Fairchild Club Forum

'
I love this site on old forgotten airfields:  http://www.airfields-freeman.com/index.htm



In particular, go to this page:  Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York, Nassau County  and look up Hicksville Aviation Country Club.  I have often envisioned an aviators country club, thinking it would be a great thing to stoke enthusiasm for aviation.  Little did I know it had been done long ago at Hicksville, NY on Long Island.  Among all the airplanes pictured are a lot of F-24's -- who has NC16871 now? -- the FAA registry shows no assignment of this number now.  Also note the picture of the only Waco S3HD, which has now been flying again for several years (N14048), and regularly attends the AAA fly-in at Blakesburg.  Note also the J-3 on floats -- it is a J-3P with the Lenape 3-cyl radial.
Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York, Nassa... Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York: Long Island, Nassau County © 2002, © 2016 by Paul Freeman. Revised 4/27/16. View on www.airfields-freem... Preview by Yahoo
 '

'The 'Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields' website is a treasure.

I'm far to ill now to do much aeroplane work, but have found some
connexion in the following -

Use Google Earth (or similar) to 'fly' over parts of the UK
(especially Lincolnshire) to find traces of WW2 aerodromes. Get
started by using a known reference, like Thorpe Abbots, so you know
what to look for.

Then go to something harder, like Menaul or Witchford.

And then, turn yourself loose. You'll find the ghostly traces of what
happened long ago quite moving.

On 9/26/16, lowea1@comcast.net [fairchildclub]
wrote:

> I love this site on old forgotten airfields:
> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/index.htm
> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/index.htm
>
>
>
> In particular, go to this page: Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New
> York, Nassau County
> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm and look
> up Hicksville Aviation Country Club. I have often envisioned an aviators
> country club, thinking it would be a great thing to stoke enthusiasm for
> aviation. Little did I know it had been done long ago at Hicksville, NY on
> Long Island. Among all the airplanes pictured are a lot of F-24's -- who
> has NC16871 now? -- the FAA registry shows no assignment of this number now.
> Also note the picture of the only Waco S3HD, which has now been flying
> again for several years (N14048), and regularly attends the AAA fly-in at
> Blakesburg. Note also the J-3 on floats -- it is a J-3P with the Lenape
> 3-cyl radial.
>
>
>
> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm
>
> Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York, Nassa...
> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm Abandoned
> & Little-Known Airfields: New York: Long Island, Nassau County © 2002, ©
> 2016 by Paul Freeman. Revised 4/27/16.
>
>
>
> View on www.airfields-freem...
> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm
> Preview by Yahoo
>
>
>
>

'

' In my working life, nearly all my projects were overseas, many in England and Germany.  My father had been a USAAF pilot in WWII, and was stationed briefly in England.  I was a born aviation “nut”, and grew up around airplanes, and as such, a person gets pretty good at recognizing old airports.  It isn’t too difficult to see some evidence of airbases in England from WWII and earlier.  Also, when flying into Berlin, where our European offices were, it was very easy to see the surrounding re-purposed or abandoned defensive airfields.  I obtained the book “Airfields of the Eighth – Then and Now”, by Roger Freeman.  I would chart out old US airfields from the Midlands area where I worked and eastward, and spend my spare time finding them.  (Sorry, never made it up to Lincolnshire area.)  Fascinating.  Almost every airfield I found had some kind of memorial stone or monument, however large or small, provided by veterans of the US units that had used the fields.  Also, some fields maintained a US flag, and almost all had some sort of floral decoration at some point, provided and maintained by the locals.  If I had trouble finding something, local folks always knew, and pointed me in the right direction – very helpful and appreciative.  At some fields I have been able to drive almost the entire perimeter track and some runway remnants.  Buildings are not always available anymore, they never were very permanent in the ultra-short lives of these air fields, but it is still easy to recognize features remaining from hangars and control towers, to fuel and bomb depots.  It has now been 15 to 20 years since I did my searching.  I do not wonder how long these remains will be visible so much as I wonder how long the local people will remember them with the passing of the generations.  Since Google Earth has come into use, I’ve been able to find numerous historical airfields in other countries.  So I’m right with you, Andrew.  Thanks.   Tony Lowe 1940 F-24W-41A, S/N 136, N28522   From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 1:36 PM To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [fairchildclub] Some great old Fairchild Pictures    
The 'Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields' website is a treasure.

I'm far to ill now to do much aeroplane work, but have found some
connexion in the following -

Use Google Earth (or similar) to 'fly' over parts of the UK
(especially Lincolnshire) to find traces of WW2 aerodromes. Get
started by using a known reference, like Thorpe Abbots, so you know
what to look for.

Then go to something harder, like Menaul or Witchford.

And then, turn yourself loose. You'll find the ghostly traces of what
happened long ago quite moving.

On 9/26/16, lowea1@comcast.net [fairchildclub]
wrote:

> I love

this site on old forgotten airfields:

>

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

>

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

>
>
>
> In

particular, go to this page: Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New

>

York, Nassau County

>

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Air ... Nassau.htm and look

> up Hicksville Aviation Country Club. I have often envisioned an

aviators

> country club, thinking it would be a great thing to stoke

enthusiasm for

> aviation. Little did I know it had been done long ago at

Hicksville, NY on

> Long Island. Among all the airplanes pictured are a

lot of F-24's -- who

> has NC16871 now? -- the FAA registry shows no

assignment of this number now.

> Also note the picture of the only Waco

S3HD, which has now been flying

> again for several years (N14048), and

regularly attends the AAA fly-in at

> Blakesburg. Note also the J-3 on

floats -- it is a J-3P with the Lenape

> 3-cyl

radial.

>
>
>
>

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Air ... Nassau.htm

>
>

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York, Nassa...

>

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Air ... Nassau.htm Abandoned

> & Little-Known Airfields: New York: Long Island, Nassau

County © 2002, ©

> 2016 by Paul Freeman. Revised

4/27/16.

>
>
>
> View on www.airfields-freem...
>

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Air ... Nassau.htm

>

Preview by Yahoo

>
>
>
>

'

'Thank YOU, Tony. Truly, and with all my heart.

On 9/26/16, lowea1@comcast.net [fairchildclub]
wrote:

> In my working life, nearly all my projects were overseas, many in England
> and Germany. My father had been a USAAF pilot in WWII, and was stationed
> briefly in England. I was a born aviation “nut”, and grew up around
> airplanes, and as such, a person gets pretty good at recognizing old
> airports. It isn’t too difficult to see some evidence of airbases in
> England from WWII and earlier. Also, when flying into Berlin, where our
> European offices were, it was very easy to see the surrounding re-purposed
> or abandoned defensive airfields. I obtained the book “Airfields of the
> Eighth – Then and Now”, by Roger Freeman. I would chart out old US
> airfields from the Midlands area where I worked and eastward, and spend my
> spare time finding them. (Sorry, never made it up to Lincolnshire area.)
> Fascinating. Almost every airfield I found had some kind of memorial stone
> or monument, however large or small, provided by veterans of the US units
> that had used the fields. Also, some fields maintained a US flag, and
> almost all had some sort of floral decoration at some point, provided and
> maintained by the locals. If I had trouble finding something, local folks
> always knew, and pointed me in the right direction – very helpful and
> appreciative. At some fields I have been able to drive almost the entire
> perimeter track and some runway remnants. Buildings are not always
> available anymore, they never were very permanent in the ultra-short lives
> of these air fields, but it is still easy to recognize features remaining
> from hangars and control towers, to fuel and bomb depots. It has now been
> 15 to 20 years since I did my searching. I do not wonder how long these
> remains will be visible so much as I wonder how long the local people will
> remember them with the passing of the generations. Since Google Earth has
> come into use, I’ve been able to find numerous historical airfields in other
> countries. So I’m right with you, Andrew. Thanks.
>
> Tony Lowe
> 1940 F-24W-41A, S/N 136, N28522
>
> From: mailto:fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 1:36 PM
> To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [fairchildclub] Some great old Fairchild Pictures
>
>
> The 'Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields' website is a treasure.
>
> I'm far to ill now to do much aeroplane work, but have found some
> connexion in the following -
>
> Use Google Earth (or similar) to 'fly' over parts of the UK
> (especially Lincolnshire) to find traces of WW2 aerodromes. Get
> started by using a known reference, like Thorpe Abbots, so you know
> what to look for.
>
> Then go to something harder, like Menaul or Witchford.
>
> And then, turn yourself loose. You'll find the ghostly traces of what
> happened long ago quite moving.
>
> On 9/26/16, lowea1@comcast.net [fairchildclub]
> wrote:
>> I love this site on old forgotten airfields:
>> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/index.htm
>> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/index.htm
>>
>>
>>
>> In particular, go to this page: Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New
>> York, Nassau County
>> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm and
>> look
>> up Hicksville Aviation Country Club. I have often envisioned an aviators
>> country club, thinking it would be a great thing to stoke enthusiasm for
>> aviation. Little did I know it had been done long ago at Hicksville, NY
>> on
>> Long Island. Among all the airplanes pictured are a lot of F-24's -- who
>> has NC16871 now? -- the FAA registry shows no assignment of this number
>> now.
>> Also note the picture of the only Waco S3HD, which has now been flying
>> again for several years (N14048), and regularly attends the AAA fly-in at
>> Blakesburg. Note also the J-3 on floats -- it is a J-3P with the Lenape
>> 3-cyl radial.
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm
>>
>> Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York, Nassa...
>> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm
>> Abandoned
>> & Little-Known Airfields: New York: Long Island, Nassau County © 2002, ©
>> 2016 by Paul Freeman. Revised 4/27/16.
>>
>>
>>
>> View on www.airfields-freem...
>> http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm
>> Preview by Yahoo
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

'

'Tony,Yes, this is a great site and I am heartened to see its continued expansion and development.  Living in the UK I find very useful research tool for finding the location of an old airport.
I have lived in Lincolnshire practically all my life and therefore read both Andrew's and Tony Lowe's messages with interest.  When I was a teenager in the 1960's many of the old Bomber Command airfields were still quite evident and many still in RAF or general aviation use.  Over the years many have now been redeveloped and have practically disappeared.  Some returned to agricultural use, which was appropriate as many acres were requisitioned for military use from the farmers.  We are now losing airfield sites at an alarming rate as their owners realise there is more to be made from their sale to developers for housing or an industrial site.
Lincolnshire is, by UK standards, a big county and it was said to have had more RAF airfields than almost any other county.  Predominately they were built just before or during W.W. Two and served as Bomber Command airfields.  Most came under Bomber Command, Nos.1 and 5 Group and as such operated by Lancaster squadrons. 
In very general terms - Yorkshire, to the north, was largely populated by Halifax bomber squadrons, many were RCAF manned and sponsored (#6 Group).  These RCAF squadrons started with Wellington's and Halifax's and converted to Lancaster when the Canadian production became available.
Again, in general terms, most of the USAAF 8th and 9th Air Force bases were to the south of Lincolnshire, in East Anglia, (Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex)
As you say, many have small base memorials.  One such is Goxhill, in Lincolnshire.  Many of the freshly trained USAAF fighter pilots passed through Goxhill to further training and to learn theatre tactics ( I think there was just one other similar station in the UK).  In the 1960's many of the buildings and the hangars were still present.  The hangars are now gone but Control Tower has demolished brick by brick and is now with a museum in Virginia - cannot recall which one.
There is even a W.W.1 Royal Flying Corps aerodrome not far from Scampton were enthusiasts are attempting some degree of renovation of the surviving buildings.
Perhaps the most intriguing is the old seaplane base at North Killingholme on the southern banks of the River Humber.  Opened as Royal Naval Air Station Killingholme in 1914 and after the USA became involved in the First World War was turned over to the US Naval with Curtiss Flying Boats which operated out over the North Sea.  Until very recently, when the area was developed in a failed attempt to attract a major wind turbine manufacturer, some of the wooden slip ways were still evident.
Hope this is of interest, if it is not a Fairchild topic.Tony Broadhurst'

' Many thanks Mr. Broadhurst.  Our parents had good taste in given names, didn’t they.  Actually, my mother named me after Anthony Eden.  She said she thought he was good looking.   From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 5:05 PM To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Subject: [fairchildclub] Re: Some great old Fairchild Pictures     Tony, Yes, this is a great site and I am heartened to see its continued expansion and development.  Living in the UK I find very useful research tool for finding the location of an old airport.   I have lived in Lincolnshire practically all my life and therefore read both Andrew's and Tony Lowe's messages with interest.  When I was a teenager in the 1960's many of the old Bomber Command airfields were still quite evident and many still in RAF or general aviation use.  Over the years many have now been redeveloped and have practically disappeared.  Some returned to agricultural use, which was appropriate as many acres were requisitioned for military use from the farmers.  We are now losing airfield sites at an alarming rate as their owners realise there is more to be made from their sale to developers for housing or an industrial site.   Lincolnshire is, by UK standards, a big county and it was said to have had more RAF airfields than almost any other county.  Predominately they were built just before or during W.W. Two and served as Bomber Command airfields.  Most came under Bomber Command, Nos.1 and 5 Group and as such operated by Lancaster squadrons.   In very general terms - Yorkshire, to the north, was largely populated by Halifax bomber squadrons, many were RCAF manned and sponsored (#6 Group).  These RCAF squadrons started with Wellington's and Halifax's and converted to Lancaster when the Canadian production became available.   Again, in general terms, most of the USAAF 8th and 9th Air Force bases were to the south of Lincolnshire, in East Anglia, (Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex)   As you say, many have small base memorials.  One such is Goxhill, in Lincolnshire.  Many of the freshly trained USAAF fighter pilots passed through Goxhill to further training and to learn theatre tactics ( I think there was just one other similar station in the UK).  In the 1960's many of the buildings and the hangars were still present.  The hangars are now gone but Control Tower has demolished brick by brick and is now with a museum in Virginia - cannot recall which one.   There is even a W.W.1 Royal Flying Corps aerodrome not far from Scampton were enthusiasts are attempting some degree of renovation of the surviving buildings.   Perhaps the most intriguing is the old seaplane base at North Killingholme on the southern banks of the River Humber.  Opened as Royal Naval Air Station Killingholme in 1914 and after the USA became involved in the First World War was turned over to the US Naval with Curtiss Flying Boats which operated out over the North Sea.  Until very recently, when the area was developed in a failed attempt to attract a major wind turbine manufacturer, some of the wooden slip ways were still evident.   Hope this is of interest, if it is not a Fairchild topic. Tony Broadhurst'

'Here is an interesting website.  http://www.forgottenairfields.com/united-kingdom/.  Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet with Tony at Wickenby aerodrome (http://www.wickenbyairfield.com) in Lincolnshire to see Bob Quick’s PT-26 project.  On the drive up from Salisbury, I was surprised to see so many airfields in one area and can understand why it was and still is a strategic area.   Mike    From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 7:15 PM
To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [fairchildclub] Re: Some great old Fairchild Pictures    Many thanks Mr. Broadhurst.  Our parents had good taste in given names, didn’t they.  Actually, my mother named me after Anthony Eden.  She said she thought he was good looking. From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 5:05 PMTo: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Subject: [fairchildclub] Re: Some great old Fairchild Pictures  
Tony, Yes, this is a great site and I am heartened to see its continued expansion and development.  Living in the UK I find very useful research tool for finding the location of an old airport. I have lived in Lincolnshire practically all my life and therefore read both Andrew's and Tony Lowe's messages with interest.  When I was a teenager in the 1960's many of the old Bomber Command airfields were still quite evident and many still in RAF or general aviation use.  Over the years many have now been redeveloped and have practically disappeared.  Some returned to agricultural use, which was appropriate as many acres were requisitioned for military use from the farmers.  We are now losing airfield sites at an alarming rate as their owners realise there is more to be made from their sale to developers for housing or an industrial site. Lincolnshire is, by UK standards, a big county and it was said to have had more RAF airfields than almost any other county.  Predominately they were built just before or during W.W. Two and served as Bomber Command airfields.  Most came under Bomber Command, Nos.1 and 5 Group and as such operated by Lancaster squadrons.  In very general terms - Yorkshire, to the north, was largely populated by Halifax bomber squadrons, many were RCAF manned and sponsored (#6 Group).  These RCAF squadrons started with Wellington's and Halifax's and converted to Lancaster when the Canadian production became available. Again, in general terms, most of the USAAF 8th and 9th Air Force bases were to the south of Lincolnshire, in East Anglia, (Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex) As you say, many have small base memorials.  One such is Goxhill, in Lincolnshire.  Many of the freshly trained USAAF fighter pilots passed through Goxhill to further training and to learn theatre tactics ( I think there was just one other similar station in the UK).  In the 1960's many of the buildings and the hangars were still present.  The hangars are now gone but Control Tower has demolished brick by brick and is now with a museum in Virginia - cannot recall which one. There is even a W.W.1 Royal Flying Corps aerodrome not far from Scampton were enthusiasts are attempting some degree of renovation of the surviving buildings. Perhaps the most intriguing is the old seaplane base at North Killingholme on the southern banks of the River Humber.  Opened as Royal Naval Air Station Killingholme in 1914 and after the USA became involved in the First World War was turned over to the US Naval with Curtiss Flying Boats which operated out over the North Sea.  Until very recently, when the area was developed in a failed attempt to attract a major wind turbine manufacturer, some of the wooden slip ways were still evident. Hope this is of interest, if it is not a Fairchild topic.Tony Broadhurst'

' Notice all these “old airfield” sources are from people named Freeman.  Roger A. Freeman wrote the books on the US Eighth AF history and airfields.  He’s from England, and also had a lot to do with setting up The Imperial War Museum’s Duxford air museum.  He is deceased now.  The two websites, forgottenairfields.com, mentioned below, and the one I first mentioned at the start, airfields-freeman.com are both from Paul Freeman.  I haven’t determined it yet, but I’m betting Paul is a son of Roger A. Freeman.   From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 9:19 PM To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [fairchildclub] Re: Some great old Fairchild Pictures    
Here is an interesting website.  http://www.forgottenairfields.com/united-kingdom/. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet with Tony at Wickenby aerodrome (http://www.wickenbyairfield.com) in Lincolnshire to see Bob Quick’s PT-26 project.  On the drive up from Salisbury, I was surprised to see so many airfields in one area and can understand why it was and still is a strategic area.  Mike From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com [mailto:fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 7:15 PM
To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [fairchildclub] Re: Some great old Fairchild Pictures   Many thanks Mr. Broadhurst.  Our parents had good taste in given names, didn’t they.  Actually, my mother named me after Anthony Eden.  She said she thought he was good looking. From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, September 26, 2016 5:05 PM To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com Subject: [fairchildclub] Re: Some great old Fairchild Pictures  
Tony, Yes, this is a great site and I am heartened to see its continued expansion and development.  Living in the UK I find very useful research tool for finding the location of an old airport. I have lived in Lincolnshire practically all my life and therefore read both Andrew's and Tony Lowe's messages with interest.  When I was a teenager in the 1960's many of the old Bomber Command airfields were still quite evident and many still in RAF or general aviation use.  Over the years many have now been redeveloped and have practically disappeared.  Some returned to agricultural use, which was appropriate as many acres were requisitioned for military use from the farmers.  We are now losing airfield sites at an alarming rate as their owners realise there is more to be made from their sale to developers for housing or an industrial site. Lincolnshire is, by UK standards, a big county and it was said to have had more RAF airfields than almost any other county.  Predominately they were built just before or during W.W. Two and served as Bomber Command airfields.  Most came under Bomber Command, Nos.1 and 5 Group and as such operated by Lancaster squadrons. In very general terms - Yorkshire, to the north, was largely populated by Halifax bomber squadrons, many were RCAF manned and sponsored (#6 Group).  These RCAF squadrons started with Wellington's and Halifax's and converted to Lancaster when the Canadian production became available. Again, in general terms, most of the USAAF 8th and 9th Air Force bases were to the south of Lincolnshire, in East Anglia, (Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex) As you say, many have small base memorials.  One such is Goxhill, in Lincolnshire.  Many of the freshly trained USAAF fighter pilots passed through Goxhill to further training and to learn theatre tactics ( I think there was just one other similar station in the UK).  In the 1960's many of the buildings and the hangars were still present.  The hangars are now gone but Control Tower has demolished brick by brick and is now with a museum in Virginia - cannot recall which one. There is even a W.W.1 Royal Flying Corps aerodrome not far from Scampton were enthusiasts are attempting some degree of renovation of the surviving buildings. Perhaps the most intriguing is the old seaplane base at North Killingholme on the southern banks of the River Humber.  Opened as Royal Naval Air Station Killingholme in 1914 and after the USA became involved in the First World War was turned over to the US Naval with Curtiss Flying Boats which operated out over the North Sea.  Until very recently, when the area was developed in a failed attempt to attract a major wind turbine manufacturer, some of the wooden slip ways were still evident. Hope this is of interest, if it is not a Fairchild topic. Tony Broadhurst '