Historic Houston Airports

[editor]

In another thread, someone posted a link to a web site with information about abandoned local airfields. I took a peek and it's pretty cool.

More importantly, you can still see the scars on the land from where the some of the old airports used to be.

Here's a Google Maps link to the old Pearland Municipal Airport. You can still see traces of the runways and taxiways. And there are still roads with names like "Lockheed."

History is fun.

[MidtownCoog]

Neat. I took a ride in my first Piper Cub at Genoa Airfield. It's so close to Ellington I am surprised it was ever open.

That Cub led my to getting my pilot's license a few years later.

[cowboybud]

In the 1940s, there was an airport on the site of what is now Aldine High and Stovall Middle School.

[northbeaumont]

Neat. I took a ride in my first Piper Cub at Genoa Airfield. It's so close to Ellington I am surprised it was ever open.

That Cub led my to getting my pilot's license a few years later.

Back in the early 1960s, my dad received his instrument rating at an airport on the side of what was then Houston International Airport. I remember him telling me that back then he went and played golf at Ellington AFB. I think he also said something about an airport in Pearland.

I was about to ask the stupid question: "Has any airplane ever landed at an abandoned airport"? But when I think of that airline plane in Kentucky that tried to take off on the wrong runway, that might not have been such a stupid question after all.

[MidtownCoog]

"Has any airplane ever landed at an abandoned airport"

If a T-38 can accidentally land at T49 (LaPorte) instead of EFD I think the answer must be yes.

They had to tow him back to EFD down Fairmont Parkway and SH3.

[texianjoe]

Neat. I took a ride in my first Piper Cub at Genoa Airfield. It's so close to Ellington I am surprised it was ever open.

That Cub led my to getting my pilot's license a few years later.

I used to do touch and gos at Houston Gulf (League City Municipal). It is a neighborhood now.

I used to drive in front of Genoa Airport on the way to work and always wanted to sneak in and look for parts and signs but they turned it into a sandpit before I could.

joe

[FilioScotia]

I used to do touch and gos at Houston Gulf (League City Municipal). It is a neighborhood now.

I used to drive in front of Genoa Airport on the way to work and always wanted to sneak in and look for parts and signs but they turned it into a sandpit before I could.

I grew up in Pasadena in the 50s, and I remember that little air strip on Allen Genoa. I recall it was used mostly by crop duster pilots who were still flying those old open cockpit biplanes.

Here's a great Houston aviation trivia question. Does anybody here remember the time a National Airlines Boeing 727 landed at the tiny Dow Airport in in Lake Jackson? It really happened in July of 1972, when two guys hijacked the plane at LaGuardia Airport in NYC and tried to force a flight to Cuba.

For reasons I forget, the pilot flew to Houston, but instead of landing, he flew over IAH and put the plane down on a short runway at the county airport in Lake Jackson. He used every ounce of reversed thrust he had and every inch of that 5000 foot runway, but there they were, on the ground, at the mercy of a couple of crazy hijackers.

FBI, Texas Rangers, DPS and every county mounty barney fife and deppity dawg within 50 miles surrounded the place. It ended after several hours when the hijackers realized they and that plane weren't going anywhere and just gave up. The passengers were put on buses for the ride to Houston.

Then came the problem of what to do with the plane. That tiny airport was not built with big planes in mind, and there was brief talk about taking the plane apart and trucking the pieces back to the Boeing factory in Seattle. The pilot said if they lightened it as much as possible, he could fly it out.

So they stripped the interior down to the bare metal. Seats, overheads, wall paneling, carpeting, everything went, including the galley and the sink. They put in just enough fuel to take off and fly from Lake Jackson to IAH, and with just one person on board, the pilot, that plane did the best short runway takeoff a jet that big ever did.

He scraped the tree tops at the end of the runway but he made it and did a perfect landing at IAH about 20 minutes later. The control center cleared the air space for miles around so the pilot could get there in a straight line at minimum altitude. Lake Jackson old timers still talk about that day. The most excitement they ever had down there.

It's also remembered for being the day KHOU TV reporter Jessica Savitch attracted the networks' attention with her coverage of the end of the hijacking. Not very long after that, she moved up to an anchor job at the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia, and the rest is history.

More trivia. When Savitch left KHOU, Linda Ellerbee was hired to replace her. How Ellerbee came to be available is also the stuff of legend in Texas media lore.

She had just been fired from her overnight job at the Associated Press Dallas Bureau. Seems she wrote a letter to an old boyfriend on the A-P's new word processing computer, and forgot to delete it. The next morning that letter went out to several hundred A-P subscriber radio and TV stations in five states. Nobody would have paid any attention to it if she hadn't made some personal and sarcastic observations about her bosses at the A-P. They weren't amused, and she was fired. A couple of months later she applied for Jessica Savitch's job at KHOU, and she got the job largely because of all the notoriety she caused with that letter on the A-P computer. The rest is history.

Whew! It's amazing how remembering the Genoa airstrip triggered that flow of memories.

Edited August 2, 2007 by FilioScotia

[texianjoe]

I grew up in Pasadena in the 50s, and I remember that little air strip on Allen Genoa. I recall it was used mostly by crop duster pilots who were still flying those old open cockpit biplanes.

Here's a great Houston aviation trivia question. Does anybody here remember the time a National Airlines Boeing 727 landed at the tiny Dow Airport in in Lake Jackson? It really happened in July of 1972, when two guys hijacked the plane at LaGuardia Airport in NYC and tried to force a flight to Cuba.

For reasons I forget, the pilot flew to Houston, but instead of landing, he flew over IAH and put the plane down on a short runway at the county airport in Lake Jackson. He used every ounce of reversed thrust he had and every inch of that 5000 foot runway, but there they were, on the ground, at the mercy of a couple of crazy hijackers.

FBI, Texas Rangers, DPS and every county mounty barney fife and deppity dawg within 50 miles surrounded the place. It ended after several hours when the hijackers realized they and that plane weren't going anywhere and just gave up. The passengers were put on buses for the ride to Houston.

Then came the problem of what to do with the plane. That tiny airport was not built with big planes in mind, and there was brief talk about taking the plane apart and trucking the pieces back to the Boeing factory in Seattle. The pilot said if they lightened it as much as possible, he could fly it out.

So they stripped the interior down to the bare metal. Seats, overheads, wall paneling, carpeting, everything went, including the galley and the sink. They put in just enough fuel to take off and fly from Lake Jackson to IAH, and with just one person on board, the pilot, that plane did the best short runway takeoff a jet that big ever did.

He scraped the tree tops at the end of the runway but he made it and did a perfect landing at IAH about 20 minutes later. The control center cleared the air space for miles around so the pilot could get there in a straight line at minimum altitude.

Lake Jackson old timers still talk about that day. The most excitement they ever had down there.

I don't remember that at all, but man that would make for a good movie.

joe

[Hunter]

If a T-38 can accidentally land at T49 (LaPorte) instead of EFD I think the answer must be yes.

They had to tow him back to EFD down Fairmont Parkway and SH3.

When did that happen?

[4PROP]

Back in the early 1960s, my dad received his instrument rating at an airport on the side of what was then Houston International Airport. I remember him telling me that back then he went and played golf at Ellington AFB. I think he also said something about an airport in Pearland.

I was about to ask the stupid question: "Has any airplane ever landed at an abandoned airport"? But when I think of that airline plane in Kentucky that tried to take off on the wrong runway, that might not have been such a stupid question after all.

FYI: Additional information on wrong airport landings.

http://www.thirdamendment.com/wrongway.html

I had my own close call experience with a wrong airport. I was flying a light Cessna between Victoria and College Station inbound for Easterwood when I started to call the tower about 8 miles out with my intentions and to report the airport in sight. Thankfully, I hesitated just to recheck my bearings only to realize it was Texas World Speedway in the distance. I quickly scanned to the left, spotted the actual airport and proceeded to contact them. I often wondered if they would have cleared me for approach and landing, turn four.

[editor]

My father and I used to fly gliders at N82 (Wurtsboro, New York). One day he was coming in for a landing and a gust of wind blew him onto US209. Landed safe in the median, but he never flew again. Too bad. He and my mother used to go up there and he'd fly while she stood by the runway and painted the mountains and planes.

[plumber2]

There was a private airport in Webster along side Highway 3 that was used by Metro Airlines. My parents flew this commuter airline to IAH often in the 70's. I remember going to pick them up once and the pilot had to divert to Hobby because he ran out of fuel after making one attempt to land in Webster. It was funny because nobody at Hobby knew what to do with these passengers, and nobody at the Metro Airlines ticket desk knew what happened until my father called from a pay phone at Hobby and asked the clerk to page me.

[MidtownCoog]

The T-38 landed at La Porte in the late 80s/early 90s. We had a pic of it at my flight school.

[gto250us]

If a T-38 can accidentally land at T49 (LaPorte) instead of EFD I think the answer must be yes.

They had to tow him back to EFD down Fairmont Parkway and SH3.

Did you hear about the two Aggies who were coming in to land at an airport?. They got lined up with the run way and came on down. Just before touchdown, the pilot pulled up sharply and said, "Not gonna work. We need to go around a try again." That they did and again they came down and sharply pulled up to try again. This went on for a couple of more times. Now they were running low on fuel and decided that this time they need to make it or it's curtains. So, down they come, they hit the runway, slam on breaks and come to a halt just before the fence. The pilot says "Man that has got to be the shortest runway ever." His co-pilot looks out the side window and says, "She sure is short, but it must be at least 8,000 feet wide."

Edited August 10, 2007 by gto250us

[mblaise]

Collier Airport

Andrau Airport - especially a photo of the water tower

Aerial photos of Cy-Fair area prior to about 1990 (290/Telge area)

Aerial photos of Bear Creek Park area before about 1985 or so

thanks

[Earlydays]

Check this site http://www.members.tripod.com/airfields_fr...TX_HoustonW.htm

it has info/photos of Andrau Airpark.

It's an interesting website that has info on abandoned and little used airfields listed by state.

[misplaced txgirl]

you're taling about the cy-fair high school grounds, the rodeo arena, and the airport?

if i remember correctly, one of the old cy-fair yearbooks around the time i graduated had an aerial photo...

i'll see if i can find mine...i graduated in '73

do they still have the friday night rodeos during the summer?

[Ross]

The USGS sells aerial phots of various ages for just about every spot in the US. I've bought a couple of their 36x36 inch prints of false color infrared photos. Amazing detail on them. Do a web search for USGS.

[devonhart]

...i graduated in '73

I graduated 35 years ago also, must be a lot of us, I think we had 800 graduates at Bellaire.

[px4man]

I was just wondering if anybody remembers the Sam Houston Airport on old 90 just west of Chimney Rock back in the late 40's and early 50's ?

A great friend of mine lived right on the runway back in the early 60's and never new it. He's was a pilot in the Vietnam War.

It's all covered up with housing now.

Ran across it on Google Earth (historical time feature) back in 1953.

[FilioScotia]

I was just wondering if anybody remembers the Sam Houston Airport on old 90 just west of Chimney Rock back in the late 40's and early 50's? A great friend of mine lived right on the runway back in the early 60's and never new it. He's was a pilot in the Vietnam War. It's all covered up with housing now. Ran across it on Google Earth (historical time feature) back in 1953.

About five years ago we had an extensive discussion of that old airport here on the HAIF.

Here's a link to a great aerial photo. You're looking east along Hwy 90, or South Main.

http://houstonfreeways.com/images/sam_houston_airport_1947-11-00_overview_complete.jpg

Here's a link to a website devoted to old abandandoned airfields, including the old Sam Houston Airport.

http://www.members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/TX/Airfields_TX_HoustonS.htm#samhouston

Edited October 3, 2011 by FilioScotia

[marmer]

I grew up in Pasadena in the 50s, and I remember that little air strip on Allen Genoa. I recall it was used mostly by crop duster pilots who were still flying those old open cockpit biplanes.

Here's a great Houston aviation trivia question. Does anybody here remember the time a National Airlines Boeing 727 landed at the tiny Dow Airport in in Lake Jackson? It really happened in July of 1972, when two guys hijacked the plane at LaGuardia Airport in NYC and tried to force a flight to Cuba.

For reasons I forget, the pilot flew to Houston, but instead of landing, he flew over IAH and put the plane down on a short runway at the county airport in Lake Jackson. He used every ounce of reversed thrust he had and every inch of that 5000 foot runway, but there they were, on the ground, at the mercy of a couple of crazy hijackers.

FBI, Texas Rangers, DPS and every county mounty barney fife and deppity dawg within 50 miles surrounded the place. It ended after several hours when the hijackers realized they and that plane weren't going anywhere and just gave up. The passengers were put on buses for the ride to Houston.

Then came the problem of what to do with the plane. That tiny airport was not built with big planes in mind, and there was brief talk about taking the plane apart and trucking the pieces back to the Boeing factory in Seattle. The pilot said if they lightened it as much as possible, he could fly it out.

So they stripped the interior down to the bare metal. Seats, overheads, wall paneling, carpeting, everything went, including the galley and the sink. They put in just enough fuel to take off and fly from Lake Jackson to IAH, and with just one person on board, the pilot, that plane did the best short runway takeoff a jet that big ever did.

He scraped the tree tops at the end of the runway but he made it and did a perfect landing at IAH about 20 minutes later. The control center cleared the air space for miles around so the pilot could get there in a straight line at minimum altitude. Lake Jackson old timers still talk about that day. The most excitement they ever had down there.

It's also remembered for being the day KHOU TV reporter Jessica Savitch attracted the networks' attention with her coverage of the end of the hijacking. Not very long after that, she moved up to an anchor job at the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia, and the rest is history.

Yes. This is all true. I was eleven and living in Lake Jackson at the time. Savitch was arrested by (I think) Sheriff Robert Gladney for getting too close to the plane. Of course she was released shortly afterward.

Edited October 3, 2011 by marmer

[NenaE]

Supposedly, there was once a landing field around Old Galveston Rd. and Meadowbrook, Glenbrook Country Club. They had tents set up, too. Circa 1920's or before, military, I believe it said.

I just ran across the story on the Park Place Facebook site, older posts.

I had heard of a Park Place landing field before, but had never found any other mention of it or map reference 'til just now. Must have been soft field.

http://www.archives....groups/018.html

reference no. 18.9.1...date of PP location, 1918-19...just lists the name and date.

Edited October 3, 2011 by NenaE

[Goatman79]

I don't know if these qualify as abandoned, but there were two airfields on my side of town that are now built over.

There's Andrau Airpark, which was located on the south side of Westheimer near Kirkwood until it was closed around 1998 and later demolished. Today, the area is all residential, but on the left side of the property when viewed from an aerial map, is a small section of the old drive that led to the airport from Westheimer.

Another small airstrip used to be located on the northeast corner of I-10 and Eldridge Parkway back when Eldridge was known as Addicks-Fairbanks Rd. The airstrip appears on photos until 1973 when they ran Dairy Ashford through the north side of I-10 to connect with Eldridge. That added section of Dairy Ashford runs right over where the old airport used to be. On old road maps, it is labeled Crutcher-Rolfs-Cummings.

[FilioScotia]

On 10/3/2011 at 10:54 AM, marmer said:

Yes. This is all true. I was eleven and living in Lake Jackson at the time. Savitch was arrested by (I think) Sheriff Robert Gladney for getting too close to the plane. Of course she was released shortly afterward.

The story I heard at the time was that Savitch was arrested when she physically attacked a Brazoria County Deputy Constable who had taken her camera-man's 16mm film camera away from him. She jumped on his back piggy back style.

Another deputy constable pulled her down and slapped cuffs on her. She was placed in a nearby police car, but she wasn't taken to jail because all the lawmen there were busy handling crowd control and security around that small airport, and nobody had time to drive Savitch to the jail in Angleton. So they let her go on her promise to behave herself.

I was a news anchor for KPRC Radio at the time, and that's the story I heard from one of our reporters who was there.

Edited August 2, 2020 by FilioScotia
clarity

[Earlydays]

Here's a useful site, Abandoned & Little Known Airfields: Texas

http://www.members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/TX/Airfields_TX.htm

[blue92]

When they reconfigured Sam Houston Airport between 1944 and 1953 did they rename the airport?

1944

1953

[px4man]

About five years ago we had an extensive discussion of that old airport here on the HAIF.

Here's a link to a great aerial photo. You're looking east along Hwy 90, or South Main.

http://houstonfreeways.com/images/sam_houston_airport_1947-11-00_overview_complete.jpg

Here's a link to a website devoted to old abandandoned airfields, including the old Sam Houston Airport.

http://www.members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/TX/Airfields_TX_HoustonS.htm#samhouston

I'm so sorry. Since I found this Forum, I got real excited, and have not explored and used the search feature like I should. I will in the future and really enjoy being able to answer a lot of my questions in my memory about growing up and living in Houston for over 50 years. Most of it in SW Houston.

Thanks,

John

[NenaE]

I'm so sorry. Since I found this Forum, I got real excited, and have not explored and used the search feature like I should. I will in the future and really enjoy being able to answer a lot of my questions in my memory about growing up and living in Houston for over 50 years. Most of it in SW Houston.

Thanks,

John

Welcome to HAIF, px4man...you'll find that the more you use the features, the better you get at zeroing in on your specific subject.

That search feature doesn't always work that well for me, keep your search word short...just saying

If you guys ever run across anything on the Glenbrook airfield during one of the WWs, please, let me know.

It was a soft field, had tents set up.

I need to get a hold of the dogpatch books...I've seen a few.

[marmer]

The story I heard at the time was that Savitch was arrested when she physically attacked a Brazoria County Deputy Constable who had taken her camera-man's 16mm film camera away from him. She jumped on his back piggy back style.

Another deputy constable pulled her down and slapped cuffs on her. She was placed in a nearby police car, but she wasn't taken to jail because all the lawmen there were up to their ears handling crowd control and security around that small airport, and nobody had time to drive Savitch to the jail in Angleton. So they let her go on her promise to behave herself.

I was a news anchor for KPRC Radio at the time, and that's the story I heard from one of our reporters who was there.

Makes sense. I worked right after high school at Dow and one of my co-workers had been a volunteer fireman for many years. He was out there on the day and his recollection was similar. He said he always changed the channel whenever she came on after that.