Forgotten Airfields

Kitsune · 01-19-2004, 11:12 AM

Not a day goes by that I'm not reminded in some way that the internet is a powerful tool for research.

Yes, I said "research" and not "porn".

Some time ago I was flipping through images on Terraserver of the USF's campus and was busy stitching them together when I accidentally hit the "South" button. The image that loaded caught my attention -- an area that I frequently drive through had some unusual features when viewed from above. (large image warning) It certainly looked like runways to me, but at ground-level you wouldn't notice such things. So I took photographs of the area and then did a little research.

I stumbled across Paul Freeman's Little Known Airfields and found out that what I had found were the remains of Henderson Airfield, an airport run by the US Army during WWII that served as an auxillary field for MacDill AFB. I was a little surprised to find that I was, on a daily basis, driving over sections of runway that bombers once landed and took off on sixty years ago! I found it even more amusing to catch Busch Gardens using pieces of airstrip to train some of the drivers for their jungle ride --they probably don't know that they're driving on pieces of history.

I thought the airfields site was pretty cool -- there appears to be old airports and runways all over the country and explains why I've seen nothing but airstrips when I peer out the window when flying across the country.

Elspode · 01-19-2004, 04:53 PM

I love this shit.

tw · 01-19-2004, 04:58 PM

I have located expensive homes built on what was once a nuclear missile battery. Nike Hercules were nuclear tipped anti-aircraft batteries. The location of most batteries as well as Texas Towers, major radar sites, etc are in this museum http://www.radomes.org/museum and http://ed-thelen.org. Major cities such as NY, Philly, LA were surrounded by these missile sites that are today long gone - land now covered with houses.

Brigliadore · 01-19-2004, 08:11 PM

Thanks for posting that link. There is an airport not to far from us that still has a bunch of hangers and such used to house b-29 bombers when they were practicing dropping the atom bomb on Japan. The hangers are in bad shape but still there. I never knew it still had all the hangers and such intact. I cant wait till spring so I can go take some photos. Thanks again for posting that link.

wolf · 01-20-2004, 12:27 AM

Wow ... are you near Wendover??? Definitely take pics!!

Brigliadore · 01-20-2004, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wolf
Wow ... are you near Wendover??? Definitely take pics!!

Wendover is about 2 hours from us, but me being raise in Los Angeles 2 hours never seems that far. Alan got me a new lens for my SLR for Christmas and I am just itching to take a picture of something other then snow. I told him come spring we are going out there and taking photos.

01-19-2004, 11:12 AM	#1
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	Forgotten Airfields Not a day goes by that I'm not reminded in some way that the internet is a powerful tool for research. Yes, I said "research" and not "porn". Some time ago I was flipping through images on Terraserver of the USF's campus and was busy stitching them together when I accidentally hit the "South" button. The image that loaded caught my attention -- an area that I frequently drive through had some unusual features when viewed from above. (large image warning) It certainly looked like runways to me, but at ground-level you wouldn't notice such things. So I took photographs of the area and then did a little research. I stumbled across Paul Freeman's Little Known Airfields and found out that what I had found were the remains of Henderson Airfield, an airport run by the US Army during WWII that served as an auxillary field for MacDill AFB. I was a little surprised to find that I was, on a daily basis, driving over sections of runway that bombers once landed and took off on sixty years ago! I found it even more amusing to catch Busch Gardens using pieces of airstrip to train some of the drivers for their jungle ride --they probably don't know that they're driving on pieces of history. I thought the airfields site was pretty cool -- there appears to be old airports and runways all over the country and explains why I've seen nothing but airstrips when I peer out the window when flying across the country.

01-19-2004, 04:53 PM	#2
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	I love this shit. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

01-19-2004, 08:11 PM	#4
Brigliadore stays crispy in milk Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: A strange planet called Utah Posts: 270	Thanks for posting that link. There is an airport not to far from us that still has a bunch of hangers and such used to house b-29 bombers when they were practicing dropping the atom bomb on Japan. The hangers are in bad shape but still there. I never knew it still had all the hangers and such intact. I cant wait till spring so I can go take some photos. Thanks again for posting that link. __________________ I cant think of anything to put here so this is all I am going to write. Last edited by Brigliadore; 01-20-2004 at 02:24 AM.

01-20-2004, 12:27 AM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Wow ... are you near Wendover??? Definitely take pics!! __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-19-2004, 04:58 PM	#3
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	I have located expensive homes built on what was once a nuclear missile battery. Nike Hercules were nuclear tipped anti-aircraft batteries. The location of most batteries as well as Texas Towers, major radar sites, etc are in this museum http://www.radomes.org/museum and http://ed-thelen.org. Major cities such as NY, Philly, LA were surrounded by these missile sites that are today long gone - land now covered with houses.

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