Sometimes the most amazing things come in unexpectedly by e-mail. I have one faithful e-mail correspondent who is not a pilot, but by golly she sent a wonderful aviation site today.
This site contains descriptions, images, and histories of 1471 abandoned airfields in 50 states. For any aviation old-timer it is a source of fascinating memories. I looked up the airport from which I first flew in an airplane. It was in a Piper Pacer, owned and flown by our next-door neighbor when I grew up in Brunswick, GA. I will never, ever, forget that flight. Later flights in that airplane took us to beautiful deserted islands off the Georgia Coast. We landed on the beaches, and I didn’t find out for more than 20 years that landing on beaches was considered out of the ordinary and rather risky.
You would be surprised how many airports have been closed since I first became a pilot in the 1960s. Many of them stir memories of landings, takeoffs, mistakes made, lessons learned and great flights long forgotten.
I haven’t checked all of the states, but have worked my way through all of Georgia and a good bit of Alabama. Pictures and histories of some airports bring bits of melancholy, but it’s still good reading.
The site is being maintained by private individuals, and they gently explain that small (or large, if you’re so inclined) donations are not required but are appreciated. I’ll send one and consider it a bargain.
You can travel down memory lane by going to...
http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/
One hint: When you finish with any page, go to the bottom and click on “home.â€
And enjoy…
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