Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Washington, DC
© 2002, © 2010 by Paul Freeman. Revised 1/20/10.
Anacostia NAS (revised 5/30/09) - Bolling Field / Bolling AFB (revised 1/20/10)
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Anacostia Naval Air Station, Anacostia, DC
38.86 North / 77 West (Southeast of Capitol Hill, DC)
The Anacostia “Naval Air Station”, as depicted on the 1926 USGS topo map (courtesy of Laurence Burke).
The narrow plain along the eastern bank of the Anacostia River
originally contained 2 military airfields:
the Navy's Anacostia Naval Air Station & the Army's Bolling Field.
Anacostia NAS got its start in 1917, when the War Department authorized the Navy to use the Anacostia Flats,
a drained swamp area, as a seaplane base.
Land plane facilities were added in 1918, starting with 2 runways & 2 hangars,
which were to be shared with the Army.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Anacostia NAS was on the 1926 USGS topo map (courtesy of Laurence Burke).
It depicted the “Naval Air Station” as having several buildings along the west side of the field,
with “Bolling Field” located to the northeast.
A mid-1920s aerial view looking north at Anacostia NAS,
showing the airfield as a large open grass area, with several hangars along the west side.
The hangars of Bolling Field were along the east side (at top-right).
Charles & Anne Lindbergh, stopping in their Lockheed Sirius in 1931 at NAS Anacostia,
as they prepare to embark on a 7,000 mile trip scouting new airline routes to Tokyo.
Bolling Field, as depicted on the May 1932 J-18 Washington D. C. Airway Map (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Anacostia was described in the Commerce Department's 1934
"Descriptions of Airports & Landing Fields in the U.S." (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
as using the landplane facilities of Bolling Field,
which were said to comprise a 7,000' x 2,000' sod landing area.
"Bolling Field Naval Air Station", as depicted on the 1934 Navy Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
During WW2, Anacostia expanded considerably & became a primary training base for naval aviation.
It was at this point when the base evidently gained its paved runways.
It also became the home of Navy Flight Test operations,
until overcrowding caused that mission to be moved in 1943 to Patuxent River NAS.
Note the taxiway connecting the 2 airfields.
A WW2-era aerial view looking northwest at Anacostia NAS,
with the runways of Bolling AFB just visible to the left (National Archives photo).
Anacostia had one Outlying Landing Field, at Beltsville, Md.
The primary runway at Anacostia was expanded to 5,005' in 1945 for use by the Naval Air Reserves.
All of Anacostia NAS & Bolling AAF were depicted as an empty “Military Reservation” on 1940s maps,
without depicting any runways or any other details,
presumably due to wartime security concerns.
An undated aerial view looking east at Anacostia from the November 1947 Naval Aviation News
showed a large number of aircraft on the west ramp,
as well as the main runway which had been lengthened to the north.
Anacostia NAS & Bolling AFB, as depicted on the 1949 USAF Target Complex Chart.
Anacostia operated jet aircraft (Lockheed TV-2 trainers) for a brief period, starting in 1957.
A mid- to late-1950s photo by Lester Lemar of several aircraft on the ramp at Anacostia.
A mid- to late-1950s photo by Lester Lemar of C.W. Wolf in front of a Convair R4Y & several other aircraft on the ramp at Anacostia.
A mid- to late-1950s photo by Lester Lemar of a Convair R4Y inside a hangar at Anacostia.
A mid- to late-1950s photo by Lester Lemar of C.W. Wolf in front of a Lockheed TV-2 Shooting Star at Anacostia.
According to Michael Jacobson (who was stationed at Anacostia from 1956-58 in HQ Marine Corps Flight Section),
"We maintained an assortment of aircraft for the pilots at HQ to get their flight skins in each month.
The Commandant's R5D was part of the squadron, and we had some R4Ds,
numerous SNB-5's, a few TV-2's & AD-5's.
Our most notable pilot was Major John Glenn, who later became an astronaut & senator.
We were not allowed to have cameras on base, and as a result, none of us have photos of each other or of the base."
A 1957 aerial view of the large number of small & large aircraft parked on the ramps on the east & west sides of Anacostia.
Anacostia NAS was listed among airports on the 1960 Washington Sectional Aeronautical Chart,
with 3 concrete runways (the longest being 5,000').
By that point it was already "closed to jet operation".
The end of fixed-wing flying operations at both Anacostia NAS & Bolling AFB
was brought about by two factors.
The first was the advent of the jet aircraft, which necessitated much longer runways
than could be accommodated in the constricted patch of ground along the Anacostia River
(the two bases are also bordered on the east side by the I-295 expressway,
which precluded any property expansion eastward).
The second factor making the closure unavoidable was the presence
of Washington National Airport directly across the Anacostia River,
only a mere mile away from the two military airfields.
National has evolved into one of the busiest airports in the world,
blanketing the area over Anacostia with extremely dense commercial air traffic.
The runways at Anacostia & Bolling were closed to fixed wing traffic in 1962,
and both Navy & Air Force fixed wing flying operations for the Washington DC area moved
to the much larger & less crowded Andrews AFB a few miles to the East.
The only aircraft visible on all of Anacostia NAS in a 1963 aerial photo
were 7 helicopters (possibly H-34s) parked on the ramp on the west side of the field.
The airfield & all of its facilities remained otherwise intact.
The runways of both NAS Anacostia & Bolling AFB were still depicted
on the 1964 National Geographic Map of Suburban Washington (courtesy of David Brooks),
but both airfields were labeled "Runways Closed".
The runways of both NAS Anacostia & Bolling AFB were still depicted
on the 1975 Washington Terminal Area Chart (courtesy of Ed Drury),
but both airfields were labeled "Closed".
Most of the Anacostia runways were evidently removed at some point between 1975-80,
as depicted by a 1980 aerial photo,
with the exception of the east/west runway.
A January 1981 DOS aerial view of Anacostia NAS,
showing 3 VH-3 helicopters in the center, and a single H-1 helicopter on the former runway segment to the lower-left.
A circa 1980s aerial view of looking northwest at Anacostia NAS (courtesy of George Miller),
showing 3 VH-3 helicopters of Presidential Squadron HMX-1 parked on the ramp,
and several vintage hangars in the background.
At some point between 1981-91 a new helicopter hangar & control tower were built in the center of the original Anacostia airfield area,
along with a new concrete ramp,
as seen in a January 1991 DOS aerial view looking southeast.
A 2002 USGS aerial photo looking southwest at the hangar & remaining helicopter ramp area at Anacostia NAF.
A circa 2005 aerial photo looking northwest at a Sikorsky VH-60 Executive Hawk on the Anacostia NAF ramp,
with the control tower in the foreground.
A circa 2005 aerial photo looking northwest at several former hangars at Anacostia NAF.
A circa 2005 aerial view looking north at what appears to be the only remaining fixed-wing aircraft at NAS Anacostia:
a North American T-28 Trojan, mounted on a pylon next to the main entrance to the base.
A nighttime 2006 photo by Paul Freeman, looking east at the former hangars & control tower which remain at Anacostia.
A nighttime 2006 photo by Paul Freeman, looking east at a former Anacostia hangar.
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Bolling Field / Bolling Air Force Base (BOF), Anacostia, DC
38.86 North / 77 West (Southeast of Capitol Hill, DC)
Two large unidentified biplanes at the first Army Air Tournament at Bolling Field in May 1920,
with several single-engine biplanes in the background.
The narrow plain along the eastern bank of the Anacostia River
originally contained 2 military airfields:
the Navy's Anacostia Naval Air Station & the Army's Bolling Field.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Bolling Field was a May 1920 photo
of first Army Air Tournament held at Bolling Field.
Crowds were gathered around 2 large unidentified biplanes, with several single-engine biplanes in the background.
An undated (circa 1920s?) view looking north along Bolling Field (courtesy of Edward Das)
showing large numbers of unidentified Army biplane fighters & bombers,
with the U.S. Capitol Building visible in the background.
The 1926 USGS topo map (courtesy of Laurence Burke) depicted “Bolling Field”
as having a row of small buildings along the northeast side of the field,
with the “Naval Air Station” located to the southwest.
For several years the Army & Navy shared the use of the grass landing area in between their two facilities.
In 1935 the Army was forced to give up its shared use of Anacostia NAS,
and it built a new Bolling Field 2 miles south along the river bank.
Four new runways were built along with ground facilities.
The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described Bolling Field as having 4 sod runways.
A series of remarkable circa 1937-41 photos which appear to be taken at either Bolling Field or Anacostia (courtesy of Lynn Towns).
Lynn reported, “I bought an antique 35mm Argus model A camera that, according to the serial number, is a 1937 model.
It included 2 rolls of developed film in metal cans. Since I am a pilot, I was surprised to find these negatives included pictures of airplanes.
The pictures on one film are a documentation of a young boy's trip with a Cleveland Boy Scout troop to Washington DC.
There are pictures of some military airplanes in Army Air Corps colors
that I believe were probably taken at Bolling Field and Anacostia Naval Air Station.”
The pictures depicted (from top), a Douglas O-46A, a Northrop A-17 Nomad,
a North American BT-9 Yale, and a Grumman J2F Duck amphibian.
A 1939 aerial view looking northeast at the "New" Bolling Field.
The field had evidently gained paved runways at some point between 1937-39.
Bolling served as the headquarters of the Continental Air Forces during WW2,
and training was conducted of existing combat air units.
It served as the primary military air facility for the capital region,
including serving as the home of the official aircraft of Presidents Roosevelt & Truman,
a Douglas C-53C nicknamed the "Sacred Cow".
A WW2-era aerial view looking northwest at Anacostia NAS,
with the runways of Bolling AFB just visible to the left (National Archives photo).
All of Anacostia NAS & Bolling AAF were depicted as an empty “Military Reservation” on 1940s maps,
without depicting any runways or any other details,
presumably due to wartime security concerns.
A 1949 aerial view of Bolling AFB,
showing an amazing number of aircraft parked on the field,
including large numbers of single-engine & multi-engine aircraft on the ramp on the east side,
as well as large numbers of C-47s parked in individual dispersal pads along the river on the southwest side of the runways.
Anacostia NAS & Bolling AFB, as depicted on the 1949 USAF Target Complex Chart.
A circa 1954-56 photo by Howard Marler (courtesty of Helen Marler) of 2 Thunderbirds F-84F Thunderstreaks
overflying a rare EF-84G Thunderjet & a MGM-1 Matador at a Bolling AFB airshow.
The EF-84G was a zero-length launch version of the F-84 intended for point defense, using the booster rocket from the MGM-1 Matador.
It did not enter production.
A circa 1954-56 photo by Howard Marler (courtesty of Helen Marler) of a Thunderbirds F-84F Thunderstreak at a Bolling AFB airshow.
A 1957 aerial view of the large number of small & large aircraft parked on the ramp on the east side of Bolling AFB.
John Baker recalled, "Around 1960-61, my Dad was stationed at Anacostia Naval Air Station.
On Saturday mornings, my Mom & Dad would go to the commissary at Bolling Field for groceries.
I remember sitting in the car watching T-28's practice landings as they approached from the southeast,
landing on the runway that ran northwest towards the Potomac River.
The elevation of the terrain to the southeast was quite a bit higher,
so the planes really did fly 'down the hill' towards the runway, following the descending terrain.
The commissary was just northeast of the approach end of the runway,
so I had a good view of the approach,
though I could not see the actual touchdowns as the planes disappeared behind the commissary building.
I also remember clearly seeing the C-47's parked on the tarmac directly across from the entrance road,
a little further towards the north end of the field."
The end of fixed-wing flying operations at both Anacostia NAS & Bolling AFB
was brought about by two factors.
The first was the advent of the jet aircraft, which necessitated much longer runways
than could be accommodated in the constricted patch of ground along the Anacostia River
(the two bases are also bordered on the east side by the I-295 expressway,
which precluded any property expansion eastward).
The second factor making the closure unavoidable was the presence
of Washington National Airport directly across the Anacostia River,
only a mere mile away from the two military airfields.
National has evolved into one of the busiest airports in the world,
blanketing the area over Anacostia with extremely dense commercial air traffic.
On July 1, 1962, the last fixed-wing flight departed Bolling AFB, a C-54 carrying 33 passengers & 6 crew members,
bound for nearby Andrews AFB.
The runways at Anacostia & Bolling were closed to fixed wing traffic in 1962,
and both Navy & Air Force fixed wing flying operations for the Washington DC area moved
to the much larger & less crowded Andrews AFB a few miles to the East.
The only aircraft visible on all of Bolling AFB in a 1963 aerial photo
was a group of 8 tandem-rotor helicopters (either CH-46s or CH-47s) parked on the ramp on the east side of the field.
The airfield & all of its facilities remained otherwise intact.
A portion of the 1964 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss),
which still depicted the runways of NAS Anacostia & Bolling AFB, although both were labeled "Closed".
The runways of both NAS Anacostia & Bolling AFB were still depicted
on the 1964 National Geographic Map of Suburban Washington (courtesy of David Brooks),
but both airfields were labeled "Runways Closed".
The runways of both NAS Anacostia & Bolling AFB were still depicted
on the 1975 Washington Terminal Area Chart (courtesy of Ed Drury),
but both airfields were labeled "Closed".
All of the Bolling runways were evidently removed at some point between 1975-80,
as depicted by a 1980 aerial photo.
As of 2002, the only aviation facility which remained active at Bolling was a small heliport.
A February 2003 DOD photo of what appears to be the only remaining aircraft at Bolling AFB:
a Republic F-105 Thunderchief, mounted on a pylon in the center of the main entrance to the base.
A circa 2005 aerial view looking west at a Republic F-105 Thunderchief,
mounted on a pylon in the center of the main entrance to the base.
Although no trace of the runways at Bolling AFB are still visible,
a circa 2005 aerial view looking north shows 2 former hangars
which remain in fine condition on the southeast side of the former airfield.
See also: http://www.bolling.af.mil/Organizations/11WGStaff/ho/index.htm.
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