Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Alaska
© 2003, © 2009 by Paul Freeman. Revised 9/25/09.
Ft. Glenn AAF / Otter Point NAF (revised 9/25/09) - (Original) Huslia Airport (revised 11/16/07)
Miller Army Airfield (revised 5/17/05) - Weeks Field (revised 1/2/09)
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Fort Glenn Army Airfield / Otter Point Naval Air Facility, Umnak Island, AK
53.37 North / 167.9 West (Southwest of Anchorage, AK)
An undated aerial view looking west at Ft. Glenn AAF (from a February 20, 1943 USAAF Air Route Manual, courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The Ft. Glenn site was acquired in 1942, according to an Army Corps of Engineers FUDS report (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It was located on Umnak Island at Umnak Pass, the narrow body of water separating Umnak & Unalaska islands.
The 102,062-acre site was improved with Quonset huts, buildings, ammunition magazines, hangars, and 4 paved runways.
The Navy's facility, Otter Point Naval Air Facility, was adjacent to the Army Airfield.
According to a Navy report (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
“Construction was carried out entirely by Seabees & the Army.
The development of the facility at Otter Point was approved by the Secretary of the Navy on September 18, 1942,
and Commanding General Alaska Defense Command assigned the required land on September 25, 1942.
The work was done by a detachment of the 8th Construction Battalion.”
The Navy report continued, “Housing & messing facilities for 119 officers & 359 men were constructed,
as well as recreational & ship's service buildings.
Storage facilities consisted of 6,975 square feet for general stores & a 150-cubic-foot freezer.
Buildings for aircraft included a kodiak-type hangar, 160' x 90', a squadron warehouse, and a terminal for air transport service.
Administration offices were housed in 5 buildings with a total floor space of 3,850 square feet.
Radio facilities included a transmitting station, a direction-finder station, and a radar station,
all with separate power houses & with housing & messing provisions for personnel.
The hospital, located in one small building, contained 8 beds.”
The Navy report continued, “The maintenance force of the station was installed in 7 buildings.
Electric power was provided by 3 diesel-electric generators.
All other utilities were furnished by the Army at Fort Glenn, which also provided landing strips & revetments,
aviation gasoline & fuels of other types, provisions, and repair facilities for aircraft.”
A February 20, 1943 USAAF Air Route Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Ft. Glenn AAF as having an unusual airfield layout,
with 4 paved 5,000' runways, two of which were situated only 10 degrees apart.
Runway 4/22 was described as consisting of steel mat, while the other 3 were said to be under construction.
A network of taxiways ringed the runways, along which were sited no less than 60 individual aircraft dispersal pads.
Three hangars were depicted on the northeast corner of the field,
and repair shops were depicted on the west side.
An approach plate for Ft. Glenn AAF from the February 20, 1943 USAAF Air Route Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Ft. Glenn's 2 satellite fields, #1 located 9 miles north-northwest & #2 located 7 miles southwest.
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Ft Glenn AAF
was on the January 1947 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).
It depicted Ft. Glenn AAF as having a 8,300' paved runway, and a control tower.
Its 2 satellite airfields were also depicted (North Shore & Pacifier).
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Ft Glenn AAF
was on th February 1947 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of David Brooks).
It depicted Ft. Glenn AAF as having a 8,300' paved runway, and a control tower.
Its 2 satellite airfields were also depicted (North Shore & Pacifier).
The Ft. Glenn site was excessed between 1952-55 to the Bureau of Land Management
and later transferred to numerous owners (Native corporations & the State of Alaska),
according to an Army Corps of Engineers FUDS report (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
No airfield at Ft. Glenn was depicted on the April 1988 Dutch Harbor World Aeronautical Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
As seen in a circa 2005 aerial photo,
the outlines of the former runways of Ft. Glenn were still barely perceptible,
more than 50 years after the field was abandoned.
Marc Hookerman recalled of the Ft. Glenn Airfield, “I was out there in 2005 on a freight contract,
and we graded one of the old runways so it would be usable for larger aircraft.”
A 2008 aerial view looking south at Ft Glenn Airfield by Dirk Bowen.
Dirk reported, “I went to Fort Glenn today on a medevac.
It's not in the Alaska supplement, although it is still in occasional use.
There is a cattle ranch there now, most of the work including herding is done with R-22s, but 2 runways are still usable.”
A 2008 photo by Dirk Bowen of the King Air 200 he landed at the Ft Glenn Airfield.
Dirt observed, “It was very soft (I also have a shot of the wheels & the tracks we were leaving, about 3/4 inch deep).
We didn't want to turn around because the runway is narrow & most likely softer on the edges,
so we stopped as short as we could & took off from there.”
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64.84 North / 147.73 West (Northeast of Fairbanks International Airport, AK)
According to the website of the current Fairbanks International Airport,
aviation service in the Fairbanks area was initiated at Weeks Field (also known as Weeks Ball Park) in 1923.
This multi-use facility gained importance in the community & throughout the Alaska aviation system
from the time that Carl Ben Eielson first flew into Fairbanks in 1923 to start Alaskan Airways.
A majority of Fairbanks's general aviation & commercial air traffic was accommodated at Weeks Field through mid-century.
A 1930 revision page of the 1929 Union Oil of California “Airplane Landing Fields of the Pacific West” (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described the Fairbanks “Territorial” Airport as being operated the the Alaska Road Commission.
The field was said to have two 2,000' runways(southeast/northwest & east/west), in an X configuration.
The field was said to offer hangars, fuel, and repairs.
A July 1930 aerial of looking east at Weeks Field (from Alaska's Digital Archives, courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Several hangars were visible on the north side of the field, along with 2 aircraft.
The field had several unpaved runways.
There is also what appeared to be a set of bleachers, in between the hangars.
According to John Ragle, in 1940 flight instructor Richard Ragle occupied a site on Weeks Field.
The field consisted of a gravel strip (during the summers) running from Gillam Way & ending in the town dump.
The first site occupied by Ragle was at the east end of the runway, off Gillam Way,
and the second was about midway along the north edge of the runway at the end of a skid road bulldozed through the brush.
In the latter, the installation consisted of a couple of "wanigans" on skids,
one of which was arranged so that the nose or engine nacelle of a plane
could be brought inside for the necessary, frequent, maintenance required by propeller-driven planes.
The other wanigan was used for ground-school operations.
The Ragle flying school & air service on Weeks Field continued during 1940 and early 1941
with a Federal Grant through the University of Alaska for pilot training,
and some 50 pilots graduated via this effort.
The earliest chart depiction of Weeks Field which has been located
was on the June 1942 Fairbanks Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Weeks as a commercial/municipal airport.
The Ragle flying school at Weeks Field had ceased operations by 1943 or 1944.
An undated (circa 1940s?) aerial view looking south toward Weeks Field from a postcard (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Weeks Field as having several hangars & unpaved runways,
as well as a very large circular marking.
The runway configuration is different than that depicted in an earlier photo.
The 1945 USAAF Pilot's Handbook (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Weeks Field as having a single east/west runway.
The January 1946 Fairbanks Sectional (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Weeks Field as having a commercial/municipal airport.
City growth surrounded Weeks Field in the 1940s,
leading to plans which coalesced in 1948 for development of a new airport to the southwest of Fairbanks,
which eventually became Fairbanks International Airport.
The last depiction which has been located of Weeks Field was on the 1949 USGS topo map.
It depicted Weeks Field as having a single northwest/southeast runway.
Mary recalled, “In the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s my family lived in the old Weeks Field Restaurant; my parents turned it into our home.
It was located at 826 Smythe Street, Fairbanks, on the corner of Cowles Street & Smythe Street.”
The Weeks Field control tower was decommissioned on June 1, 1951 (according to the Fairbanks FSS website),
and flight operations were shifted from Weeks Field to the new airport in 1951.
Not long after the field closed, the abandoned Weeks Field control tower burned down on October 18, 1951.
Mary recalled, “After many years my mother had it [the former Weeks Field Restaurant] burned down to sell the property.
Much to my dismay; as I would love to have it for historical reasons.”
At some point the site of Weeks Field was reused as Weeks Field Park.
As seen in the 1998 USGS aerial photo,
Weeks Field Park occupies a portion of the former airport property.
The large building to northwest is reportedly the old Pan-Am hangar, now a bowling alley.
It appears to match a building depicted in the aerial photo several paragraphs above.
The site of Weeks Field is located northeast of the intersection of Cowles Road & Airport Way.
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Miller Army Airfield, Cape Chiniak, AK
57.62 North / 152.2 West (Southwest of Anchorage, AK)
Miller Field, as depicted on a 1946 AK Road Commission Map (courtesy of Timothy Aanerud).
Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.
Miller Army Airfield was located on Kodiak Island.
It was evidently built during WW2 as a fighter landing strip,
to assist in any needed defense of Alaska.
The date of construction of Miller Field has not been determined.
It was not yet depicted on a February 1943 USAAF Air Route Manual of Alaska (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of Miller Field which has been located
was on a 1946 AK Road Commission Map (courtesy of Timothy Aanerud).
An undated topo map depicting the runway of Miller Field.
The January 1947 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Timothy Aanerud)
depicted Miller as a civilian airfield, having a single 5,000' hard-surface northeast/southwest runway.
The 1949 USGS topo map depicted Miller as having a single northeast/southwest runway.
According to a book by Tony Smaker (via Timothy Aanerud),
in 1958 a C-124 managed to land at Miller Field,
but tore up good portion of the perforated steel plate which made up Miller's runway surface.
Pete Azzole was at Miller Field in 1962. He recalled, "When I was there, Miller Field was merely steel matting.
I don't recall finding any structures or remnants thereof in the immediate vicinity of the field."
According to George Zonoff, “Miller Field was in active use during the period 1962-68
in support of the Air Force Kodiak Tracking Station.
During that period C124s laden with cargo were able to land without difficulty
on the perforated metal strips despite the absence of air-to-ground communications.
In addition, technical support provided by C-54s landed as well,
although during landing it was clear the perforated landing was 'rolled up'
in front of the landing gear wheels & the aircraft rolled to a stop.
And, plenty of light private aircraft made practice landings & takeoffs during that period.
Notably, after the 1964 earthquake, many families took refuge
at the tracking station & abandoned housing facilities adjacent to the airstrip (Quonset Huts),
and were subsequently flown out on a MATS C-54 once facilities were restored in the City of Kodiak.”
In the 1960s P-3 Orions flew up from Moffett Field CA to Miller Field
to retrieve spy satellite film retrieved by C-130s & dropped off at Fort Miller.
The May 1965 Operational Navigation Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Miller Field as having a 5,000' runway.
Miller Field was most likely maintained until the adjacent Chiniak Kodiak Tracking Station was closed,
according to an article in the March 17 1975 issue of the Kodiak Mirror newspaper (according to Timothy Aanerud).
The last depiction of Miller Field as an active airfield which has been located
was on the March 1978 Kodiak Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Miller as an Air Force airfield, but its listed runway configuration had been reduced to only a 2,400' unpaved runway.
Miller Field was evidently closed at some point between 1978-98.
A July 1998 photo by Joe Stevens of the differential GPS transmitter just beside the Miller Field runway.
In 1998 Joe Stevens reported that the Coast Guard had "recently installed a differential GPS transmitter just beside the Miller Field runway.
The runway condition is severely potholed and some of the rusty Marston matting has been partially removed.
It is NOT suitable for landing an airplane."
George Zonoff reported, “A visit to Kodiak in 2004 revealed the metal airstrip had been completely removed
and the landing strip is reverting to native vegetation & in several more years will be completely invisible.”
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(Original) Huslia Airport, Huslia, AK
65.69 North / 156.39 West (Northwest of Fairbanks, AK)
The original Huslia Airport, as depicted on the 1956 USGS topo map.
According to www.explorenorth.com, the first airport was constructed in the little community of Huslia in 1952.
The earliest depiction which has been located of the Huslia Airport was on the 1956 USGS topo map.
It depicted the “Landing Strip” southeast of the town as having a single northeast/southwest runway.
The original Huslia Airport,
as depicted on the May 1965 USAF Operational Navigation Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The original Huslia Airport was described in the 1995 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Jonathan Westerling)
as having a single 3,000' gravel Runway 3/21.
A 1995 photo of the original Huslia Airport, while it was still open.
Photo courtesy of the Alaska DOT, via Jonathan Westerling.
As seen in the above 1995 aerial photo,
a small ramp along the southwest side of the runway had one small buiding,
but there did not appear to be any hangars.
In 1998 the decision was made to construct a new airport for Huslia that would meet current FAA standards
and provide safer year-round transportation (according to www.house.gov).
A 2000 photo of the original Huslia Airport (bottom left), along with the replacement airport (top right).
Photo courtesy of the Alaska DOT, via Jonathan Westerling.
The new 4,000' runway was completed in 2000,
at which point the old airport was presumably closed.
According to the FAA, the cost of the new airport was $4,305,612.
As seen in the above 2000 aerial photo,
the original runway still exists intact, between the town and the new airport.
Thanks to Jonathan Westerling for pointing out this airfield.
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