit of talking at a slow pace. It gave him the undeserved appearance of being a little slow & uneducated.”
Richard continued, “I have had the occasion to have somebody who did not know Roy with me when I went to see him.
After we left they were surprised when I told them, 'Roy is not, as his appearance tends to indicate, a rum-soaked old dullard who just wandered in from the homeless shelter.
He is actually a successful businessman who owns his own airplane, owns his own airport and is on the board of directors of Marine Bank.'”
Richard continued, “The main runway was 2,500' long but the secondary runway was only 1,600' long.
Roy's hangar was located near the southeast end of the secondary runway.
Runway 33 was the 1,600' runway. It ran fairly level for the first 900-1,000' before it began to pitch down more & more steeply until it ended.”
The earliest photo which has been located of Carlson Airport was a 1969 aerial view (courtesy of Richard Finley).
It depicted possibly the early clearing of the runways.
However, Carlson Airport was not depicted at all on the May 1970 Cleveland Sectional Chart,
or USGS topo maps from 1972/76/88.
A 1982 aerial photo depicted Carlson Airport as having 2 grass runways, with a few small buildings on the southwest side.
There were no aircraft visible on the field.
The only photo which has been located showing an aircraft at Carlson Airport was an 8/4/06 aerial view looking east,
which showed a yellow single-engine aircraft parked on the south side.
A 5/25/13 aerial view looking east showed Carlson Airport to remain intact.
Richard Finley reported in 2014, “Roy Carlson's airport is one of the latest casualties.
Roy died & nobody is keeping the airport in usable condition. Last report I heard was that the grass is too high to operate safely from the airport.”
Carlson Airport is located northwest of the intersection of Crane Road & Hamilton Road.
Thanks to Richard Finley for pointing out this airport.
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Culbertson Hills Airport / Edinboro Airport, Edinboro, PA
41.87, -80.15 (Southeast of Erie, PA)
A 1969 aerial view of Culbertson Hills Airport (courtesy of Richard Finley).
Culbertson Hills Airport was not yet depicted on a 1964 aerial photo.
According to Richard Finley, “Culbertson Hills Airport was apparently associated with Culbertson Hills Golf Course.
The whole enterprise was a little over-ambitious for the location.
They had the golf course, the airport & a Holiday Inn hotel. It fizzled leaving the golf course as the sole survivor.
I used to fly up to Culbertson Hills to pick up/take back my sister who was a student at Edinboro University.
I picked up a student who kept his airplane down there.”
Richard continued, “I was over at Erie Airways training department one evening when I was working on my Double-I.
One of the instructors took a call. He spoke to the caller for a short time then asked the other instructor if he knew of anybody qualified to instruct in a taildragger.
The other instructor's comment ('What's a taildragger?') shows flying conventional gear airplanes is becoming a lost art.
I did not want to ruffle any feathers. Since I had a full time aviation job at the tower, some of the FBO people resented me taking work from them.
On the other hand, from my perspective, I took the jobs they did not want or could not do.
I asked if they would mind if I talked to the gentleman. They said it was no problem so I introduced myself.
It turns out this guy was a NFL player who was a New England Patriot out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
He had a Citabria he just bought. He had been working on his private license at an airport near Boston flying a Cessna 172 (because he would not fit in a C150).
After he got his license, I had a couple of occasions to go down to Culbertson Hills & borrow the Citabria to do some spin training.
Culbertson Hills does not appear on the November 1968 Cleveland Sectional.
I am not sure when it closed. I think it just slowly & quietly fell into disuse until, one day, the owner decided the unused airport would be a good place to expand the golf course.”
The earliest photo which has been located of Culbertson Hills Airport was a 1969 aerial view (courtesy of Richard Finley).
It depicted the field as having 2 unpaved runways, with some small buildings on the southeast side.
The 1975 USGS topo map depicted Culbertson Hills as having 2 runways, labeled simply as “Airport”.
The 1986 USGS topo map depicted Edinboro Airport as having 2 runways.
A 4/16/93 USGS aerial photo showed Edinboro Airport still largely intact, though deteriorated.
A 2005 aerial photo showed the golf course had begun to expand over the former Edinboro Airport runways.
A 5/25/13 aerial photo showed the Edinboro Airport runways were still recognizable, though the golf course overlaid the eastern portion.
An August 2013 photo looking northeast showed Edinboro Airport's former northeast/southwest runway remained clear.
The site of Edinboro Airport is located northeast of the intersection of Sherrod Hill Road & Forrest Drive.
Thanks to Richard Finley for pointing out this airport.
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(Original) Erie County Airport, Fairview, PA
42.02, -80.26 (Southwest of Erie, PA)
A 1930 aerial view looking north at the original Erie County Airport (courtesy of Richard Finley).
According to Richard Finley, the original “Erie County Airport... opened in 1928, located in Fairview southwest of Erie.
According to the book “Erie County”, “Neil McCray started the Fairview Airport in 1928, and Jerry Richardson worked for him.
Famous pilots Wiley Post & Amelia Earhart came to the airport.”
The earliest depiction which has been located of the original Erie County Airport was a 1930 aerial view (courtesy of Richard Finley),
which depicted 3 hangars & several aircraft on the north side of a grass airfield.
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the original Erie County Airport was on the June 1931 Detroit Sectional Chart,
which depicted Erie County as a commercial/municipal airport.
A circa 1930s photo of Jerry Richardson preparing to take 2 flappers for a ride in a Waco at Erie County Airport (courtesy of Richard Finley).
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation by Richard Finley looking north at Erie County Airport.
The March 1940 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Finley)
depicted Erie County as a commercial/municipal airport.
A circa 1940s aerial view of the original Erie County Airport (courtesy of Richard Finley).
A circa 1950s aerial view looking north at the hangars & planes of the original Erie County Airport (courtesy of Richard Finley).
An undated photo from a November 1954 magazine article (courtesy of Richard Finley)
showing Mike Kudlak (instructor) watching 16 year old Doug Bashioum
being congratulated by his father Jake on the occasion of his 1st solo flight at Erie County Airport,
the same spot where his father had soloed 25 years before.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the original Erie County Airport was on the January 1955 Cleveland Sectional Chart,
which depicted Erie County as having a 2,700' unpaved runway.
The 1957 USGS topo map depicted “County Airport” as having 2 unpaved runways & 4 small buildings on the north side.
According to Richard Finley, the original Erie County Airport “was last operated by the Kudlak brothers who closed it in 1957
and moved to the Erie airport where they started Erie Airways.”
The January 1958 Detroit Sectional Chart no longer depicted Erie County Airport.
A 1959 aerial view (courtesy of Richard Finley) showed that the 3 hangars remained standing,
but there were no aircraft visible on the field, and the grass runways appeared to no longer be in use.
The 1970 USGS topo map labeled the site of Erie County Airport as “Fairview Evergreen Airport”,
but that is erroneous, as the Fairview Evergreen Airport is a separate facility located about a mile to the east.
The 1976 USGS topo map no longer depicted any airport at the site, but continued to depict the 3 hangars.
A 1988 USGS aerial photo showed the 3 hangars had been removed at some point between 1976-88.
A 5/25/13 aerial photo showed no trace remaining of the original Erie County Airport.
The site of the original Erie County Airport is located southwest of the intersection of Route 20 & Franklin Road.
Thanks to Richard Finley for pointing out this airport.
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(New) Erie County Airport (3G1), Wattsburg, PA
42.04, -79.85 (Southeast of Erie, PA)
A 5/31/69 aerial view of the Erie County Airport under construction (courtesy of Richard Finley).
The earliest depiction which has been located of the Erie County Airport in Wattsburg was a 5/31/69 aerial view (courtesy of Richard Finley),
which showed the field still under construction.
The hangar was already erected, and a single paved east/west runway was being graded.
According to Richard Finley, “Erie County Airport was built by Tom Mountain.
Tom was a businessman/pilot who owned some auto parts stores around Erie.
He sold them & went into the business of buying/selling construction equipment.
Tom had quite a deal going there. He was a pilot.
He always wanted his own airport so he combined the two functions.
He bought/sold/traded construction equipment. While he had machinery on hand, he would use it to build his airport.
He was doing excavation the average land owner could only dream of doing.
If he sold the bulldozer he was using, he grabbed another one out of inventory & used that.
He built a very nice east/west runway & was working on a north-south runway.”
The Erie County Airport at this location was not yet depicted on the May 1970 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
According to its FAA Airport/Facility Directory data, Erie County Airport was activated in November 1971.
The earliest aeronautical chart directory which has been located of the Erie County Airport was on the November 1972 Detroit Sectional Chart.
It depicted Erie County as having a 3,100' paved northeast/southwest runway.
The earliest photo which has been located showing the Erie County Airport in operation was a circa 1970s aerial view looking south (courtesy of Richard Finley),
showing 3 single-engine aircraft parked on the ramp next to the hangar.
The 1983 PA Airport Directory depicted Erie County Airport as having a 3,015' bituminous Runway 9/27
with a taxiway leading to a ramp, hangar, and FBO on the southeast side.
Richard continued, “He [Tom Mountain] wanted to run a full-service airport.
He was doing hangar space rental, aircraft rental/sales, flight instruction, maintenance, sold parts and pilot supplies – you know – the whole enchilada.
Then the fit hit the shan. When he put in for the certificates he needed to operate, he knew they would reassess the facilities he built.
When he bought the property it was assessed as vacant land & his taxes were something like $2,500.
When they reassessed, they reassessed the entire property to business, not just the parts that he improved.
His tax load went to something like $40,000!
If he wanted to protest that, he could not just say, 'This is killing me.'
He had to shut down the business & sell off the assets. Then he could show there was a negative impact.
He did that but it seemed he never really recovered.
He & his wife tried to keep the airport open by themselves but the last I heard, the airport was physically still there but closed.”
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located showing Erie County Airport open was on the October 1993 Detroit Sectional Chart.
It depicted Erie County as having a 3,000' paved northeast/southwest runway.
A 1994 airport directory (courtesy of Gwen Shafer) depicted Erie County Airport as having a 3,030' paved Runway 9/27
with a taxiway leading to a ramp & hangar on the southeast side, which housed Mountain Aviation Company.
The last photo which has been located showing the Erie County Airport in operation was a 4/20/94 USGS aerial view looking northwest.
Two single-engine aircraft were visible on the ramp next to the hangar.
According to David Tulis, “Health forced [Tom] Mountain to close the airport in 1996.”
However, other subsequent indications show the airport open at later dates.
The last airport directory listing which has been located of Erie County Airport was in the 2005 PA Airport Directory (courtesy of John Clifford).
The directory described Erie County as having a 3,030' asphalt Runway 9/27, and listed the manager as Thomas Mountain.
A circa 2008-2013 aerial view looking west at Erie County Airport,
showing Runway 27 still marked as an active runway, and the hangar & ramp remained intact,
though there was no sign of any aviation usage.
A 2009 photo by David Tulis of the “fully-insulated hangar for winter snows.”
A 2009 photo by David Tulis of the “compass mosaic on the floor of the terminal.”
David Tulis reported, “Owner Tom Mountain, 82, hopes for a buyer for his 335-acre gem.
I enjoyed meeting him in 2009 on a flight to Erie in my 1968 Mooney M20C.
A friend of mine was interested in purchasing the place because my friend grew up near there.
The facility was in good shape & Tom had ideas for a super-nice steak house, or some kind of inn or spa co-located at the airport.
He apparently had a small diner at the main FBO building for awhile & entertained Saturday fly-ins & such.
It would be great to save this place!”
A 2009 photo by David Tulis of the sign for Erie County Airport.
David observed, “Got a million-point-five? It could be yours.”
As of August 2010, 13, the FAA Airport/Facility Directory described Erie County Airport as conducting an average of 10 takeoffs or landings per year.
A 10/6/11 aerial photo still showed Erie County's runway marked as an active runway.
As of February 2013, the FAA Airport/Facility Directory described Erie County Airport as having a single 3,030' asphalt Runway 9/27 “in fair condition”.
A 5/25/13 aerial photo showed that closed-runway “X” symbols had been painted on both ends of Erie County's runway,
and the taxiway connecting the ramp to the runway had been blocked with a Jersey wall.
The September 2016 Detroit Sectional Chart depicted Erie County Airport as an abandoned airfield.
Erie County Airport is located at the western terminus of Curtis Road.
Thanks to Richard Finley for pointing out this airport.
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41.38, -79.72 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation of Seneca Airpark by Richard Finley,
looking southeast at a light aircraft overflying the field.
Seneca Airpark was not yet depicted on a 7/2/39 aerial view nor on the March 1940 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
According to Richard Finley, “Seneca Airpark: Located in Seneca, a suburb of Oil City, this airport primarily served the Oil City area.
It was opened in the late 1940s as a 2 grass runway commercial airport with a Fixed-Base Operator.”
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Seneca Airpark was on the November 1950 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Seneca Airpark as having a 2,400' unpaved runway.
The only photo which has been located of aircraft at Seneca Airpark was an 8/27/58 aerial view.
It depicted Seneca Airpark as having 2 grass runways with several small buildings & one single-engine aircraft on the east side.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the 1st iteration of Seneca Airpark was on the July 1960 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Seneca Airpark as having a 2,400' unpaved runway.
Seneca Airpark was evidently closed at some point between 1960-65,
as it was no longer depicted on the May 1965 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
The 1965 USGS topo map depicted the runway clearing & the airport buildings, but did not label the airport.
A 10/30/68 aerial view depicted Seneca Airpark as having 2 grass runways with several small buildings on the east side.
Seneca Airpark was not depicted on the November 1968 Cleveland Sectional Chart or the May 1970 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
According to Richard Finley, Seneca Airpark “was reborn in the 1970s when the owner sold part of the east/west runway for a housing development,
paved the north/south runway & reopened it as an aircraft home base with no Fixed-Base Operator.”
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the 2nd iteration of Seneca Airpark
was on the November 1972 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Finley).
It depicted Seneca Airpark as having a 2,300' paved northeast/southwest runway.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the 2nd iteration of Seneca Airpark
was on the May 1981 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ron Plante).
It depicted Seneca Airpark as having a single 2,200' paved northeast/southwest runway.
According to Richard Finley, “In the late 1980s or early 1990s, it [Seneca Airpark] was closed again.”
A 4/10/93 aerial view looking south depicted Seneca Airpark as having a single north/south paved runway.
The airport buildings remained, but there were no planes or other signs of aviation usage.
Seneca Airpark was evidently closed (for the 2nd time) at some point between 1981-93,
as it was no longer depicted on the October 1993 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ron Plante).
A 9/11/12 aerial view looking south showed the Seneca Airpark paved runway to remain in fine shape.
What a shame for this fine little facility to go unused for aviation.
Richard Finley reported in 2016 of Seneca Airpark, “The runway is still there.”
Seneca Airpark is located at the western terminus of Airport Road, appropriately enough.
Thanks to Ken Hartley for pointing out this airport.
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Original Dubois Airport / Dubois City Airport, Dubois, PA
41.11, -78.73 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
The original Dubois Airport, as depicted on the 1920 Army Air Service Map of U.S. Landing Fields (courtesy of David Brooks).
The original airport for the town of Dubois was located on the southeast side of the town, adjacent to the Oklahoma neighborhood.
The date of establishment of the original Dubois Airport has not been determined.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Dubois Airport was on the 1920 Army Air Service Map of U.S. Landing Fields (courtesy of David Brooks).
An advertisement for the 7/18/29 “DuBois Air Show & Landing Field Dedication” from the 7/16/16 DuBois Courier Express (courtesy of Gary Clyde).
The 1929 USGS topo map depicted the original Dubois Airport as an irregularly-shaped “Airplane Landing” area.
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Dubois Airport was on the December 1932 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Dubois as a commercial/municipal airport.
The earliest photo which has been located of Dubois Airport was a 10/7/39 aerial photo (from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey).
It depicted Dubois as having 3 grass runways, with an airport circle marking in the center.
Two light planes were visible parked around the cluster of 3 small hangars on the southwest side.
The March 1940 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Finley) depicted Dubois Airport as a commercial/municipal airport.
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation of the original Dubois Airport by Richard Finley,
looking northwest at a Piper J-3 Cub overflying the field.
Clarence Krach recalled, “My father operated the original [Dubois] Airport through the war years until it closed.
I flew out of the airport in the 1950s.”
According to Wikipedia, “In the early 1950s the City of DuBois created a Municipal Airport Authority
which looked into means of expanding the existing DuBois City Airport, in the Oklahoma section, east of the city.
They determined that site was unsuitable for further expansion,
and joined with Jefferson County officials to procure” a replacement airport site 6 miles northwest of DuBois.
The last photo which has been located showing Dubois Airport still intact was a 5/13/58 aerial photo (from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey).
The 3 grass runways were still intact, along with the 3 hangars at the southwest side,
but the airport circle marking in the center was gone, and there were no aircraft visible on the field.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Dubois Airport was on the 1960 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Dubois as a public-use airport having a 2,900' unpaved runway.
According to Wikipedia, the new Dubois Regional Airport conducted its first flight on 6/1/60,
at which point presumably the original Dubois Airport was closed.
The original Dubois Airport was no longer depicted on the 1968 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
A 10/1/68 aerial photo (from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey) showed that a large building (a school?)
had been built over the site of the hangars at some point between 1958-68.
The outline of the runways remained mostly intact.
The 1993 USGS aerial photo showed that several buildings had been constructed over the northwestern portion of the airport site,
but the northeastern runway portion remained clear.
A 2005 aerial photo showed that ballfields had been constructed over the northeast portion,
covering the last portion of the original Dubois Airport.
A 4/12/12 aerial view showed the outline of the northeast portion of the Dubois Airport was the last recognizable trace of the airport.
The site of the original Dubois Airport is located east of the intersection of Oklahoma Salem & William Penn Avenue.
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Benninger Airport, Tionesta, PA
41.46, -79.44 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
Benninger Airport, as depicted on the January 1955 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
This small airport was evidently established at some point between 1953-55,
as it was not depicted on a 7/3/39 aerial photo (from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey)
nor on the June 1953 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ron Plante).
The earliest depiction which has been located of Benninger Airport was on the January 1955 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Benninger as having a 2,200' unpaved runway.
Benninger Airport was not depicted on the 1958 USGS topo map.
The earliest photo which has been located of Benninger Airport was on an 8/28/58 aerial photo (from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey).
A closeup on the north side of Benninger Airport from the 8/28/58 aerial photo (from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey).
According to Richard Finley, “This airport was built behind a restaurant with an aviation theme.
It had a PT-19 on the roof which you can see in the 1958 aerial photo.”
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation of Benninger Airport by Richard Finley,
looking west at a Curtiss AT-9 Jeep overflying the field.
Benninger Airport was mentioned in various articles in the Titusville Herald from 1962-69.
The 1967 USGS topo map depicted Benninger Airport as a single unpaved northwest/southeast runway,
labeled simply as “Landing Strip”, with a few small buildings along the north side.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Benninger Airport
was on the May 1968 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ron Plante).
It depicted Benninger as a private airfield with a 2,200' unpaved runway.
A 1968 aerial view of Benninger Airport still showed the PT-19 mounted on the roof of the restaurant.
Benninger Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1968-70,
as it was no longer depicted on the May 1970 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
The 1973 USGS topo map continued to depict the Benninger Airport “Landing Strip” in an unchanged fashion.
A 1981 aerial photo showed the Benninger runway remained clear, but there was no sign of any recent aviation activity.
The airport restaurant building remained intact, but the PT-19 had been removed from its roof at some point between 1958-93.
A 4/12/12 aerial view looking west showed the Benninger runway remained clear,
and the airport restaurant building remained intact, but without its roof-mounted airplane.
As of 2013, the former Benninger Airport restaurant continues to operate with an aviation theme, as the “Sky Jet Restaurant”.
A 2018 photo looking southeast at the former Benninger Airport hangar & restaurant, with the “Sky Jet Restaurant” sign in front.
The site of Benninger Airport is located southeast of the intersection of Route 36 & Route 3006.
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Mount Jewett Airport, Mount Jewett, PA
41.72, -78.62 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
Mount Jewett Airport, as depicted on a 4/25/41 aerial photo (from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, courtesy of James Line).
Mount Jewett Airport was not yet depicted on the 1920 Army Air Service Map of U.S. Landing Fields (courtesy of David Brooks)
nor listed in The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
An article entitled “R. Kessler Heads Mt. Jewett Airport” in the 10/7/37 issue of the McKean County Democrat (courtesy of Jim Line)
explained that a hangar needed to be built in order to secure a “permanent Airport License”.
In an article entitled “WPA Plans for Jewett Airport” in the 1/27/38 McKean County Democrat (courtesy of Jim Line),
those associated with the airport declared itself as "one of the best airports in this area."
The article called for an "airport enlargement" including 2 runways, 500' in width, the "North South" runway being 3,400' in length,
which would surpass the length of the original runway, which was only 2,900' long.
An article entitled “Prepare plans for hangar at Mt. Jewett Airport” in the 5/12/38 McKean County Democrat (courtesy of Jim Line) said,
“A number of the Mt. Jewett Airport Association members met & were shown plans of hangars by G.A. Rogers,
a representative of Plaw-Knox Corp. of Pittsburgh.
Plans are under way for the erection of a 70' x 100' hangar, with stalls for 5 ships.
The probable location will be in the northwest corner of the airport.
The hangar will be of steel construction. Grading of the grounds is progressing very nicely.”
Jim line observed, “The hangar was placed in the northeast corner of the airport, not the northwest as originally planned.
It was a rather large airport, capable of handling 2 crosswind runways.
The road leading into this airstrip (which is situated on top of a hill) is Snowdome Road.
The only reason Snowdome Road in Mount Jewett exists was to foster travel to the old airport.”
Mount Jewett Airport was not depicted on the March 1940 Cleveland Sectional Chart nor on the 1940 USGS topo map.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Mount Jewett Airport
was a 4/25/41 aerial photo (from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, courtesy of James Line).
James Line observed, “Pennsylvania Highway 6 runs east to west to the north of the airport, parallel with the main East/West runway.
There is a clear hangar [which appeared to have lettering on the roof], and a circle in the center of the runway.
If you look close, there is a large 'X' for crosswind runways,
and possibly a North/South strip that is on the eastern 1/4 of the runway, with the southern end stopping near another building.”
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Mount Jewett Airport was on the June 1941 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ron Plante).
It depicted Mount Jewett as a commercial/municipal airport.
A 10/20/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock)
depicted Mount Jewett Airport as an east/west unpaved field with a single hangar on the north side.
The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Mount Jewett Airport
as a 50 acre irregularly-shaped property having 3 sod runways, the longest being a 1,900' east/west strip.
The field was said to have a single 60' square wood & metal hangar,
to be owned by the Borough of Mount Jewett, and to be operated by private interests.
Mount Jewett Airport was not depicted on the 1946 or 1955 USGS topo maps.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Mount Jewett Airport was on the December 1955 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Mount Jewett as having a mere 1,900' unpaved runway.
Mount Jewett Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1955-56,
as it was no longer depicted on the July 1956 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
A 10/2/58 aerial photo (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey) still depicted Mt. Jewett Airport as remaining intact,
but the field was evidently abandoned by that point, as the airport circle marking was gone, along with the lettering on the hangar roof.
There was no sign of any current usage.
A 5/25/68 aerial photo (from the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, courtesy of James Line).
James Line observed, “There was no longer an airport, even though the hangar still stood.
A new driveway going back to a private home on the southeast side of the property now carved its way over the old runway.
Tree growth was starting to spring up on the southern end of the airport.”
Mount Jewett Airport was not depicted on the 1965 USGS topo map.
Jim Line reported, “My best friend who grew up in Mt. Jewett told me [the hangar] was there in the 1980s.”
The 1993 USGS aerial photo showed that the Mount Jewett hangar had been removed, with the foundation remaining.
Excavation had begun on the eastern portion of the airport site.
Jim Line reported of the Mount Jewett hangar site, “What I saw in 2000 was a bunch of junk piled on the original hangar foundation. ”
A 4/12/12 aerial view showed the property outline remained recognizable at the site of Mt. Jewett Airport.
Jim Line observed, “The airport has now become a quarry for sandstone owned by a local construction company”, covering the eastern half of the airport site.
The site of Mount Jewett Airport is located south of the end of Snowdome Road.
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Mercer Airport / Intermediate Field Site 40 / Intermediate Field Site 39, Mercer, PA
41.29, -80.21 (North of Pittsburgh, PA)
Mercer Airport, as depicted on the 1927 Bellfonte-Cleveland Airway Map (courtesy of Bill Johnson).
The date of construction of Mercer Airport has not been determined.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Mercer Airport was on the 1927 Bellfonte-Cleveland Airway Map (courtesy of Bill Johnson).
According to Richard Finley, “At one time they had a thriving airport. It boasted a flight school.
This was one of the federally funded airports established to support the U.S. Air Mail system.
It had an airway beacon light on the field & a low-frequency range station 2 miles south of the airport.”
According to Bill Johnson, “Some tidbits I learned from a relative of Samuel Tait, the owner of the land that was leased to the Department of Commerce.
The buildings on the lower right corner of the property was his home.”
The 1930 Cleveland-Buffalo Airway Map (courtesy of Bill Johnson) depicted Mercer as Intermediate Field Site 40.
The 1/22/30 Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of Bill Johnson) described Mercer
as Intermediate Field Site 40 along the Chicago – New York Airway.
It was said to be a 50 acre sod field owned by Samuel Tait, and operated by the Commerce Department.
The longest dimension was 2,115' northwest/southeast.
Mercer was described as being illuminated, but not having other hangars.
Mercer Airport, as depicted on the 1935 Regional Aeronautical Chart.
At some point between 1930-37, Mercer Airport was evidently renumbered to become Site 39,
as The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described Mercer Airport as the Department of Commerce's Site 39 along the Chicago to New York Airway.
It was described as an irregularly-shaped sod field having 2 runways, measuring 2,650' east/west & 2,050' north/south.
The field was said to have a beacon, and boundary, approach, and obstruction lights.
The earliest photo which has been located of Mercer Airport was a 5/12/39 aerial view (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey).
It depicted Mercer Airport as an irregularly-shaped grass field, with a circular airport marking southeast of its center.
Several buildings were located along the east side, but it is not apparent if these were airport-related.
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation of circa 1930s Mercer Airport by Richard Finley, looking west at a Travelair 2000 biplane overflying the field.
Mercer Airport was not depicted on the 1940 USGS topo map.
Interestingly, Mercer Airport was depicted in an erroneous location on the 1943 USGS topo map: across the street to the northeast.
Was this an example of wartime deception, or merely an error?
The April 1943 Cleveland Sectional Chart depicted Mercer as Intermediate Field Site 39.
A 10/20/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock)
depicted Mercer Airport as an irregularly-shaped outline, with a beacon on the northeast side.
The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Mercer Airport
as a 150 acre irregularly-shaped property having a single 2,650' sod east/west runway & a single 75' x 60' wood & metal hangar.
The field was said to be owned & operated by private interests.
Mercer Airport was not depicted on the 1945 USGS topo map.
The 1947 Cleveland Sectional Sectional Chart (according to Bill Johnson) depicted Mercer as an "aerodrome" with complete facilities.
On the 1949 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Bill Johnson) Mercer's description was downgraded to having "Limited Facilities".
The last aeronautical chart depiction which is available of Mercer Airport was on the November 1950 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Mercer as having a 2,200' unpaved runway, and Airway Beacon #39.
According to Richard Finley, “When government support dried up, local support just was not there & this airport faded into history.”
Bill Johnson reported, “A relative of Samuel Tait, the owner of the land that was leased to the Department of Commerce...
She said that the airport closed in 1950. The beacon tower was dismantled & moved to UCP airport.
Soon after the concrete slab where it stood became a hazard to tractors, so they planted a lone tree right over the rubble.”
Mercer Airport was no longer depicted on the June 1953 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ron Plante).
Bill Johnson noted of the 1955 Cleveland Sectional Chart, “The beacon #39 that is on the Green 3 Airway remained.”
A 6/7/58 aerial photo (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey)
showed no remaining recognizable trace of Mercer Airport, with the airfield having been taken over for farming.
A 9/11/12 aerial view showed no obvious trace remaining of Mercer Airport.
But according to Bill Johnson, the rubble from the concrete foundation of the beacon tower “can be seen in the 2012 picture [a lone tree to the left of the bend in the road],
and the rubble is there.”
A 4/18/13 photo by Bill Johnson of “the 'shop' & office used in the 1940s & 1950s when it functioned as a public airport.
It housed what we would now call an FBO.
I am in contact with the granddaughter of the owner of that property (Samuel Tait) and have been filled in on her memories.
She remembers that most flying there had stopped in the early 1950s, with occasional plane landing even though not maintained.”
A 4/18/13 photo by Bill Johnson “of the original shack which originally was located right by the beacon tower.
It held the generator, and she remembers records (weather?) being kept there. The beacon was maintained by the government & functioned into the 1960s.
The shack was later moved to its present location, south of the original beacon. You can see the ventilation ducts for the generator.”
A 4/18/13 photo by Bill Johnson, who noted “There was a hangar & the scrap heap pictured is all that is left.”
The site of Mercer Airport is located southwest of the intersection of Holmes Road & Airport Road, appropriately enough.
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Kearsarge Airport, Kearsarge, PA
42.07, -80.1 (South of Erie, PA)
A 4/29/39 aerial view (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey) showed Kearsarge Airport to have 2 grass runways.
The date of construction of Kearsarge Airport has not been determined.
It was not yet listed among active airports in The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo),
nor was it depicted on Detroit Sectional Charts from 1931-58.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Kearsarge Airport was a 4/29/39 aerial view (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey)
which depicted the field as having 2 grass runways with 2 buildings on the southeast side.
The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) did not list Kearsarge among active airfields.
Timothy Kuryla recalled, “In 1947, a woman who was looking after my older sister & me took us to the Kearsarge Airport.
Her son was landing in a private plane & the sitter wanted to visit with him. Thus we got to see the airport.”
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation of circa 1950s Kearsarge Airport by Richard Finley, looking north at a Stearman biplane overflying the field.
Kearsarge Airport was not depicted on the 1956 or 1959 USGS topo maps.
A 10/5/59 aerial photo (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey) depicted Kearsarge as having 2 grass runways with 2 buildings on the southeast side.
No aircraft were visible on the field.
According to Richard Finley, “The airport closed in the 1960s & the land sold to a developer.”
A 5/31/69 aerial photo (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey) appeared to depict Kearsarge after the airport's closure,
as the field had been subdivided & no longer bore a runway outline.
The buildings (hangars?) remained at the southeast side, but there was no indication of any recent aviation usage.
In 1975 the Millcreek Mall opened on the site of Kearsarge Airport.
A 1987 USGS aerial photo showed Millcreek Mall covering the site, with no trace remaining of Kearsarge Airport.
A 10/7/11 aerial view showed no trace remaining of Kearsarge Airport.
The site of Kearsarge Airport is located at the northwest of the intersection of Edinboro Road & Peach Street.
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Oil City Glider Club Gliderport / Splane Memorial Field (KOIL), Oil City, PA
41.5, -79.73 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
Splane Memorial Field, as depicted on the December 1932 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
According to Richard Finley, “An airport committee was organized in 1928
and the facility initially opened in 1929 as a gliderport operated by Oil City Glider Club, 1929-30.
The glider club owned a Curtiss glider. In 1931 one of their members, Douglas Brown, formed Oil City Aero Club.
The Aero Club got the W. W. Splane family to donate $50,000 to buy land where they were operating,
to build an airport for Oil City named after their son, Alvin Splane who was a WWI aviator who did not survive the war.
The Aero Club turned airport over to the City of Oil City to operate (and qualify for WPA support).”
The earliest depiction which has been located of Splane Memorial Field was on the December 1932 Cleveland Sectional Chart,
which depicted Splane as an auxiliary airfield.
The earliest photo which has been located of Splane Memorial Field
was a 1934 aerial view looking southeast at some type of gathering (courtesy of Richard Finley),
showing a large number of cars, 8 aircraft, and a hangar.
A 1934 photo (courtesy of John Salkin) of the members of the Oil City Glider Club,
including his father Lester Salkin (marked “Les”) and his brother Sidney Salkin (marked “me”) in front of an unidentified glider.
According to Richard Finley, “In 1935 WPA built the hangar/office, paved the ramp, taxiway and east/west runway.
When the paved runway was built, it was the only paved runway between Pittsburgh & Buffalo.
Splane Memorial Airport was the Oil City airport
but during the 1930s & 1940s it was the focus of aviation for Oil City, Franklin and to some extent Titusville and Meadville.”
A 5/21/37 photo of a Franklin Sport biplane reportedly taken at Splane Memorial Field.
A 6/6/39 aerial photo (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey) showed what appeared to be a newly-paved east/west runway at Splane,
along with a paved ramp leading to a hangar on the northwest side, and a crosswind grass runway.
No aircraft were visible on the field.
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation of Splane Memorial Field by Richard Finley,
looking west at a Taylor J-2 Cub overflying the field.
According to Richard Finley, “While in its heyday, Splane was home to many interesting aircraft
such as an Akron Funk, a Taylor H-2 Cub with a 3 cylinder Aero Marine radial engine, a Taylor J-2 Cub and a (Bauer 170) Franklin Sport.
They have had a Ford Trimotor & a Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra there, and a Cessna Bobcat based there.”
The March 1940 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Finley) depicted Splane as a commercial/municipal field.
A 10/21/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock)
depicted Splane Memorial Airport as having one paved runway & one grass runway,
and a hangar to the northwest.
According to Richard Finley, “Unfortunately, Splane's location severely limited its ability to be expanded beyond its 2,000' runways.
That made Splane unusable by most modern business planes & certainly any modern air carrier airplanes.
Around 1944 the hangar/office burned down. That began Splane's decline.”
The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Splane Memorial Airport
as an 82 acre T-shaped property having a paved 2,160' east/west runway & a grass 2,130' north/south runway.
The field was said to have 2 hangars, the largest being a 100' x 80' concrete & metal building.
Splane Memorial Airport was described as being owned by the City of Oil City, and operated by private interests.
The November 1950 Cleveland Sectional Chart depicted Splane Memorial as having a 2,200' paved runway.
A 8/27/58 aerial photo (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey) showed the location of the former hangar (which had reportedly burned down in 1944)
was replaced with 2 smaller buildings, one on either side, the western one being painted with “Oil City” on its roof.
Two light aircraft were visible around the ramp.
The July 1960 Cleveland Sectional Chart depicted Splane Memorial as having a 2,200' paved runway.
The 1963 USGS topo map depicted Splane Memorial Field as having 2 paved runways, and a building northwest of the runway intersection.
A 10/30/68 aerial view (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey)
showed that Splane's paved runway was considerably deteriorated compared to the 1958 photo.
The buildings were still intact, but there were no aircraft visible, or other signs of recent aviation use.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Splane Memorial
was on the November 1968 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Finley).
It depicted Splane Memorial as having a 2,200' paved runway.
According to Richard Finley, “Splane, in its final days, was operated by volunteers from the Oil City Aero Club.
By the 1970s the paved runway was unusable. The airport was finally closed by the city of Oil City in 1972.”
Splane Memorial Airport was no longer depicted on the November 1972 Detroit Sectional Chart (according to Richard Finley).
A 1993 USGS aerial photo showed that Splane's airport buildings had been removed at some point between 1969-93.
The 1995 USGS topo map continued to depict Splane Memorial Field,
with 2 runways, and a building on the northwest corner.
A 2005 aerial photo showed that the runway pavement had been removed from the east/west runway at some point between 1993-2005.
A 5/28/08 aerial view looking northwest showed that the east end of Splane's east/west runway was being used to store mulch/compost,
and the outline of the north/south runway was barely recognizable.
Richard Finley reported in 2010, “It is currently the mulching/composting site for the City of Oil City's leaf removal program.
The sole hangar building shown in the picture is now partially collapsed.”
A 7/6/17 aerial view by Bill Pixley looking northwest at the site of Splane Memorial Airport
showed that the remnants of the east/west runway was still recognizable, but the north/south runway was overgrown with trees.
The site of Splane Memorial Field is located at the western terminus of Old Splane Airport Road, appropriately enough.
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Brookville Airport, Brookville, PA
41.15, -79.1 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
Brookville Intermediate Field, as depicted on the 7/26/29 Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of Mike Denja).
According to Jonathan Westerling, “In the early decades of aviation Brookville was a stop along the New York to Chicago Airway,
a line of hundreds rotating hilltop lights guiding pilots from city to city.
Pilots used the Brookville airfield as a resting place, to wait out a storm, or make an emergency landing.
The airfield is interesting in that it started life at the center of a large horse racing track.”
Jonathan continued, “The first reference to the Brookville airfield is in the 1923 Airplane Landings Guide
which described the airfield simply as a race track, after all these were the early days of aviation when a landing field was sometimes literally a field.”
Jonathan continued, “The 1925 Aeronautical Bulletin described it as a 2,000' x 800' good surface for landing.”
No airfield in Brookville was depicted on the 1926 USGS topo map.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Brookville Airport was on the 7/26/29 Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of Mike Denja).
The 7/26/29 Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of Mike Denja) described the Brookville Intermediate Field
as being owned by Fred Henderson & operated by the Commerce Department.
The field was said to consist of a 68 acre irregularly-shaped sod field, measuring 2,250' east/west.
A few small buildings were depicted along the north side.
According to Jonathan Westerling, “Despite its ample size & functionality, the airstrip remained labeled for emergency use only.
This could be because the owners of the land continued to operate their land primarily as a race track.
As the U.S. Government developed Airways as virtual roads in the sky to aid nighttime navigation & the Air Mail service,
it purchased land for airfields along the way.
If Brookville was like most of these Government Airway fields, sometime in the late 1920s,
the owners of the race track accepted a lease offer from the government, and a formal intermediate facility was constructed on the site.”
The 1931 Aeronautical Bulletin #2 (courtesy of David Brooks) listed Brookville as having 2 runways: 2,250' east/west & 1,250' north/south.
Jonathan Westerling observed, “The government furnished the airfield with all the modern aviation accouterments of the time
including a non-directional radio beacon (callsign WINQ), boundary lights, a 24 inch rotating beacon & weather teletype.
The official designation for this airfield was #45A.”
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Brookville Airport was on the December 1932 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
Jonathan Westerling observed, “The 1938 Bulletin #2 shows several improvements had occurred at Site 45A.
The rotating beacon was replaced with a larger 36 inch model,
and blinking green indicator lights had been placed on the nearby hill & on the field itself
indicating in morse code the name of the airfield & any landing obstructions.
An additional radio beacon, was installed at the site.
One was at 224 khz & the other at 344 khz. It is not known why the site was allocated 2 beacons.”
The earliest photo which has been located of the Brookville Airport
was a 9/15/39 aerial view (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey).
It showed the field to consist of 2 grass runways laid out over the former horse track, with the white airport symbol in the center.
The field also had large hangar, 3 T-hangars, and 3 other support buildings.
A 10/29/43 aerial view looking northwest from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock)
depicted at the Brookville Airport as having 2 grass runways,
one a wide east/west 3,000' long runway east/west inside the prior racetrack,
and a 2,200' northeast/southwest strip jutting off from the east side of the track.
According to Jonathan Westerling, “Following WWII, the community inquired with the Civil Aeronautics Administration
as to whether or not the town could operate the field as a municipal airport instead of just an intermediate airfield.”
In a February 1946 letter, Herbert DePue Acting Superintendent of Air Navigation
replied that “The policy of the Civil Aeronautics Administration makes control of the airport possible
providing same public agency will assume the responsibility of maintaining the landing area surface
and all costs in connection with land rentals & charges covering permission
to construct & maintain obstruction lights or other facilities used in connection with the field.
The Brookville Pennsylvania Intermediate Landing Field now has an A-I status,
in that it is a field established by the Civil Aeronautics Administration without assistance from local [government]...
Should a local [government] in this instance take over the rental & field maintenance, commercial operations on this field...
the [Federal] Government would desire to enter into an agreement with the local body concerned,
which would allow the Government to continue to maintain & operate the field lighting equipment
and such other facilities as the Government might feel were required to serve the airway.
We have entered into such an agreement with a number of municipalities
and will be glad to do so in connection with the Brookville-Pennsylvania Intermediate Landing Field.
In the event a local body takes over the field for maintenance & operation,
it will be necessary for them to make their financial arrangements regarding the Ieasing or purchasing of the land directly with the property owner.”
According to Jonathan Westerling, “It is not known whether the community pursued converting the airfield to municipal use.
A few years later, Jefferson County assembled a Municipal Airport Authority to identify a location for a county airfield
which examined, but did not choose Brookville as the site of the future county airport.”
Jonathan
continued, “The 1947 Directory of Airfields indicates that fuel
facilities had been installed at Brookville.”
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation of a Stearman overflying Brookville Airport by Richard Finley.
Brookville Airport, as depicted on the January 1947 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling).
The 1949 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling) depicted “Brookville (CAA)” as having a 3,000' unpaved runway.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Brookville Airport was on the July 1955 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Brookville Airport as having a 2,200' unpaved runway.
The Brookville Intermediate Field was evidently closed at some point in 1955,
as it was no longer depicted on the December 1955 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
A 1959 aerial photo (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey) showed that the large hangar had been removed at some point between 1939-59,
along with the airport symbol in the center of the field, but the other support buildings remained.
The
Brookville Intermediate Field was not depicted on the 1969 USGS topo
map.
A 5/27/69 aerial view (courtesy of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey)
showed that Brookville's T-hangars had been removed at some point between 1959-69.
A 5/28/08 aerial view of the site of Brookville Airport showed that the racetrack oval shape was still recognizable, along with the former northeast/southwest runway.
It is not known if any of the buildings still on the site date from its days as an airfield.
The site of Brookville Airport is located south of the intersection of Route 28 & Airport Road, appropriately enough.
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(Original) Grove City Airport, Grove City, PA
41.14, -80.07 (North of Pittsburgh, PA)
The original Grove City Airport, as depicted on the April 1943 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The original airport for the town of Grove City was located southeast of the town.
It apparently had 2 distinct lives over the years, with 2 different purposes.
The Grove City Airport evidently was opened at some point between February 1942 – April 1943,
as it was not yet depicted on the February 1942 Detroit Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy)
nor on the 1943 USGS topo map.
The earliest depiction which has been located of the Grove City Airport
was on the April 1943 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Grove City as a commercial/municipal airport.
According to John Hazlet, the Grove City Airport may have been used for flight training during WW2 by the Civilian Pilot Training program.
The earliest photo which has been located of the Grove City Airport
was a 10/20/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock).
The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Grove City Airport
as a 75 acre irregularly-shaped property within which were 2 sod runways, measuring 1,930' north/south & 1,560' northeast/southwest.
The field was said to have 2 concrete block & steel hangars, measuring 132' x 60' & 65' x 60'.
Grove City Airport was described as being owned & operated by private interests.
Grove City was still depicted as a public-use airport on the January 1949 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
with a 2,200' unpaved runway.
The Grove City Airport was evidently closed (for the 1st time, for reasons unknown) at some point between 1949-55,
as it was no longer depicted on the January 1955 Detroit Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
Grove City Airport was still not depicted on the January 1958 Detroit Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
This little airport evidently got a 2nd lease on life when it was expanded & reopened as a private airfield
at some point between January 1958 – July 1958,
as it was depicted as a private airfield on the July 1958 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It was depicted as having 2 paved runways, with the longest being 2,400'.
The earliest photo which has been located of the Grove City Airport was a 6/5/1958 aerial view (from Penn Pilot).
It showed the field to consist of 2 paved runways,
with a taxiway leading to a ramp with a hangar & several other buildings on the northwest side.
No planes were visible on the field.
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation by Richard Finley of a Republic Seabee departing Grove City Airport.
The 1961 USGS topo map depicted Grove City Airport as having 2 paved runways,
with several buildings along the northwest side.
An October 1968 aerial photo depicted Grove City Airport as unchanged from the 1958 photo.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the original Grove City Airport
was on the May 1971 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
A replacement Grove City Municipal Airport was opened in 1975 to the west of the city.
The original Grove City Airport was evidently abandoned by 1976,
as only the new Grove City Airport was depicted on the December 1976 Detroit Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The 1981 USGS topo map still depicted the 2 runways, taxiway, ramp, and several buildings,
but labeled simply as “Airfield”, which probably means it was no longer operational by that point.
The 1993 USGS aerial photo showed that the hangar & ramp had been removed at some point between 1968-93,
with only some smaller buildings remaining on the west side.
It also appeared as if all of the the runway pavement had been removed from both runways.
A 9/29/17 aerial view by Bill Pixley looking east showed that the layout of the 2 Grove City runways was still perceptible, but all pavement had been removed.
The site of the original Grove City Airport is located east of the intersection of Route 173 & Airport Road, appropriately enough.
Thanks to John Hazlet for pointing out this airfield.
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41.83, -79.17 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
A postmark commemorated the 8/30/30 Dedication of Warren Airport.
This little airport was located on the north side of a bend in the Allegheny River.
A postmark commemorated the 8/30/30 Dedication of Warren Airport.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Warren Airport was on the December 1932 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Warren as a commercial/municipal airport.
The earliest directory listing which has been located of Warren Airport was in the Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described Warren as a commercial airport having 3 sod runways, with the longest being the 2,250' east/west & northwest/southeast strips.
A hangar was said to have "Airport" painted on the roof.
Mel Barron recalled, “Warren Airport... I lived across the Allegheny River from the airport before it was an airport, just a big grass field.
The Jameson brothers started Warren Airport. They were oil people, were the Hyvis Oil Company.
They started out with one of those corrugated steel hangars of the day with a small office attached.
Back in the first years of the airport there were no runways at all, you just took off & landed into the wind.
They had 2 Waco RNF biplanes & a Stinson JR monoplane & 2 pilots.
I don't know how long they were in business, but it wasn't very long.
These were the depression years & people didn't have money for flying.
The airport was shut down & deserted for several years;
the hangar was empty except for a Waco model 9 biplane with a liquid-cooled 90 HP Curtiss OX-5 engine.”
Mel continued, “Whoever owned that airplane never did anything with it.
The airport was closed for several years & then Slip King leased it in 1935
and started operating a flying service with a Taylor Cub E-2 & a Travel Air 2000 biplane with a OX-5 engine.
At age 15 in 1935 I took my first flying lesson there. Virgil Slip King wasn't in business very long & he had a disaster.
We had a blizzard & the weight of the snow collapsed the hangar & smashed the airplanes in it.
I'm not sure of the exact number, but it was at least 4 airplanes which included that old Waco 9 biplane.
All that was left still standing was the small office. I'm not sure how long the airport operated without a hangar.
Eventually the WPA came in & built a new hangar out of brick & cement blocks
with an office & apartment built onto the side of it & put in a blacktop runway & tax strip.
They also built a dyke around the airport as the river would flood sometimes covering the airport with water.
There were 2 grass runways until the one was blacktopped. That taxi strip was a part of the other grass runway.
I was never aware of any 3rd runway. Both runways ran from river bank to river bank.
I think the original intention when the hard-surfaced runway & taxi strip were put in
that the airport would have just the one runway, but the grass runway with the taxi strip in it continued to be used.
It saved doing a lot of taxiing.”
A 1936 photo (courtesy of Stephen Warburton) of Marshall “Mushy” Mathis & his 1935 Taylor Cub (serial #301, registration NC15622) in front of hangars, possibly at Warren Airport.
The earliest aerial photo which has been located of Warren Airport was a 3/29/37 aerial view.
It depicted Warren as having 2 unpaved runways, with a hangar on the north side, and one single-engine aircraft on the field.
A 5/11/37 aerial view looking east at Warren Airport (from the Dallin Aerial Survey Collection, courtesy of Barbara Hall of the Hagley Museum & Library)
depicted the field as having 2 runways & a small building on the north side, with a larger hangar under construction.
A 5/11/37 aerial view looking north at Warren Airport depicted 2 aircraft parked near a building on the north side of the field,
with another larger hangar under construction.
A circa 1930s photo of several aircraft around Warren Airport's hangar (courtesy of Ken Hartley).
A September 1937 photo (courtesy of Stephen Warburton) of his parents W.E. “Eddie” & Ruby Warburton, and Freda & Marshall “Mushy” Mathis
in front of Mush’s 1935 Taylor Cub (serial #301, registration NC15622) in front of the Warren Airport hangar.
Stephen Warburton reported, “One of my father’s best friends [Marshall 'Mushy' Mathis] was an instructor at Warren Airport during the late 1930s & 1940s.
Even before there was a Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) he was teaching young men to fly from as far away as NE & TX.
He taught my father & continued to teach flying during the war.”
A circa late 1930s photo (courtesy of Stephen Warburton) “of 6 planes lined up in front of what appears to be a very new Warren Airport hangar (Mushy’s plane is 3rd from the left).”
A circa late 1930s photo (courtesy of Stephen Warburton) of Marshall “Mushy” Mathis's 1935 Taylor Cub & another light single-engine taildragger, in the grass possibly at Warren Airport.
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation by Richard Finley of a rare & unusual Stearman-Hammond Y1S overflying Warren Airport.
Warren evidently gained a single paved runway at some point between 1937-39,
as a 7/2/39 aerial photo depicted Warren Airport as having a single paved runway, along with a crosswind grass runway.
A hangar was located on the north side of the field.
The March 1940 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Finley) depicted Warren as a commercial/municipal airport.
An aerial view looking east at Warren Airport from the Airport Directory Company's 1941 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The field was described as having a single 2,350' "surfaced" runway.
The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Warren Municipal Airport
as a 77 acre semicircular-shaped property within which was a 2,250' northwest/southeast macadam runway
and a 2,10'' northeast/southwest sod runway.
The field was said to have a single 80' x 60' concrete block, steel, and wood hangar.
Warren City Municipal Airport was described as being owned by the City of Warren & operated by private interests.
The 1954 USGS topo map depicted Warren as having a single northwest/southeast paved runway.
John Barrett recalled, “I lived my early life in Warren & recall taking a ride from the airport
in a twin-engine craft out over the Kinzua Reservoir & back. Probably 1964 or so.”
The 1967 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) described "Warren Municipal"
as having a single 2,200' blacktop Runway 11/29 & a 2,300' sod Runway 6/24.
The field was said to offer fuel & tiedowns,
and the operator was listed as the Borough of Warren.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Warren Airport
was on the May 1968 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Warren as having a single 2,200' paved runway.
A 9/16/68 aerial photo depicted Warren Airport as having a single paved runway, and a hangar on the north side of the field.
A single light aircraft was visible parked just south of the hangar,
and what appears to be one more aircraft was on the east side of the field, just coming off the runway,
According to Mel Barron, “At one time I leased Warren Airport for a couple of years.
The airport was donated to Warren with the understanding it would always be an airport.
Of course years later the city didn't want the airport & shut it down.”
Warren Airport was evidently closed at some point between 1968-71,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the May 1971 Detroit Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
John Barrett reported, “I recall teaching my girlfriend to drive on the old runway in 1971.”
An undated photo from a 3/24/73 newspaper article (courtesy of Lee Corbin), showing the Warren Airport hangar being demolished.
It was captioned, “Workmen began ripping down the old hangar at the airport property on Warren's west side, making way for the long-awaited bypass.”
In the 1993 USGS aerial photo, the paved runway at Warren appeared to still remain almost completely intact,
with 2 closed-runway "X" symbols still visible.
A cloverleaf for the adjacent Route 6 had been built over a portion of the west end of the runway,
and several baseball diamonds had been built adjacent to the east side of the runway.
According to John Barrett, “The hangar & office were located where Ludlow street exits from the 'clover'
and spills onto the runway on the north side of the runway.”
The 1995 USGS topo map still depicted the single runway at the former Warren Airport,
but it was labeled simply as "Landing Strip".
The single small building depicted on the south side of the runway was apparently not airport-related,
but was apparently a later park-related building.
A 2005 aerial view looking northwest shows that the 70-year old runway pavement remains in fine shape at the site of Warren Airport.
Nearby resident Mel Barron reported in 2007 that the site of Warren Airport “is now a city park.”
The site of Warren Airport is located south of the intersection of Route 6 & Ludlow Street.
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Harri-Emery Field, Bradford, PA
41.94, -78.67 (Northeast of Pittsburgh, PA)
A 1928 aerial view looking north at Harri-Emery Field (courtesy of Ray Lewis).
Harri Emery, an avid pilot, was one of the first to fly an airplane into the city of Bradford in 1919 at the age of 21.
He held the distinction of being the first flying instructor in this section of the country,
and was considered as one of the most competent aviators of his day.
In 1927, Harri & his father William Emery donated a large portion of their family farm for use as an airport.
Following Emery's participation in the national air derby of 1927 (when he finished 5th in the nation),
the future of Bradford in aviation circles seemed certain.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Harri-Emery Field was a 1928 aerial view (courtesy of Ray Lewis).
It depicted the field as a grass strip with a hangar at the northwest end.
A 1928 photo of the hangar at Harri-Emery Field, with an unidentified biplane visible inside (courtesy of Ray Lewis).
At first, the Harri-Emery Airport was just a landing strip for one airplane,
but by 1929 it boasted a $25,000 hangar (built with money donated by Emery),
and nearly 20 aircraft, with a staff of mechanics, aviators, and repairmen.
The official dedication of the airport was planned for the first week in July 1929, In anticipation of the event, a new runway was added,
trees & railroad tracks were removed, building were painted, and fences constructed.
Many prominent flyers of the day were contacted, including Elinor Smith (holder of the woman's endurance record),
Freddie Lund (ace of the air stuntmen), George Haldeman, Doc Kinkaid,
Earl Rowland, Martin Jensen, Clarence Chamberlain, and all agreed to come.
Three crack Army fliers & three Navy flyers were present,
and it was expected that approximately 115 planes would be at the airport over the 3 day event.
Three air races were planned - one for 0X5 motored planes, the second for light air cooled motors under 200 horsepower,
and the third for motors over 200 horsepower.
The last race of the day would be a free for all, with the course mapped out so that all planes could be seen from the ground at all times.
Sky writing, parachute jumping, aerial acrobatics - all would have a place at the dedication.
A 1929 photo of a Goodyear blimp visiting Harri-Emery Field, presumably as part of the airport's dedication ceremony.
The day of the dedication dawned & the excitement began.
The Bradford Era wrote "the aeronautical world today bows to Bradford.
For what is said to be one of the largest gatherings of aviation enthusiasts in the East begins here today
and thousands from all part of the country are here to help this community celebrate."
An estimated 30,000 people attended.
A circa 1929 photo of a Travel Air Model 2000 at Harri-Emery Field.
Following the official dedication program of speeches & awards scheduled for July 6,
the show began, with air races, an aerial parade, and stunt flying.
The next 2 days saw more of the same, each day drawing in huge crowds.
Commander Richard E. Byrd (who was at the south pole at the time) sent a radiogram with greetings to his fellow aviators,
and expressed his congratulations to Bradford on the dedication of its airport.
A postmark commemorated the 7/8/29 dedication of “Bradford Airport, located at Emery Field”.
A banquet for more than 250 pilots at the Emery Hotel formally closed the festivities.
Harri Emery & his company, Travel Air, went back to the business of air freight, passengers, lessons, and aerial exhibitions.
Ironically, just 3 months later, on 9/29/1929 Harri Emery was killed while returning from an aerial show & airport dedication in St. Mary's.
His Travelaire plane, lost in fog, came in for an emergency landing too low above the trees, and crashed.
The 9/30/29 issue of the Bradford Era wrote "the first aerial fatality in this county, and one of the worst aviation accidents in this country,
occurred last evening when Lieut. Harri Emery, Bradford's pioneer flyer, and a leading spirit in aviation in this city,
crashed one mile from Kane while piloting his cabin plane, containing 3 passengers, from St. Mary's to Bradford, all of whom were killed."
Within 2 weeks, the new airport, of which Emery was so proud, was renamed in his memory.
The 1929 Rand McNally "Standard Indexed Map With Air Trails" (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described "Bradford Airport" as being operated by the Airport Club of Bradford, and consisting of a 2,100' x 200' field.
Perhaps Emery Field's most lasting claim to fame comes from its brief tenure as the home of the Taylorcraft company.
According to Aerofiles, the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Company (makers of the Taylorcraft) was formed in 1928 at Emery Field in Bradford.
By 1931, a sales slump had forced the bankruptcy of Taylor Brothers,
and the Taylor Aircraft Company (William T. Piper & C. G. Taylor) was formed in Bradford the same year.
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Harri-Emery Field was on the December 1932 Cleveland Sectional Chart.
It depicted Harri-Emery as a commercial/municipal airport.
A circa 1930s postcard colorized photo depicting Emery Field (courtesy of Jeff Ferguson).
The 1934 Department of Commerce Airfield Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) described Harri-Emery as having 2 cinder & sod runways,
with the longest being the 2,040' northeast/southwest strip.
A hangar was said to have "Bradford Airport" on the roof, and buildings were said to surround the field.
A circa 1936 aerial view of a Taylor J-2 flying over the Taylor Aircraft Company facilities
on the northeast side of Harri-Emery Field in Bradford (courtesy of Ray Lewis).
The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described the Harri-Emery Field as having a 2,040' "cindered" northeast/southwest runway & a 1,585' "hard soil" east/west runway.
A hangar was said to have "Bradford Airport" on the roof, and buildings were said to surround the field.
William Piper bought out C.G. Taylor's interest in the Taylor Aircraft Company during the Great Depression.
In March 1937 the Taylor factory in Bradford burned to the ground, according to Ray Lewis.
A Flight Simulator scenery re-creation by Richard Finley of a Cub taxiing at Harri-Emery Field.
A 9/27/40 aerial photo depicted Harri-Emery Field as having a single northeast/southwest grass runway,
with the 1920s-era hangar on the northwest side of the runway.
The distinctive-shaped outline of the foundation the Taylor Aircraft factory on the northeast side of the runway
can be compared with the building in the 1936 photo.
Piper went on to establish its factory in Lock Haven, PA, and Taylor built a new factory in Alliance, OH by 1941.
Harri-Emery Field was not depicted on the 1941 USGS topo map.
The 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer) described Harri-Emery as having a 2,000' unpaved runway.
The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Harri-Emery Airport
as being extremely small in size – consisting only of a 16 acre irregularly-shaped property
within which was a single 2,040' northeast/southwest sod runway.
The field was said to have hangars, the largest being a 90' x 80' brick & steel structure.
Harri-Emery Airport was described as being owned & operated by private interests.
Ray Lewis recalled, “I learned to fly at Harri-Emery Airport in 1948. Joe Field was my instructor & he ran the airfield.”
The 1957 PA Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe) described Harri-Emery Field as having a single 2,040' turf northeast/southwest runway.
The operator was listed as the Airport Club of Bradford, Inc., and the manger was listed as Joseph Field.
The May 1960 Detroit Sectional Chart depicted Harri-Emery Field as having a 2,200' unpaved runway.
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Harri-Emery as having a single 2,200' turf Runway 4/22, and listed the operator as J. A. Field.
According to the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford's web site,
"On 4/18/67 J.B. Fisher announced that Witco-Kendall Corporation would donate approximately 78 acres of land
on the site of Harri Emery Airport for the construction of a campus."
But the airport evidently continued to operate for another 4 years.
The last photo which has been located of Harri-Emery Field while it was still operational was a 5/25/1968 aerial photo.
It depicted the field as having a single northeast/southwest grass runway,
which appeared to be somewhat longer than was depicted in the 1940 aerial photo.
The 1920s-era hangar remained standing on the northwest side of the runway,
and a checkerboard-roofed building had been constructed over the northern portion of the site
of the former Taylor Aircraft factory on the northeast side of the runway.
The 1969 USGS topo map depicted “Emery Field” as having a single unpaved northeast/southwest runway,
with a few small buildings arrayed along both sides of the northeast end of the runway.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Harri-Emery Field
was on the May 1971 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The 1971 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Harri-Emery Field as having a single 2,180' Runway 4/22,
with 3 small buildings (hangars?) arrayed along both sides of the northeast end of the runway.
Harri- Emery Field closed in 1971, according to Ray Lewis.
Harri-Emery Field was no longer depicted on the November 1972 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ron Plante).
The 1977 USGS topo map showed that the site of Harri-Emery Field had become the campus of the new University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
A 1993 USGS aerial view looking west showed the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford covered the site of Harri-Emery Field, but the former hangar remained at the bottom-right.
Two 2003 photos by Dan Rhinehart of the circa 1928 Harri-Emery hangar, the only former airport structure which remains at the site.
It is currently reused as "The Hangar", a student activity center.
A 2016 aerial view looking west at the site of Harri-Emery Field, with the former hangar at the bottom-right.
A circa 2015-2019 photo (courtesy of Sam Berliner) of the circa 1928 Harri-Emery hangar, showing that it has been significantly revamped since 2003.
The site of Harri-Emery Field is located southeast of the intersection of Route 346 & Taylor Drive (appropriately enough).
See also: http://www.bradfordlandmark.org/capsules/dedication_of_the_bradford_airport.html
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