Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Florida: Southern Tampa area
© 2002, © 2007 by Paul Freeman. Revised 6/21/07.
Bradenton Airport (revised 4/4/05) - Grand Central Airport / Sky Harbor (revised 6/21/07)
Robinson Airport / Plant City Airpark / Hillsboro Airport (revised 6/23/05) - (Original) Sarasota Airport / Lowe Airport (added 8/1/04)
____________________________________________________
Bradenton Airport, Bradenton, FL
27.49 North / 82.57 West (South of Tampa, FL)
Bradenton Airport, as depicted on the April 1937 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The Bradenton Airport was located only a quarter-mile southeast of the center of the town.
The airport was apparently established at some point between 1935-37,
as it was not yet depicted on the December 1935 Miami Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of Bradenton Airport which has been located
was on the April 1937 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Bradenton as a commercial or municipal airport.
The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airport Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described Bradenton as a Municipal Airport having 2 sod runways:
a 2,600' northeast/southwest strip & a 2,300 northwest/southeast strip.
The Airport Directory Company's 1938 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described Bradenton Airport in the same manner.
A 1940 aerial photo (from the University of FL online library, via Chris Kennedy)
depicted Bradenton Airport as having 2 grass runways in an "X" configuration.
Bradenton Airport may have been closed for a few years during WW2 (like many other small civilian airports along the coasts,
due to wartime security concerns & fuel rationing),
as it was not depicted at all on the August 1943 Miami Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
Bradenton Airport reopened at some point between 1943-47,
as the August 1947 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Bradenton as having a 2,400' unpaved runway.
Bradenton's longest runway had gained a thousand feet in length at some point between 1947-54,
as the Aerodromes table on the August 1954 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described Bradenton as having 2 runways, with the longest being a 3,460' turf strip.
Bradenton Airport was evidently closed at some point in the next six years,
as it was no longer listed among active airfields in the 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (according to Chris Kennedy).
It was most likely squeezed out of business by residential development,
being located very close to the expanding town of Bradenton.
As seen in the 1998 USGS aerial photo,
the site of the former airport has been covered by apartment buildings, a school, and several baseball diamonds.
The site of Bradenton Airport is located south of the intersection of 13th Avenue West & 3rd Street West.
____________________________________________________
(Original) Sarasota Airport / Lowe Airport, Sarasota, FL
27.35 North / 82.5 West (South of Tampa, FL)
The original Sarasota Airport, as depicted on the December 1935 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Sarasota's original Municipal Airport was located 2.5 miles east of the center of the town.
The date of construction of the original Sarasota Municipal Airport has not been determined.
The earliest reference to the field which has been located
was in The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described Sarasota Municipal Airport as having 2 sod runways:
a 2,640' east/west strip & a 1,980 north/south strip.,
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the December 1935 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The 1936 FL Airway Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Sarasota Airport as having 2 runways.
An aerial view looking east at the Sarasota Municipal Airport
from The Airport Directory Company's 1938 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The field was described as having 3 sod runways, with the longest being the 3,500' north/south & northwest/southeast strips.
A single hangar was depicted at the northeast corner of the field.
Note the circus headquarters which was visible in the background, adjacent to the east side of the field.
The 1945 Haire Publishing Company Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described Sarasota Airport as a privately owned & operated "Class 2" airport.
It was said to have 3 sod runways, with the longest being the 3,500' north/south & northwest/southeast strips).
The field was said to have a hangar,
and the manager was listed as John Lowe.
Robert Parks recalled, “I soloed out of Johnny Lowe's Field in Sarasota.
I 'lived' there when I was a kid in the late 1930s & early 1940s.
I took flying lessons there in a 1937 Piper Cub with a 55 horsepower Lycoming & no brakes & a tail skid.
When I wasn't flying I spent time at the Circus Quarters with those whom I knew. Wonderful memories.”
The August 1947 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Sarasota Airport as having a 3,500' unpaved runway.
As seen in the 1948 aerial photo (from the University of FL online library, via Chris Kennedy),
the Sarasota Airport had a 2 unpaved runways oriented north/south & east/west),
with a few hangars along the east edge of the field.
The field was renamed "Lowe" Airport at some point between 1947-54,
as that is how it was labeled on the August 1954 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It was described as having 3 runways, with the longest being a 3,500' turf strip.
Lowe Airport was still listed in the 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (according to Chris Kennedy),
and described as having 2 runways, with the longest being 3,500'.
Lowe Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point within the next 3 years,
as it was no longer listed among active airfields in the 1963 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
In the 1999 USGS aerial photo of the site of the former airport,
the shape of the canal which formed the southwest border of the airport property is still quite recognizable, compared to the 1948 aerial photo.
But all traces of the former airport itself appear to have been removed,
and the property has been densely redeveloped with housing & shopping.
The site of the original Sarasota Airport is located at the southeast corner of North Beneva Road & 12th Street.
____________________________________________________
Grand Central Airport / Ludwig Sky Harbor, St. Petersburg, FL
27.85 North / 82.61 West (Southwest of Tampa, FL)
Grand Central Airport, as depicted on the 1930 Air Guide (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling).
According to the web site of the St. Petersburg Museum of History (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel),
Grand Central Airport was constructed on Weedon Island in 1929 by Fred Blair.
"The airport consisted of 528 acres & had 3 runways.
Eastern Air Transport began running mail routes to Grand Central in 1929
and added passenger service in 1931.
In that same year, Eastern Air Transport made Grand Central its base of operations.
Unfortunately, Grand Central faced competition from Albert Whitted Airport near downtown St. Petersburg.
This competition, coupled with poor access to the island & the financial constraints of the Depression,
strained Blair’s business forcing the City of St. Petersburg to foreclose on the property."
The earliest depiction which has been located of Grand Central Airport
was on the 1930 Air Guide (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling).
An aerial view looking northeast at Grand Central Airport
from The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The directory described Grand Central Airport as having 3 "hard surface marl" runways,
with the longest being the 3,200' northeast/southwest strip.
A single hangar & a 2-story terminal building were depicted along the southern edge of the field.
The operator was listed as Fred Blair,
and the operators were All-American Airways (instruction, commercial service),
Beard Brothers (instruction, commercial service),
and Eastern Air Transport Inc. (schedule mail, passenger, and express service).
A seaplane anchorage was also said to be available in the basin west of the field.
A pair of undated (circa 1930s?) photos of Grand Central's control tower & hangar,
photographed in 2005 by Timothy Aanerud from a historical sign at the site of the airport.
According to the web site of the St. Petersburg Museum of History (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel),
"In the 1930s, though the economy was failing around the country,
Weedon Island had a short film history that played an important role in the local economy.
The development of Sun Haven Studios on Weedon Island in 1933 led to the production of 3 films:
'Chloe', 'Playthings of Desire', and 'Hired Wife'.
With the Grand Central Airport on the other side of the island,
movie stars could be brought to the studio with ease
and film could be sent to New York for developing & returned for viewing the next day.
Unfortunately, the studio was abandoned after the third movie was produced."
The December 1935 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Grand Central as a commercial airport.
The 1936 FL Airway Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Grand Central as having 3 runways.
According to the web site of the St. Petersburg Museum of History (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel),
"In 1941, Clarence Ludwig purchased the old Grand Central Airport & renamed it Sky Harbor.
During World War II, pilots trained there."
As seen in the January 31 1943 USDA aerial photo of Sky Harbor, from the FL DOT (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel),
the field had 3 sod runways,
along with a hangar & small 2-story terminal (with a small tower), on the southwest corner of the field.
Ludwig Sky Harbor may have gone through a short period of closure during WW2, however (like many other small civil airports),
as it was not depicted at all on the August 1943 Miami Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy),
and was not listed in the April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer).
However, by the time of the December 1944 US Army & Navy Directory of Airfields (according to Brian Rehwinkel),
Ludwig Sky Harbor was listed again, and was described as having a 3,300' runway.
Ludwig Sky Harbor was depicted as a commercial/municipal airport
on the 1945 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).
Sky Harbor Airport & Seaplane Base, as depicted on the August 1947 Miami Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
After WW2, Ludwig continued training pilots & producing air shows.
However, the longer runways of the new St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport
eventually proved more suitable for commercial flights,
and Sky Harbor Airport was eventually closed.
A historical sign on the site of the airport puts its closing date as 1948,
but other sources indicate it closed in 1953.
In 1963, the former Sun Haven Studios burned, and in 1967 “the old airport” was reportedly destroyed by fire as well.
Adam Albright recalled, "I first came across the old hangar in 1987.
There were still foundations from other buildings around the hangar still easily visible back then.
The actual runways were overgrown & were never visible while I lived the in area.
I was told the airport was also frequently used by blimps before shutting down.”
A historical sign on the site of the airport said the hangar was removed in 1989.
According to Adam Albright, “the hangar... was torn down in the early 1990’s because it was falling apart.”
An example of why you can't always trust maps:
the hangar & other small building on the southwest corner of the former airport property
continued to be depicted on the 1988 USGS topo map,
even though they had reportedly burned to the ground 21 years before.
A 2002 USGS aerial photo of the site of the former airport.
The remains of the former control tower are visible on the southwest corner of the site.
Today, this site is part of The Weedon Island Preserve,
owned by the state & managed by the Pinellas County Park Department
under a lease agreement with the state of Florida.
A 2005 photo by Timothy Aanerud of the remains of the control tower.
The site of Ludwig Sky Harbor is located southeast of Weedon Drive,
along the western shore of Weedon Island.
Thanks to Brian Rehwinkel for pointing out this airfield.
____________________________________________________
Robinson Airport / Plant City Airpark / Hillsboro Airport (X08), Seffner, FL
28.01 North / 82.25 West (East of Tampa, FL)
Robinson Airport, as depicted on the April 1966 Orlando Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airport while open has not been located.
This small former general aviation airport apparently went through at least 4 different names
before fading away into obscurity.
The airfield at this location was apparently established at some point between 1964-66,
as it was not depicted at all on the April 1964 Orlando Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest reference to the field which has been located
was on the April 1966 Orlando Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted "Robinson" as a private airfield, having a 3,000' unpaved runway.
At some point between 1966-71, it was apparently renamed "Plant City Airpark",
as that is how it was labeled on the April 1971 Jacksonville Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It was described as having a 2,600' unpaved runway.
The 1971 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) listed the field as "Tampa-Brandon",
and depicted it as having a single 2,600' unpaved Runway 18/36,
with a single building at the northwest corner of the field.
The field was next renamed as "Hillsboro" at some point between 1971-75.
Cliff Cady recalled, “I started taking lessons at the Hillsboro Airport in February 1975
and took lessons through June 1975.
At that time it had at least 5 Cessna 150s & was a active FBO operation giving flight training & doing maintenance.
It was run by Ed Riley who was also a CFI and A&I.
About the June 1975 time frame the sod runway was closed to do some filling & grading to improve the drainage.”
The 1976 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy) listed the operator
at Hillsboro as Ed's Flying Service, Inc.
Hillsboro Airport, as depicted on the 1977 USGS topo map.
The 1979 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Hillsboro
as having a single 2,500' unpaved Runway 18/36,
with 2 buildings at the northwest corner of the field.
Hillsboro Airport was described in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
as having a single 2,500' turf Runway 18/36.
The field was said to offer flight instruction, rentals, hangars, and repairs,
and the operator was listed as Ed's Flying Service, Inc.
The date of closure of this airfield has not been determined.
The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory was the last official listing which has been located
indicating that this airfield was still active.
The 1987 USGS topo map depicted Hillsboro Airport
as having a single north/south unpaved runway,
as well as what might have been a cluster of small hangars at the north end of the property.
It was still depicted as "Hillsboro Airport on the 1988 USGS topo map as well.
According to Ed Jarnagin, "Hillsborough had its certification pulled due to some 'Legal' problems."
In the 1999 USGS aerial view, the cleared area of the runway still remained,
but the airfield appeared abandoned, as there were no aircraft visible on the field.
No airfield at this location was listed in the 2000 AOPA Airport Directory.
The site of Hillsboro Airport is located southwest of the intersection of Route 92 & McIntosh Road.
Thanks to Josh Garfield for pointing out this airfield.
____________________________________________________