Awesome Abandoned Airfields, Airports and Aircraft

Fibre_Optic · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:16

Air travel has become a major part of our society, with industries and individuals depending on air transport for their livelihood. But have you ever wondered what happens to the artifacts of our airborne culture when they're no longer needed?

Air travel has become a major part of our society, with industries and individuals depending on air transport for their livelihood. But have you ever wondered what happens to the artifacts of our airborne culture when they’re no longer needed? In many cases, they’re simply abandoned and forgotten.

(images via: Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields)

Military airfields often have a rich and complicated history, and Johnston Atoll is no exception. Located near Oahu, Johnston Atoll is one of the most isolated atolls in the world. Johnston Island, the main island of the atoll, was once a military base and an emergency landing site for distressed aircraft. After changing hands several times between different branches of the military, the island was turned into a weapons disposal site in the late 1990s. Today, the island is completely out of service for aircraft and is slated to be turned into a US wildlife refuge.

(images via: Stempel)

Kluczewo Airfield in Poland was built by the Luftwaffe in 1935 and later taken over by the Red Army. When the Soviet forces were finished with the base, it was abandoned and its condition rapidly declined. Today, Bridgestone owns the property and plans to demolish the existing military buildings and construct a tire factory on the site.

(images via: Earth Magnified and Forgotten NY)

Fibre_Optic · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:17

Flushing Airport in College Point, NY was once a bustling center of activity. Goodyear blimps operated from the facility in the 1960s and 1970s. Due to frequent flooding (and partially due to a terrible crash at the airport) the site was closed in 1984. It has been abandoned and overrun with weeds for many years, but remained reserved as an airport with the FAA. In September and October of 2008, the buildings on the site were finally demolished.

(images via: http://anonym.to/?http://kensinger.blogspot.com/2008/05/floyd-bennett-airfield.html )

Floyd Bennett Field has the distinction of being the first municipal airport in New York City. It is no longer used as a commercial airport, but the NYPD uses it as a heliport, and the occasional plane does still land there. The hangars and other buildings were empty for many years, but recently some of them have been adapted as a recreation center and other community projects.

(images via: http://anonym.to/?http://www.ruudleeuw.com/search116.htm)

Fibre_Optic · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:17

The northern parts of Canada and Alaska are doggone dangerous places to operate aircraft. High winds, frighteningly low temperatures, and inhospitable terrain contribute to numerous crashes there. Retrieving the wreckage can often be impossible, due either to the remote location or financial considerations. As a result, there are plenty of wrecked aircraft to be found in that part of the world.

(images via: English Russia)

Russia is another place where abandoned aircraft aren’t too hard to find. After the cold war, many entire military bases were abandoned along with the equipment and aircraft that used to be based there. Some of these planes are used for scrap or for parts, but many just languish in their parking areas, and will probably continue to do so for all of the foreseeable future.

(images via: Military Heat)

Fibre_Optic · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:18

It’s hard to understand why equipment that obviously cost a lot of money to make and operate would simply be left to rust in a field somewhere. These Russian aircraft have a haunting appeal, though, and an indescribable kind of beauty.

(images via: DLBerek)

Aviation enthusiasts have a field day with aircraft boneyards. The boneyards are where planes go to die - or, more accurately, where they go to wait. Most will be torn apart eventually and used for their parts and materials. Some even find a second life as displays on military bases. And once in a while, they’re used for something truly creative like a recycled house. But before all of that happens, they provide the perfect photo opportunity for people eager to capture the sad tranquility of grounded aircraft.
http://weburbanist.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/abandoned-mumbai-boeing.jpg
[URL="http://anonym.to/?http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6623901.stm"](BBC) [/URL]Not all aircraft abandonments are permanent. This Boeing 737 was being transported (sans wings) on a trailer to a private buyer through the streets of Mumbai. The driver asked for directions to his destination, but was mistakenly led down a street that contained an underpass too low for the plane to pass under. When the driver realized he couldn’t go forward and couldn’t turn around, he got out of the vehicle and walked off. The plane sat for several days, disrupting local businesses and traffic, before disappearing in the night.
[IMG]http://weburbanist.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/b25-airplane-pulled-from-lake-1.jpg

(images via: Abandoned but not Forgotten)

Fibre_Optic · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:18

The eventual fate of airplanes is often uncertain when they are decommissioned, wrecked, or just abandoned. However, when a plane ends up at the bottom of a lake you might expect it to stay there. This B25 bomber was recently pulled out of Lake Murray in Lexington County, South Carolina. It was previously a military plane used for exercises and experiments, but later spent a lot of years on the bottom of the lake. A private collector arranged this retrieval mission in order to display the plane for the public.

As fascinating as airplanes and helicopters are, the most amazing aircraft are actually those destined for space. It’s a little shocking to think of how much time, effort and money went into the creation and building of these machines and how they are now little more than litter. The facilities built to house, launch and control them are often abandoned as well. Hopefully they, too will find another life in the future.

digitalwolf · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:19

Cool stuff.

One of these abandoned airfields not far from my house.

jongeeone · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:21

Interesting read

Russinating · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:21

I can recommend Orford Ness - http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-orfordness.

Used to be an MoD base during WWI and II, not owned by the National Trust and open to visitor. Among other things it's where radar was invented, where Britain's first nuclear weapon tests were carried out and where a lot of weapon and plane ballistics were tested. Here's some pics from when I visited, but can't find any exterior ones I took:

WillyNelson · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:25

Fibre_Optic said:
This B25 bomber was recently pulled out of Lake Murray in Lexington County, South Carolina.

Pretty sure that's not a B52, twin tailplane & piston engines are a give away.

gumbald · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:30

Cool read

Double sentence in the first post confused me briefly...

LEK-89 · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:32

digitalwolf said:
Cool stuff.

One of these abandoned airfields not far from my house.

By any chance seing as your from the midlands too, it isn't the old Bruntingthorpe airfield that your on about?

Liam

dannyjo22 · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:39

WillyNelson said:
Pretty sure that's not a B52, twin tailplane & piston engines are a give away.

Thats because it says B25 not 52 look at your own quote

acccc · 21 Oct 2008 at 23:41

Cool beans.

Bunka · 22 Oct 2008 at 00:19

Interesting reading. It's always fascinating finding out about about these massive places that barely anyone knows about or takes any interest in.

Greenlizard0 · 22 Oct 2008 at 00:33

Nice thread for GD.

I love reading about abandoned man-made buildings and structures.

p4radox · 22 Oct 2008 at 08:43

Another awesome Fibre_Optic thread. Really interesting stuff.

Streeteh · 22 Oct 2008 at 08:44

This is where i'll set up my island fortress when zombies take over the world.

Charlie Bravo · 22 Oct 2008 at 08:55

Couple of British built aircraft in there as well. Shame to see them like that.

merlin · 22 Oct 2008 at 08:56

Streeteh said:
This is where i'll set up my island fortress when zombies take over the world.

So they can take a big run-up at you?

Mr Kingston · 22 Oct 2008 at 08:58

.

Thats trully beautifull, i would love to live on that island