Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Florida: Southwestern Orlando area
© 2002, © 2007 by Paul Freeman. Revised 5/28/07.
Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark (revised 5/28/07) - Lake Buena Vista Airport / Disney Airport (revised 10/7/04)
Maguire Airport / Orlando West Airport (revised 2/5/06)
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Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark (44FD), Lake Buena Vista, FL
28.35 North / 81.55 West (West of Orlando, FL)
The circular landing pad of the Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark was still visible in the 1999 USGS aerial photo.
In addition to the Walt Disney World's primary airport,
a second smaller airfield was evidently operated for several years along the southern edge of the Disney property.
The date of construction of the Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark has not been determined.
It was not yet depicted at all on the 1981 USGS topo map
or the September 1996 Orlando Sectional Aeronautical Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark which has been located
was on the 1999 USGS aerial photo.
It depicted the field as consisting of a 400' diameter circular field,
inside of which were several small buildings or trailers.
The Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark was evidently closed at some point before 2001,
as the site of the airfield was covered by the construction of several hotel buildings
for the second half of Disney's Pop Century Resort hotel complex.
However, construction of this portion of the resort on the west side of the lake, known as the “Legendary Years”,
was never completed, as the travel industry experienced a sharp downturn in the aftermath of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks.
However, showing how much you can sometimes trust the published aeronautical information,
the “Epcot Center” airfield was still depicted on the September 2002 Orlando Terminal Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
even though the airfield had been covered by a hotel for at least a year by that point.
The “Epcot Center” airfield continued to be depicted
on the February 2004 Orlando Terminal Aeronautical Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
A circa 2006 aerial view looking north at the site of the Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark,
now covered by the abandoned hotel buildings of the never-completed Disney Pop Century Legendary Years Resort.
There is no remaining trace of the former airfield.
As of 2007 the “Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark (44FD)”
was still listed in the FAA Airport/Facility Directory as an active private airfield,
even though the site of the airfield had been covered by buildings for at least 6 years by that point.
The A/FD data described the airfield as having a single 424' circular turf landing pad,
which matches the airfield configuration seen in the 1999 aerial photo.
The owner was listed as the Walt Disney World Company,
with the manager listed as Jay Parker.
The field was said to have a total of 20 aircraft based on the field,
including 10 single-engine aircraft, and 10 ultralights.
“Epcot Center” was still depicted as a private ultralight airfield on the 2007 Orlando Terminal Aeronautical Chart.
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Maguire Airport / Orlando West Airport (X30), Gotha, FL
28.53 North / 81.54 West (West of Orlando, FL)
Maguire Airport, as depicted on the March 1972 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Nancy Maguire (Harold Maguire's daughter) recalled, “The airport was never 'built' - it just evolved.
Dad always had a plane & had to keep it either at Herndon or Longcoy's airport.
He decided to remove some trees in his orange grove (where the grove barn was built) and make a landing field just for himself.
He built a hangar - more like a airplaneport instead of a carport.
For many years when he came back from a trip, he would buzz the house so Mom would know to go pick him up.
The whole town knew when he returned.
He even landed out there at night without lights -
he would line up with the lights from Highway 50 & the light from the hangar & judge the distance & land.
He could even do this with a Baron.
Growing up I never thought this was anything special but when I got my pilots license, I found out differently.”
Maguire Airport was not yet depicted at all
on the 1966 Orlando Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
According to Nancy Maguire, “After a few years several people in Windermere, Ocoee and Winter Garden
asked Dad is they could keep their planes at his strip & before long it became Maguire Airport.
I graduated from high school in 1967 & it was not an official airport
but by the time I started attending FSU in 1969 I believe it was Maguire Airport.”
The earliest official listing of the airport which has been located
was in the 1971 Flight Guide (which listed it in the "Low Use" airports section).
It described Maguire Airport as having a single 2,800' unpaved runway.
Harold Maguire was the original owner & operator of the airport, according to Brian Smith.
According to Sue Thompson, Selby Birch was the contractor “who used his tractor to clear & create the runway.
He was also the first to land there.
Debbi Huckabee was my ground school instructor.
I was a broke college student who had always dreampt of flying.
Harold [Maguire] was my first instructor. I was honored... he was a great teacher. I loved that place.”
The March 1972 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
and the January 1976 CH-25 World Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Maguire as having a 2,400' unpaved runway.
A 1979 photo by Brian Smith of Maguire Airport Lineman Mark Calderazzo,
clowning around in the flight office at with a pair of view limiting goggles.
A 1979 photo by Brian Smith of the wreck of Cessna 172 N734YH at the end of Maguire's Runway 18.
The aircraft crashed into orange trees off end of runway,
and was pictured here after being pulled back out of the trees onto the runway.
The tail tore away from fuselage during this process.
A 1979 photo (courtesy of Brian Smith) of the aftermath of a turkey buzzard strike on the left wing of Cessna 150 during cable patrol.
Pilot Bob Coffey, continued the patrol with the deceased buzzard on his wing & returned safely to the airport.
The airport Flight Office is in the background on the right,
and the maintenance hangar is visible in the center background.
Left to right: Dan Black, Dan Isaacs, Doug Denny, and Brian Smith.
A 1980 aerial view looking north at Maguire Airport by Brian Smith.
Brian Smith recalled, "I was a flight instructor at the airport from 1978-80.
At that time the airport was called 'Maguire Airport' and Mr. Harold McGuire ran the operation.
The airport was located on Maguire Road between Windemere & Ocoee, FL.
It was almost exactly 12nm west of the Orlando Executive Airport (then called Herndon Airport - ORL).
The Maguire family was prominent in the area, as you might surmise,
and lived in the town of Ocoee, several miles north of the airport.
Harold Maguire was a pilot during WW2.
I think at one point as a instructor pilot.
I also understood that he ferried B-17s across the Atlantic."
"Many of the airport buildings were originally part of a farm implement company owned by the Maguires.
Before the location became an airport,
they manufactured some sort of farm implement used in the orange groves.
If I remember correctly, the manufacturing rights were eventually sold to the Ford Company.
Perhaps this is when Harold decided to turn the place into an airport."
"Harold's son, Mickey, tragically died in an airplane crash at the airport several years before I began work there
[on January 6, 1972].
The name of the FBO in the late 1970's was 'Mickey's Air Service',
I assume in memory of Harold's son."
"During my tenure the airport was indeed a busy place.
I was kept busy teaching students to fly,
we had a contract with AT&T to fly cable patrol
and also flew a pipeline patrol every week from Florida all the way out to Texas.
Mickey's Air Service sold av-gas & the tie-down lines were always nearly full.
Sue Hauchabee held ground school regularly.
Mark Calderazzo & Paul Weston were linemen, and our mechanic's last name was "Dietz".
And of course, there was Harold McGuire."
"My first day on the job was a disaster.
I showed up & Harold immediately gave me the keys to an airplane
and introduced me to who I thought was another instructor pilot.
Me & this 'IP' walked out to the airplane when he mentioned he was 'looking forward to learning to fly.'
That's when I found out this guy was actually my first student.
Mind you, I had never flown a C-152, nor had I ever flown into, or out, of this short grass airport before.
We lined up on this 2,300' grass runway with orange trees at the end & firewalled the thing.
It began to look like we weren't going to get airborne so I made an executive decision & aborted.
We skidded down the remaining runway
and almost stopped when the nose wheel dipped into the ditch at the end of Runway 18.
The tail of the plane was now sticking up on about a 30 degree angle.
Fortunately we were only moving at a few MPH by this time & not much else happened.
Talk about an embarrassing start to a new job!
Harold & I had a talk, followed by an evaluation flight,
he released me to fly & I stayed there two more years
and was the only flight instructor for the majority of the time."
"After I left in 1980, the airport was run for a time by Joe & Peg Austin.
Joe & Peg were flight students of mine.
I know they eventually moved to Camellia, GA & ran an FBO at that airport."
"That job was perhaps the most enjoyable of all my flying career with the exception of the pay (a great week was $90).
I also remember chucking rolls of toilet paper out of a C-152 over top the airport,
buzzing a ground school class in a Bonanza & other stuff we shouldn't have been doing.
Most of which was done when Harold wasn't around."
Maguire Airport was described in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
as having a single 2,340' turf Runway 18/36.
Aerial view of Orlando West Airport, looking south, circa 1980s, by Stephen Mahaley.
Aerial view of Orlando West Airport, looking west, circa 1980s, by Stephen Mahaley.
According to Stephen Mahaley, by the 1980s it was known as Orlando West Airport.
He recalls, "The parallel north/south turf runways were about 2,600'.
A glider operation used the outside runway, other aircraft used the inner runway."
Several hangars & other buildings sat at the southwest corner of the airfield,
along Maguire Road.
The airport was apparently well-used,
as over twenty light aircraft can be seen in the photos.
Jack Mannix recalled, "I moved to Windermere, FL in 1991
and Orlando West Airport was still there but closed & abandoned.
A Publix Supermarket was built there maybe around 1993 along with other strip mall stores."
The 1999 USGS aerial photo showed that the property had been redeveloped with housing & a shopping center.
The 2002 USGS aerial photo showed that the site of Maguire Airport has been covered with housing & retail construction.
However, Brian Smith pointed out that a close-up view from the 2002 USGS aerial photo of the southwest portion of the site
reveals the concrete foundation of the former Maguire Airport maintenance hangar (the rectangular foundation in the center, surrounded by trees),
as well as the smaller foundation to its right of the former flight office.
Former Maguire Airport instructor Brian Smith reported in 2003,
"I periodically make it back to the area.
The airport is now completely gone.
In its place is a shopping center & residential homes.
It is no longer the rural area & the groves are all gone.
The area looks nothing like it did in the heyday of the airport.
I wonder if any of the new homeowners know what went on there in the 1970s?"
Bob Fairchild reported in 2004, "Yesterday I passed the Maguire house
[Harold Maguire, founder of Maguire airport] and noticed an estate sale.
After buying a memento I found that Harold had just recently died. He was quite a dreamer."
Jeff Olynick reported in 2008 that a more-recent aerial photo shows “that the concrete foundation
of the former Maguire Airport maintenance hangar as well as the smaller foundation to its right of the former flight office is all gone.
They appear to be expanding the shopping center, and the place where those foundations were
appears to be being prepared for an expansion to the parking lot.
The expansion project may be all complete by now.”
Orlando West Airport was located southeast of the intersection of Maguire Road & Bridge Creek Boulevard.
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Lake Buena Vista Airport / Disney Airport (DWS), Lake Buena Vista, FL
28.4 North / 81.57 West (West of Orlando, FL)
"Lake Buena Vista" Airport, as depicted on the March 1972 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airfield while in use has not been located.
Among the millions of visitors who arrive at the Disney World resort every year,
how many people realize that the resort has its own private airport,
situated just adjacent to the east side of the main parking lot?
Disney World's airfield was reportedly built in 1970 during the construction of the Disney World resort.
It was not yet depicted on the October 1971 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
When Walt Disney World opened in 1971,
Shawnee Airlines began regular passenger service from Orlando's McCoy Airport directly to Disney World's own STOLport,
using 19 seat DeHavilland Twin Otters.
The actual flight time was only a few minutes.
Shawnee was the only airline ever to fly directly into the Magic Kingdom.
The earliest depiction of the Disney airfield which has been located
was on the March 1972 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It labeled the field as the "Lake Buena Vista STOL" Airport,
and described the field as having a 2,000' unpaved runway.
Curiously, although the name of the field was labeled,
there was no symbol depicting the actual location of the field.
"Lake Buena Vista" Airport, as depicted on the 1972 USGS topo map.
A February 5, 1973 Florida Department of Transportation aerial photo (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel) of the Disney World Airfield.
Runway 12/30 was marked as "STOL", but it also had closed-runway "X" symbols
(which may have been due to its status as a private airfield,
or maybe this indicates that the airfield was not yet in use at this point).
Note that the paved ramp at the northwest corner of the field had painted aircraft parking spots for a total of 4 aircraft.
Guests of the Disney park were originally able to arrive by private plane,
although this practice was eventually discontinued.
The Disney Airfield was kept at a very low profile.
It was not listed at all in the 1976 AOPA Airports USA directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
Unfortunately for the Disney Airport, in the late 1970s / early 1980s a monorail extension to EPCOT Center was constructed,
which placed an elevated monorail track just north of the runway.
Therefore by the 1980s Disney no longer allowed anyone to land at the Lake Buena Vista STOLport.
Even when Mickey Mouse One (Walt Disney's own private plane) was being flown into Walt Disney World
so that it could then go on display in Disney-MGM's boneyard,
this aircraft couldn't get clearance to land at WDW's private airfield.
Which is why Mickey Mouse One actually touched down out on World Drive
(which had been completely shut down to traffic just prior to the plane's arrival).
Once the old Disney corporate plane was on the ground, it was then safely towed back to the studio theme park.
The 1985 USGS topo map depicted a 2,000' paved runway (labeled merely as "Landing Strip").
A 1995 USGS aerial photo depicted "X" closed-runway markings on the runway.
However, the airfield was still listed as an active private airfield, up until the late 1990s.
"Lake Buena Vista" Airport was still depicted as an active private airfield on the 1998 Jacksonville Sectional Chart.
As seen in the 1999 USGS aerial photo,
the Disney Airfield consists of a single paved 2,000' runway, a paved ramp & taxiways.
USGS aerial photo 2002.
Paul Freeman visited the Disney Airfield in September 2004.
The runway, taxiways, and ramp remained completely intact.
The former runway was being used as a staging area for buses.
As of 2004, the Disney Airfield is no longer listed as an active airfield.
However, LJ reported in 2006, “I work for the company & go by the airstrip on a regular basis.
The airstrip is closed only to the public but is still in use.
In the last 2 years they have been parking buses, sea creates, and tractor trailers on the runway.
The monorail has never been a problem.
Yesterday 2/16/06 the sea creates & truck trailers were moved off but still lined the runway.
At 3:00 an aircraft landed & took off after making its drop.
A truck trailer was then immediately towed on to the runway to block any other aircraft from landing.
This turned out to be the preparation team for President Bush's visit today.
I have known company executives to also land there on occasion.”
Ironically, in our paranoid post-9/11 world,
the airspace over Walt Disney World is now “protected” by its very own no-fly zone.
How ironic for a resort that was originally built with its own airport.
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