Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Colorado: Eastern Denver area
© 2002, © 2005 by Paul Freeman. Revised 3/14/05.
East Colfax Airport / Columbine Airport / Aurora Airpark (revised 9/19/04) - Lowry Field (1st location) (added 6/21/04)
Lowry Field (2nd location) (revised 9/5/04) - Sky Ranch Airport (revised 3/14/05) - Stapleton International (revised 9/24/04)
____________________________________________________
East Colfax Airport / Columbine Airport / Aurora Airpark (01V), Aurora, CO
39.73 North / 104.65 West (East of Denver, CO)
East Colfax Airport, as depicted on the February 1949 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The date of construction of this former general aviation airport is unknown.
It was apparently built between 1944-49,
as it was not listed among active airfields in the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the February 1949 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted "East Colfax" Airport as having a 3,000' unpaved runway.
East Colfax's runway was lengthened at some point between 1949-63,
as the October 1963 Sangre De Christo Mountains World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton)
depicted the field as having a 5,000' unpaved runway.
East Colfax Airport was depicted in the 1967 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
as having two unpaved runways: 5,000' Runway 13/31 & 2,550' Runway 7/25.
Several taxiways led to a cluster of hangars on the north side of the field,
and there was also another line of small hangars on the west side of the field.
The field was said to conduct skydiving operations.
Tom Richards recalled of East Colfax Airport, "I learned to fly there in the late 1960s
and kept my Cessna 120 tied down there until I sold it in 1970.
It was a great place in those days. Denver was about half the size it is now.
Flying out of East Colfax was basically unrestricted.
The only real problem we had was of course Stapleton and sometimes Buckley ANG Base."
"East Colfax" Airport was depicted on the 1970 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Vince Granato)
as having a 5,000' unpaved runway.
At some point between 1970-76, the field was apparently renamed Columbine Airport,
that is how it was labeled on the 1976 USGS topo map.
That must have caused confusion, as there was also another Columbine Airport in nearby Littleton.
It was depicted as having a single runway, oriented northwest/southeast.
According to John DeBrouwer, “Vaughn Cole of Cole Aviation carried the airport name from Littleton to Aurora.”
A 1976 photo by Larry Dale of a Mooney M-18L Mite at Columbine Airport.
The 1982 AOPA Airports USA directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
described Columbine Airport in Aurora as having a 5,000' asphalt Runway 14/32
and a 2,550' dirt Runway 7/25.
The field was said to offer fuel, major repairs, tiedowns, hangars, charter, flight instruction, and plane rental.
At some point between 1982-92 the field was renamed again, this time to Aurora Airpark.
The 1992 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Aurora as having a 4,687' paved runway 14/32
and a 2,300' dirt Runway 8/26 (which was closed to transient aircraft).
A large number of small hangars were depicted on the northwest & northeast sides of the field.
The field was said to conduct operations by ultralight aircraft & cropdusters.
As seen in the 1993 USGS aerial photo,
two ramp areas northwest & northeast of the runway intersection had a large number of individual T-hangars,
as well as a substantial number of aircraft visible parked outside.
By 1998, the USGS topo map showed that the airport had been renamed Aurora Airpark.
A September 17, 2000 photo by AirNikon of what appears to have been two homebuilt aircraft, abandoned before their completion.
The photo was taken behind a gas station adjacent to Aurora Airpark.
A beautiful sunset picture by Fabian Lorentz of a Beech 18 (N95622, "immaculate inside & out"),
caught at Aurora Airpark on October 19, 2001.
A September 2003 aerial photo by AirNikon looking west at the Aurora Airpark ramp,
with at least 10 aircraft visible parked outside.
A November 9, 2003 photo by Craig Mills, departing from Aurora Airpark's Runway 14 in a Piper Arrow.
A November 9, 2003 photo by Craig Mills of a Navion & two Cessnas at Aurora Airpark.
A June 3, 2004 photo by Craig Mills looking southeast along Aurora Airpark's Runway 14 in its final days.
A June 3, 2004 photo by Craig Mills looking southeast along Aurora Airpark's Runway 14,
with the Falcon VOR visible in the background.
Scott Krugerud recalled of Aurora Airpark, “My family kept our Cessna 210 there until it closed,
forcing us to move to nearby FTG.
While our plane is better off for it (FOD from gravel on the runway = prop that looks like a cheese grater), I miss the place.
It was run like a small town, everybody knew each other.
Many different activities took place there other than aviation.
We were allowed to shoot trap off the end of one of the dirt runways,
our only warning was to 'not shoot any planes'.”
Unfortunately, the pace of suburban development caught up with the little Aurora Airpark in 2004,
as explained by Craig Mills.
"I only know about the field closing because my friend based his Arrow there.
He's flown out of there for a long time & because it is a privately owned airport,
there has been lots of interest in eventually developing it into some kind of commerce buildings.
The sticking issue was water rights,
but those just recently got cleared up,
so the go ahead to close the field has been given.
The date of closure is July 15th [2004]."
The closure of Aurora Airpark was also probably somewhat precipitated
by the construction of the huge new Denver International Airport,
located a mere 5 miles to the north of the little Aurora Airpark.
The little airport was also situated solidly within the inner-most ring of DIA's Class B airspace,
which extended all the way to the surface at Aurora Airpark,
further complicating flights from Aurora.
In its last year of operation (2004), the published data for Aurora Airpark
described the field as having a 4,800 asphalt Runway 14/32
(which was unfortunately described as "in poor condition;
Pavement surface uneven with loose aggregate from Runway 14 end to midpoint"),
as well as a 2,300' turf/dirt Runway 8/26 (described as "in fair condition").
It is sad to see this airport going away - as it was obviously well used,
with a total of 78 aircraft listed as being based on the field (including 3 multi engine aircraft & 1 helicopter),
and the field was said to conduct an average of 60 takeoffs or landings per day.
Bob Resling reported that at the time of Aurora's closure,
“It was the oldest continuously operated airport in Colorado at the time.”
A September 18, 2004 photo by Craig Mills looking northwest at the abandoned Aurora Airpark.
A sad September 18, 2004 photo by Craig Mills, looking north at the abandoned hangars of Aurora Airpark.
Scott Krugerud reported in 2005, “My family & I still take our dogs out there to run in the open space.
As of yet, no construction has started and it will be some time until it does.
There is trash everywhere, mostly leftovers from the cheap hangars.
My understanding is that is the reason the airport was closed.
It had been for sale for many years.
The zoning commission in Arapahoe county had petitioned to rezone quite some time before, but nothing was ever done.
I heard that the property owners did not appreciate the trash
(broken down cars, RVs, and just plain junk) that had collected on the premesis.
The junk is still there, but the planes are gone.
Most of the hangars are gone now.
Only the shells of the tin roofed hangars next to Runway 14 are still there.
When the large hangar was brought down, all of the insulation & junk from inside was allowed to blow across the property.”
“In my opinion, the property is going to sit for some time.
I cannot imagine some investor looking to build a subdivision there with all of the cleanup
while there is virgin farmland on all sides that is also for sale.
The thought of living under the approach path for 35L at DEN would be somewhat less than appealing too.”
Aurora Airpark is located at the southern terminus of East Colfax Road,
along the south side of Interstate 70.
____________________________________________________
Lowry Field (1st location), Denver, CO
39.77 North / 104.93 West (Northeast of Downtown Denver, CO)
The first "Lowry Field" was dedicated by the Colorado Air National Guard in 1924.
The field was named in honor of Francis Lowry,
a Denver native who had been killed when he was shot down in 1918 while serving as an aerial observer.
According to the Wings Over the Rockies Museum,
the original Lowry Field was located in the vicinity of 38th Avenue & Dahlia Street.
The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described "Lowry National Guard" Airfield as being located "4 miles northeast of the State Capitol Building".
The Union Pacific Railroad was said to form the Northern boundary of the field.
The airfield was said to consist of a 2,300' sod square.
The southern hangar was said to have "Denver, CO, Lowry Field" painted on the roof.
The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described "Lowry National Guard" Airfield as consisting of a sod 2,300' square landing area.
A confusing development in the story of Lowry Field came in 1937,
when the Army dedicated a separate & unrelated "Lowry Field" in a different location, 4 miles to the southeast.
These two "Lowry Fields" continued in simultaneous operation for one more year,
until the original Lowry Field was inactivated (for reasons unknown) by the National Guard in 1938.
In the 1993 USGS aerial photo, there does not appear to be any remaining traces of the original Lowry Field.
The site of the original Lowry Field was located in the vicinity of 38th Avenue & Dahlia Street,
which is on the eastern edge of the present-day Park Hill Golf Club.
____________________________________________________
Lowry Field (2nd location), Denver, CO
39.71 North / 104.89 West (Southeast of Downtown Denver, CO)
A 1943 aerial view of Lowry Field.
In 1934 the Army realized it was outgrowing its facilities at Chanute Field, IL
and began looking for a new facility where it could consolidate all of its Air Service Technical training schools.
After looking at more than 80 sites across the nation,
a military committee submitted a list to Congress with the names of six cities that would meet their needs.
Denver ranked first.
Congress approved the Air Corps project in 1937,
but Chanute remained the headquarters of the Air Corps Technical School & home to the aircraft mechanics school.
The Army formed a new branch for armament & photography training in Denver.
The Works Progress Administration began work October 4, 1937
to convert the grounds of the former Agnes Memorial Sanatorium into a modern airfield.
The new field was to be named in honor of Francis Lowry,
a Denver native who had been killed when he was shot down in 1918 while serving as an aerial observer.
Note that there was also a separate & unrelated airfield (4 miles to the northwest) known as "Lowry Field",
which was operated by the Colorado National Guard from 1924-38.
Once construction started on the new Lowry Field,
the Denver branch of the Army Air Corps became an Army post of 880 acres.
A bombing range of 64,000 acres was acquired in 1938.
In 1941, the Army acquired an additional 960 acres a few miles to the east
as an auxiliary landing field, and named it Buckley Field.
Classes at the new Lowry Field began on February 28, 1938.
Ten students graduated from the Armament Department on March 19, 1938.
Several months later, ten photography students received diplomas in advanced aerial photography.
An aerial photo from July 20, 1938 (courtesy of David Brooks),
showing the hangars & runways of the new Lowry Field while under construction.
An aerial photo from July 20, 1938 (courtesy of David Brooks),
showing the hangars & runways of the new Lowry Field while under construction.
While construction was underway, the Army kept aircraft assigned to the Denver branch at the Municipal Airport,
where they shared a hangar with the Colorado National Guard.
When Lowry’s first unpaved runway became operational on April 4, 1938,
the first of four portable National Guard hangars was erected.
On June 30, nine aircraft flew from Municipal Airport to Lowry Field.
Construction continued and Hangar #1 was completed in August 1939,
and the 8,000' north/south runway was completed in December.
The first aircraft to land on the new, paved runway was a B-18A Bolo twin-engine bomber.
In January 1940, Lowry Field had a complement of 44 officers,
1,350 enlisted men including 600 students, and 27 aircraft.
As the international situation worsened, the Army acquired additional land.
Following December 7, 1941, the inflow of trainees increased.
In January 1942, the War Department tasked Lowry with annually training 57,000 men.
To accommodate the larger student population, construction of Lowry Field #2 was begun.
Lowry #2 was built on the northeast side of the post beyond 6th Avenue.
It opened in July 1942.
In addition, Armament School #2 was established at Buckley Field.
Lowry trained only bombardment armorers while Buckley prepared armorers for fighter aircraft.
As depicted on a 1943 2nd Air Force General Layout Plan (courtesy of John Voss),
the airfield at Lowry consisted of three 8,000' paved runways, taxiways, a ramp with two large hangars,
and a cantonment area with hundreds of buildings on the north side of the airfield.
The plan also depicted a planned addition of three other runways,
but these were apparently never built.
In October 1943, Lowry Flight Engineers School was moved to Lowry.
In 1944, Lowry introduced courses in radar photography, autopilot maintenance, and B-29 crew training.
In April 1945, the Crash Fire Fighting & Rescue School moved to Lowry from Buckley Field.
Also in 1945, production of B-29 Superfortresses reached a level
that necessitated another school for pilot & crew training.
Forty-two B-29s arrived at Lowry in May & the six-week course began in July.
At war’s end, two classes remained at Lowry along with thirty-nine Superfortresses.
The classes never completed training.
The end of the war in Europe in May & V-J Day on August 15
ended Lowry’s short history as a pilot transition training school.
Lowry quickly returned to a peacetime schedule.
Staffing decreased & student enrollment plummeted.
It became a separation center for returning veterans.
By the end of the 1945, Lowry was processing an average of 300 discharges a day.
In 1948, with the postwar reorganization of the military,
Lowry Field became Lowry Air Force Base.
The February 1949 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Lowry AFB as having an 8,300' hard surface runway.
In the 1950s Lowry AFB immediately responded to the North Korean incursion with an expanded training program.
Courses taught, in addition to photography & armament,
included rocket propulsion, missile guidance, electronics, radar-operated fire-control systems,
computer specialties, gun & rocket sights, and electronically operated turret systems.
Lowry lost one of its traditional courses, aerial photography, in February 1956.
Changing technology in the form of remote-control cameras on reconnaissance aircraft
made aerial photography specialists redundant.
Programs in camera repair & ground photography, however, continued to be taught.
In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill authorizing an Air Force Academy.
Lowry was selected as the Academy’s interim home until construction was completed in Colorado Springs.
The first class of cadets arrived in July 1955.
The Air Force Academy occupied facilities at Lowry #2 until 1958.
The 1960s marked the end of an era at Lowry.
The 3415th Technical Training Wing became Lowry Technical Training Center.
Headquarters shifted from the Sanatorium buildings.
Flight activity began to be phased out,
in part due to the dense encroachment of residential development around Lowry AFB,
which had made it increasingly unsuitable for flight operations.
The base was closed to all transient air traffic in June 1960.
By the time of the 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
Lowry was down to only a single remaining operating runway: the 8,283 paved Runway 8/26.
The two other abandoned runways were still depicted as well,
along with an extensive system of taxiways, ramps, and hangars.
In 1962, Lowry's Department of Weapons Training offered 60 courses in conventional munitions,
disaster control, armament, nuclear weapons, and weapons loading.
The Nuclear Weapons branch became the only Air Force organization
that instructed in storing, maintaining, assembling, testing, and handling nuclear components.
Lowry AFB, as depicted on the October 1963 Sangre De Christo Mountains World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton).
In 1964 Lowry’s remaining flight operations were shifted to Buckley Field.
All flying activities ceased completely in June 1966
when the last T-29 was flown out of Lowry to Buckley.
After the end of flight operations at Lowry, new programs were added.
Titan I missiles were installed on the old bombing range.
Intelligence training returned, and airmen were trained for the Southeast Asia conflict.
By 1964, Lowry's 3415th Technical School was graduating more than 10,000 people annually.
The look of Lowry began to change in the 1970s.
Almost 200 WW2-era wooden buildings were replaced with brick structures.
The new facilities included five dormitories housing 1,000 people each,
a youth center, a child-care center, a chapel, an Airmen’s Open Mess,
and five buildings for the 3320th Correction & Rehabilitation Group.
In 1976, the Air Force Accounting & Finance Center & the Air Reserve Personnel Center
opened in the Gilchrist Building (Building 444).
To put more emphasis on technical training & the aerospace mission,
the Air Training Command reorganized its schools in 1972.
The 3415th Technical School became the USAF School of Applied Sciences - Lowry,
comprised of Avionics, Aerospace Photography, Aerospace Munitions, Special Instruments, and Logistics departments.
In 1977, the Air Training Command was realigned along more traditional military lines.
Lowry’s school became the 3400th Technical Training Wing.
The training departments became technical training groups.
They were the 3420th Intelligence, 3430th Audiovisual, 3440th Logistics,
3450 th Avionics, and 3460th Munitions groups.
The basic wing-group structure continued into the 1980s.
Lowry first faced the possibility of base closure in 1978,
but Air Force recommended keeping Lowry open.
With the base closure issue settled (for the time being),
Lowry Technical Training Center introduced new & improved courses for the 1980s.
Lowry became the primary training center for space operations courses
and began Undergraduate Space Training for officers.
Lowry also handled ground & armament training for the F-15, F-16, A-10, and B-1 bomber,
as well as the Short Range Attack Missile (SRAM).
Lowry was also instrumental in training munitions handling for modified B-52 bombers.
In the 1987 USGS aerial photo, the characteristic layout of Lowry's former runways was still apparent.
On October 1, 1987, Lowry observed its 50th anniversary.
Characterized by more reorganization,
the 1990s saw the beginning of the end at Lowry.
The end of the Cold War, along with the resultant budget cuts & downsizing made base closure a reality.
In 1993, Lowry prepared to end 56 years of technical training.
While training continued, Lowry’s command structure planned to implement the closure in an efficient manner.
The Air Force deactivated the 3400th Technical Training Group on April 27, 1994.
A parade & pass-in-review was planned,
but the death of former President Richard Nixon caused the ceremonies to be postponed to the 28th.
The official deactivation date, however, remained the 27th.
On September 30, 1994, the American flag came down for the last time at Lowry AFB,
almost 57 years to the day that it was first raised at a new base.
A non-profit foundation was created to form the Wings Over The Rockies Air & Space Museum
which opened in the former Hangar #1 in 1994.
Today houses, office buildings, businesses, and paved streets
cover the land once occupied by hundreds of acres of concrete runways.
The only remaining hangar is presumably the former Hangar #1, which continues to house the museum.
A recent photo of a restored hangar at Lowry.
A 1999 photo by Lou Thole (author of the book "Forgotten Fields of America")
of a B-52 on display in front of Lowry's Hangar 2.
A 2002 photo by Tim Tyler of Lowry's Hangar #1.
A 2002 photo by Tim Tyler of a building which was being demolished,
along the former flight line adjacent to Hangar #1.
A 2002 photo by Tim Tyler of a sign at the development which is being built over a portion of the former Lowry AFB.
In the 2002 USGS aerial photo, some of Lowry's characteristic runway layout was still recognizable,
as well as the few remaining hangars.
A close-up from the 2002 USGS aerial photo, showing the B-52 which remains on display at Lowry.
____________________________________________________
39.76 North / 104.75 West (East of Stapleton International Airport, CO)
Sky Ranch, as depicted on the February 1949 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The date of construction of this former general aviation airport is unknown.
Sky Ranch Airport was apparently built between 1944-59,
as it was not listed among active airfields in the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).
The earliest depiction of Sky Ranch which has been located
was on on the February 1949 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted the field as having a 4,100' hard surface runway.
A circa late 1940s-50s aerial view looking east at Sky Ranch (courtesy of Mike Wotovich).
A circa late 1940s-50s closep-up aerial view looking east at the three hangars at Sky Ranch (courtesy of Mike Wotovich).
A circa late 1940s-50s aerial view looking south at the main hangar at Sky Ranch, with its attached control tower (courtesy of Mike Wotovich).
Joseph McKinley reported that he took flying lessons & soloed at Sky Ranch in 1956.
Sky Ranch was depicted in the 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
as having three unpaved runways (with the longest being the 4,100' Runway 12/30),
as well as a taxiway leading to a ramp on the south side of the field with numerous buildings.
Sky Ranch was listed among active airports in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory,
with three gravel runways (the largest being 4,700' long),
and the operators listed as Universal Aircraft Industries & Vest Aircraft & Finance Company.
Sky Ranch Airport was depicted on the October 1963 Sangre De Christo Mountains World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton)
as having a 4,200' unpaved runway.
Sky Ranch apparently gained two paved runways at some point between 1963-67,
as it was depicted in the 1967 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
as having two paved runways (4,850' Runway 8/26 & 4,625' Runway 18/36),
as well as a 5,280' unpaved Runway 12/30.
A taxiway led to a ramp on the south side of the field with several hangars.
Sky Ranch apparently gained a paved runway at some point between 1963-70,
as it was depicted on the 1970 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Vince Granato)
as having two paved runways, with the longest being 4,800'.
Jesse Colvin recalled, "I don't know exactly when Sky Ranch was closed
but I do know that it was closed by the mid 1970s.
I went to W.C. Hinkely in Aurora from 1974-77
and Sky Ranch at that time had already been closed for some time."
The closure of Sky Ranch was undoubtedly precipitated by the increasing traffic at nearby Stapleton International Airport,
which must have been increasingly problematic for Sky Ranch.
By the time it was closed, Sky Ranch Airport was very substantial in terms of facilities,
considering that it had always been a general aviation airport,
without having been built by the military or any other government agency.
Sky Ranch was no longer depicted at all on the 1976 USGS topo map.
The runways of Sky Ranch were still depicted on the 1981 USGS topo map,
but the field was labeled "Sky Ranch Airport (Closed)".
The runways at Sky Ranch had all been removed,
but their location was still barely perceptible in the 1993 USGS aerial photo.
Several roads & commercial buildings had been built over the former runways.
Two large hangars (one with an attached control tower) still stood as the only remaining element of the airport,
visible as the white buildings in the bottom-center of the above aerial photo.
A 2001 photo by Neal Braatz of the remaining hangars & control tower at Sky Ranch.
A 2001 photo by Neal Braatz of the remaining hangars & control tower at Sky Ranch.
The 2002 USGS aerial photo showed that the two largest hangars
still remained standing at the former Sky Ranch Airport.
Raymond Cober recalled in 2003, "I had once lived within a mile or so of the former facilities
and in fact it is quite possible my home was built on former airport grounds!
The remaining hangar & control tower/hangar combo are very visible landmarks from either I-70 or Tower Road,
including the intersection of both roadways.
I remember once driving up to there to see what the exact deal was.
A chain link fence surrounds the remaining facilities,
with signage indicating that the property is privately owned, apparently by some local construction firm.
Construction equipment was parked both outside & within the hangars themselves.
A few other additional facilities were built within the fenced perimeters,
mostly seeming to be temporary in nature (sheds, etc.).
The area has become somewhat more built up since the 1993 aerial survey
and I suspect even more so from the 2001 aerial survey.
The surrounding areas are becoming increasingly built-up with commercial interests
since the land is relatively cheap to buy & tax,
as well as the close proximity to DIA(KDEN) and the traditional technological & educational centers of Denver.
About a month ago, I passed by the area on the interstate,
and it seemed as if there were commercial facilities built up almost to the chain link fence.
I would not be surprised if the property is bought-up, the facilities demolished,
and any last vestige of Sky Ranch obliterated within the next five years.
A similar fate could very well be in the near future for nearby Aurora (01V),
which for the time being is privately operated & remains open as a general aviation airport."
The site of Sky Ranch Airport is located just north of Interstate 70,
5 miles east of the former Stapleton International Airport.
Thanks to Neal Braatz for pointing out this field.
____________________________________________________
Stapleton International Airport (DEN), Denver, CO
39.77 North / 104.87 West
What was then known as Denver Union Airport, in 1929.
This field, originally known as Denver Municipal Airport, was opened in 1929.
It was called the "Union Station of the Air", and heralded as the most modern facility in the country.
The airport was an immediate financial success.
An aerial view of the Denver terminal & hangars in 1930.
In 1931, Amelia Erhart stopped at Denver Municipal Airport on one of her cross-country escapades.
The 1934 Department of Commerce Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy)
described Denver Airport as having four sandy loam runways, with the longest being a 5,000' northeast/southwest strip.
A hangar was said to have "Denver Municipal Airport" painted on the roof.
The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described Denver Municipal Airport as having three "surfaced" runways,
with the longest being a 5,250' northwest/southeast strip.
An early (undated) view of Stapleton Municipal Airport.
The first control tower at Denver became functional in 1938.
In 1944, the field was renamed after Mayor Stapleton, who had led the fight for the new airport.
During WW2, Stapleton housed the Continental Denver Modification Center,
and was also used by the Air Transport Command.
The February 1949 Denver Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Stapleton as having an 8,500' hard surface runway.
By the late 1950's, the jet age was a reality,
and the need to expand the terminal facilities & runways became a necessity.
Additional land was acquired from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
Stapleton Airport was depicted
on the October 1963 Sangre De Christo Mountains World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Donald Felton)
as having a 11,500' hard-surface runway.
Steve Barnes recalled, "My dad was a private pilot in the 1960's
and we flew out of Coombs Aviation here at Stapelton
when it was still an everyday thing to mix 172's up with 707's on the runway.
I remember many times taxiing out behind a heavy
and gagging on the JP fumes coming into the cockpit.
Sometimes it seems like yesterday."
By 1985, Stapleton Airport had grown to 4,700 acres.
However, while passenger levels at the airport expanded dramatically in the 1970's & 80's,
Denver neighborhoods were expanding east towards the airport.
This led to a decision to replace Stapleton with a completely new airport,
Denver International, a mere 10 miles to the northeast,
at a cost of several billion dollars.
A 1993 USGS aerial view of Stapleton, taken only a few years before the field's closure.
Once the new Denver International Airport was opened for service,
the massive Stapleton International Airport was completely closed.
Recent aerial view, taken after the field's closure.
The terminals at Stapleton in the process of being demolished.
The terminals at Stapleton in the process of being demolished.
At the date of its closure, Stapleton consisted of five runways, up to 12,000' in length.
It is planned to redevelop the property for a variety of residential & commercial purposes,
and all of the extensive aviation infrastructure at Stapleton has been progressively destroyed.
A 2002 photo by Tim Tyler of the Stapleton control tower & parking garage.
A 2003 view looking east at the lonely control tower which still stands at the site of he former Stapleton Airport.
Photo by Benjamin Shumaker.
Benjamin Shumaker visited the site of Stapleton in 2003. His report:
"The terminal area is drastically different than two years ago.
The entire terminal structure & runway complex does not exist,
although from the air, I could still make out where the runways used to be.
The parking structure & control tower are the only structures still standing & I guess they will remain.
Entry into the airport via MLK Boulevard is still the same.
I was able to drive to the back of the parking structure
and get some shots of the control tower & surrounding area looking east.
Two rows of fencing kept me from walking right up to the tower
and every ramp & stairwell to the upper-deck of the parking structure
was obstructed with fencing to keep people out."
A 2003 aerial photo of the south side of the former Stapleton Airport site by Craig Mills (used by permission).
"This taken on climbout from Allegiant Air headed to Vegas.
We were just through 10,000' at this point (roughly 4,500' above the ground).
The warehouses on the left are right where the threshold of 35R was located.
There is almost no indication that there were runways on the south side of the site anymore."
A 2003 aerial photo looking east at the remains of Stapleton by Craig Mills (used by permission).
"Taken from the west of the Old Stapleton site at 1,000' AGL.
Here you can see where houses have now taken the place of the three east/west parallel runways.
The spared control tower is in the lower left."
A 2003 aerial photo of the Stapleton control tower by Craig Mills (used by permission).
A 2004 aerial photo by Craig Mills (used by permission) looking east at the remains of the Stapleton runways,
with the control tower still visible on the left.
A 2004 aerial photo by Craig Mills (used by permission) of Stapleton's former control tower & parking garage.
A 2004 aerial photo by Craig Mills (used by permission) of a remaining runway portion at Stapleton.
Steve Barnes reported in 2004, "The picture showing a portion of the old runway 35R with semi-trailers parked on it is where I work!
The warehouse just to east of the runway (and that is what we call it at work too)
is a meat, produce, cheese, and frozen food warehouse for King Soopers, the local branch of the Kroger Company.
I am a yard hostler here and spend my day shuttling trailers back and forth from the warehouse to the runway
where the drivers pick them up for store delivery.
This facility was the first building built at the former airport."
A 2004 aerial photo by Craig Mills (used by permission) of the markings still visible on the former Runway 17R.
An October 2004 photo by Chris Ness of the former Stapleton tower, which remains standing.
Chris Ness reported in October 2004 that "United's headquarters is still there (for now)
as is one of the old parking decks & a number of the old commercial buildings.
The runways seem to be mostly going for housing."
See also:
http://milehifield.topcities.com/main.html
http://www.stapletondenver.com/history/earlyyears_20s-40s.asp
____________________________________________________