Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:oks
Indiana: Western Indianapolis area
© 2002, © 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 8/31/08.
Hoosier Airport (revised 8/31/08) - Shank Airport (revised 3/22/08)
Speedway Airport (revised 7/13/08) - Stout Field / Stout AAF (revised 8/9/08)
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Hoosier Airport, Indianapolis, IN
39.8 North / 86.21 West (Northwest of Downtown Indianapolis, IN)
An advertisement for Hoosier Airport from the 8/18/28 issue of Aviation Magazine (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
This small airport was located less than a mile east of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Hoosier Airport was established in 1927 by Harold Brooks & Bob Shank (who would later establish nearby Shank Airport).
It was the first privately owned airfield in Marion County (according to the 7/18/76 issue of the Indianapolis Star).
The earliest directory reference to the field which has been located
was in The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described Hoosier as a commercial airport consisting of a 3,000' x 1,320' rectangular sod field.
The field was said to have hangars, one of which had "Hoosier" painted on the roof.
The earliest depiction of Hoosier Airport which has been located
was on the September 1941 9M Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
A 1941 aerial view of Hoosier Airport, from the IN Historical Aerial Archive (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Note the airplane taking off or landing (just left of the center of the photo),
as well as the airplanes parked near the hangar at the north end.
It was still depicted as "Hoosier" Airport on the May 1944 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The field was evidently renamed "Hoosier Parks" at some point within the next 4 years,
as that is hot it was depicted on the September 1948 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Richard Slagle reported, “I have lived near the old Hoosier Airport most of my life.
In about 1948 I took great delight in the Hoosier Airport as it was used for the landing site for the Goodyear Blimp
which came for the Indy 500 race & it was easy to access as a kid...
in those days you could walk right up to it... the field wasn't busy & people would come & look at the blimp.”
Hoosier Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1948-56,
as a 1956 aerial photo showed the airfield area of the site of the Hoosier Airport had been densely redeveloped with housing,
but several hangars appeared to remain intact along the northern part of the property.
Hoosier Airport was no longer depicted at all on the 1961 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
As seen in a circa 2001-2005 USGS aerial photo,
and not a trace appears to remain of the former airport.
A circa 2006 aerial view looking south at a building (west of the intersection of Lafayette & Groff)
which was the former Hoosier hangar, according to Richard Slagle.
Richard reported that the former hangar “later became Walt's Super market and a addition was added to the north of the building,
also gone is the large concave arched roof of the hangar,
the small metal sheds were there for many years after the airport closed, but everything is gone now.”
The site of Hoosier Airport is located west of the intersection of Lafayette Road & Kessler Boulevard.
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Shank Airport, Indianapolis, IN
39.83 North / 86.25 West (Northwest of Downtown Indianapolis, IN)
Shank Airport as depicted on the September 1948 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Robert Shank was a pioneer air mail pilot & a flight instructor during both World Wars,
who was also one of the founders of nearby Hoosier Airport.
In 1944, he founded the Bob Shank Airport,
less than 2 miles northwest of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Bob Shank Airport was described as "Now under construction"
in an advertisement in the 1945 Haire Publishing Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Robert Shank was awarded the Haire Publishing Company Trophy
for the most outstanding airport development in 1946.
The earliest depiction of Shank Airport which has been located
was on the September 1948 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Shank as having a 3,200' unpaved runway.
A 1956 aerial view of Shank Airport,
from the IN University Electronic Atlas of Central IN Historical Aerial Archive (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
depicted the field as having a large grass airfield area, with runways oriented north/south & east/west.
Six long narrow hangars were depicted on the northeast side of the airfield.
Robert Shank continued to operate the airport until his retirement in 1957.
The 1961 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
still depicted Shank as having a 3,200' unpaved runway.
John Teipen recalled of Bob Shank Airport, “Where I first took some flying lessons during the Summer of 1966.
My first lessons were in a J3 Cub ($12.50 per hour CFI included)
and at that time I remember 'Shank Field' as being a grass strip.
My logbook was kept at the airport & I have often wondered what became of that logbook.”
The runway at Shank was evidently paved at some point between 1966-68,
as the 1968 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Shank as having a single 3,200' paved runway, oriented northeast/southwest.
Randy Wade recalled, "I started flying at Shank Airport in 1970-71.
Ned Bottoms & Charlie Lamb were 2 old gentlemen that ran the airport at that time."
The May 1971 St. Louis Sectional Chart (courtesy of Robert Brown)
still depicted Shank as having a single 3,200' paved runway, oriented northeast/southwest.
The 1974 USGS topo map still depicted Shank Airport,
but that doesn't necessarily prove the field was still open at that point.
According to the City of Indianapolis web site,
"Shank Airport at 38th & Moller Road survived until the 1970s - a victim to the building boom in Pike Township."
Shank Airport was no longer listed in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury).
The 1984 USGS topo map still depicted the airfield layout of Shank Airport, even though it was already closed at that point.
It depicted 2 paved runways, oriented north/south & northeast/southwest.
Several long narrow hangars were depicted to the east of the runway.
The field was labeled simply "Landing Strip".
The 1998 USGS aerial photo showed that the site of the Shank Airport had been thoroughly covered by redevelopment,
with large buildings & parking lots obliterating any trace of the former airport.
A new road, West Pike Plaza Road, had also been built through the center of the airport site.
As seen in a circa 2001-2005 USGS aerial photo,
not a trace remains of the Shank Airport.
The site of Shank Airport is located southwest of the intersection of West Pike Plaza Road & Lafayette Road.
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Speedway Airport (3SY), Indianapolis, IN
39.8 North / 86.36 West (West of Downtown Indianapolis, IN)
A 1958 aerial view of Speedway Airport,
from the IN University Electronic Atlas of Central IN Historical Aerial Archive (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Speedway Airport was apparently built at some point between 1954-58,
as it was not yet depicted at all on the June 1954 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of Speedway Airport which has been located
was on a 1958 aerial photo from the IN University Electronic Atlas of Central IN Historical Aerial Archive (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted the field as having 2 grass runways, oriented east/west & northeast/southwest.
Two hangars were located on the north & west sides of the field,
and there was a total of 6 light aircraft visible on the field.
The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Speedway Airport
was on the 1961 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Speedway as having a 2,700' unpaved runway.
Richard Pearsall recalled, "I was there many years ago before it was paved.
It was the race day. It was a real zoo. Everyone wanted to get landed & get to the track… I never saw anything like it."
Donna McCallum recalled, “Speedway Airport... I lived there from 1967-78 as my father was the FBO - George Stubbs.
The runway was paved by the time we moved there in 1967.”
The 1968 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Speedway as having a 2,800' paved runway.
A 1970 aerial photo from the IN University Electronic Atlas of Central IN Historical Aerial Archive (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Speedway as having a paved northeast/southwest runway
as well as a grass east/west runway.
The single row of T-hangars along the north side of the field had been expanded to 3 longer rows of T-hangars.
A 1971 airport directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Speedway Airport as having 3 long rows of hangars along the northwest side of the runway.
An aerial view by Roger Rozelle looking northeast after having departed from Speedway's Runway 6
from the 1979 AOPA Airports USA directory (courtesy of Jonathan Westerling).
Over two-dozen light aircraft were visible on the field.
The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
described Speedway as having a 2,820' asphalt Runway 6/24 & a 2,345' turf Runway 9/27.
The operator was listed as Stanley Aviation Service.
A 1987 airport directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
listed the operator as Speedway Aviation.
An August 1990 photo by Bob Fitzpatrick of the Comanche in which he flew into Speedway.
In Bob's words, “While I only flew out of there once, I often flew over it.
It was an airport that really didn't have to die, and I am sorry to see it gone.”
The 1992 USGS topo map depicted Speedway Airport
as having one paved runway & one unpaved runway,
along with 3 hangars on the northwest side of the field.
According to Indianapolis resident Phil Brooks,
the northern-most of the 3 hangars (depicted in the 1979 photo)
was removed by "a tornado [which] blew through in the early 1990s,
destroying several aircraft contained within.
A United mechanic had JUST moved his 2 or 3 aircraft in from San Francisco before the tornado hit."
In the 1998 USGS aerial photo, it was apparent that this little airport was not doing very well,
as not a single plane was visible on the field.
It appeared as if it was already closed, yet it was still open.
Also note that the northern-most of the 3 hangars was missing,
having been leveled a few years before by the tornado.
A 2000 photo of the office at Speedway Airport.
A 2000 photo of the wind indicator at Speedway Airport.
Speedway was still listed as an active airfield in the 2000 AOPA Airport Directory
with a 2,820' asphalt Runway 6/24 & a 2,185' turf Runway 9/27.
The operator was listed as B & J Aviation.
In its latter days, Speedway Airport was owned by the Indianapolis Airport Authority.
A circa 2000-2001 aerial photo showed Speedway Airport
to be nearly empty, with only 2 planes visible on the ramp.
According to Indianapolis resident Phil Brooks, "Speedway Airport was closed on New Year's Eve, 2001."
It was replaced by the new Hendricks County Airport (2R2),
which opened in 2001 on Indianapolis' west side.
Dennis Fabbrini reported in 2003, "While on approach from the west today into Indianapolis,
I noticed an X'ed off strip just northwest of Indianapolis International.
After checking a map, I determined it to be Speedway Airport.
A 2003 photo by Dennis Fabbrini of Speedway Airport's abandoned Runway 3.
A 2003 photo by Dennis Fabbrini of Speedway Airport's abandoned main hangar.
A 2003 photo by Dennis Fabbrini of Speedway Airport's abandoned main hangar & office.
A 2003 photo by Dennis Fabbrini of Speedway Airport's abandoned B1 hangar.
A 2003 photo by Dennis Fabbrini of other abandoned hangars at the former Speedway Airport.
Dennis Fabbrini continued, "The closure must have been recent,
because the pavement is in pretty good shape.
Relatively fresh graffiti on the main hanger says 'goodbye old friend.'
Two long hangars sit on the north side of the field,
with abundant tie-down area nearby.
The runway is oriented northeast/southwest.
New housing developments surround the field,
and fresh fence posts around the perimeter of the property indicate new chain link is on the way."
Phil Brooks visited the site of Speedway Airport on 10/4/04, to find "Nothing left - very sad."
This photo is of the "site of the main hangar, looking Southeast."
A 2004 photo by Phil Brooks, "looking East-Northeast, along what used to be the grass Runway 9/27,
also showing the former hangar area on the left."
A sad sight – a circa 2006 aerial view looking east at the site of Speedway Airport,
showing all of the hangars to have been removed,
but the runway & taxiway pavement still intact.
A 2008 aerial view by Jonathan Katz looking north at the abandoned Speedway Airport.
Jonathan Katz reported in 2008, “The site is still owned by the Indianapolis Airport Authority.
It's 'For Sale' but there is no buyer.
They want $4M or so for all the property & were trying to sell it to the village of Avon, which is the incorporated town in the area.
I'd love to redevelop it as an airpark (it's in an area of booming home development & good schools) but I don't have the cash & the economy is the pits.
There was some talk about the land over the past year or two in the Indianapolis Star.
One of the reasons for the airport closure was listed as 'it interfered with traffic for IND.'
I find that hard to believe given that pattern traffic at 3SY would be below any approach or take-off from Indianapolis' Runway 14/32.”
The site of Speedway Airport is located northeast of the intersection of West 21st Street & Griswold Road South.
Thanks to Dennis Fabbrini for pointing out this airfield.
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Stout Field / Stout Army Airfield, Indianapolis, IN
39.74 North / 86.23 West (East of Indianapolis International Airport, IN)
A photo captioned “1st hangar at Staut [sic] Field 1927” (courtesy of Becky Strosnider).
This former airfield is located only 2 miles east of the present-day Indianapolis International Airport.
Stout Field was built in the 1920s by the city of Indianapolis
as a municipal airport & a home for the Indiana National Guard.
According to the City of Indianapolis web site,
it was also initially known as the Mars Hill Airport,
and it was the first airport to provide Indianapolis with passenger & mail service.
The earliest depiction of Stout Field which has been located
was a photo captioned “1st hangar at Staut [sic] Field 1927” (courtesy of Becky Strosnider).
It depicted the construction of the frame of a hangar.
In 1928, with expansion possibilities at Stout already limited,
the city realized it needed a larger airport,
and it purchased 1,000 acres 2 miles west to build what would eventually become Indianapolis International Airport.
Stout Field was then turned over to the state to be used primarily by the National Guard & as a secondary commercial airport.
The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)
described Stout Field as being operated by the National Guard,
and consisting of a 2,800' square sod field.
A 1941 aerial view of Stout Field,
from the IN University Electronic Atlas of Central IN Historical Aerial Archive (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Stout as having 4 unpaved runways,
and 4 hangars along the east side.
The earliest aeronautical depiction which has been located of Stout Field
was on the September 1941 9M Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
In early 1942 the Army Air Forces leased the nearly empty airport from the state
& converted it into a training field & headquarters for the newly created I Troop Carrier Command.
It operated C-47, C53 & C-46 transports.
In 1944 Stout acquired a glider pick-up school as well.
The airfield at Stout Field was significantly expanded during WW2,
as the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
described the field as having a 4,500' hard-surface runway.
Ralph Miller recalled, “Stout Field... In the summer of 1944, I attended a 2-week camp there for Civil Air Patrol Cadets. I was 16.
They were training Waco CG-4A glider pilots & snatching them with C-47s.
Ground school was very good, well organized & thorough.
Most glider snatching was on the grass beside Runway 4.
The high point for the Cadets was a ride in a glider snatched by a C-47.
There was a roar as the tow plane passed overhead just above us.
Then the jerk as he caught the tow line loop between 2 upright poles.
The nose dipped as we gained speed sliding on the skids & then rolling on the wheels.
We climbed rapidly, but it was quiet. We could see the C-47 ahead of us.
He banked left for a 180 degree turn to parallel the runway. Then another to fly overhead the landing point.
The glider pilot cut us loose there & started a 360 left to glide back to land near the starting point.
The landing was smooth & he lifted the tail to lower the nose to drag the skids to stop. A great flight!”
Ralph continued, “One day as we rode a bus from the classrooms at the south end of the field to the quarters area at the north end for lunch,
we passed by a very large 4-engine very shiny new bomber parked on the ramp.
We were instructed to forget we had seen it.
It was the first I knew of the B-29s. It was gone when we passed by again.”
According to the book "Forgotten Fields of America, Volume III" by Lou Thole,
during WW2 Stout Field was comprised of a total of 357 acres,
and had approximately 150 buildings.
After the war, the I Troop Carrier Command headquarters was transferred to Greenville, SC,
and Stout stood vacant for a while.
A 1946 USAAF KS-NY Pilot's Handbook (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Stout as having 3 paved runways, with the longest being the 4,495' Runway 4/22.
In 1947 the field was returned to the state & again became the home of the Indiana National Guard.
"Stout (Army)" was described as having a 4,500' paved runway on the 1948 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Stout Field was described as having a 4,500' paved runway on a 1953 Flight Chart (courtesy of Scott O'Donnell).
Jim Slater recalled, “I've lived in Indianapolis since late 1955,
and as luck would have it, I lived about 1 & ½ blocks west of Runway 9.
Living in between 2 airports in the 1950s was exciting sometimes.
There was always something going over the house... day & night!
I remember, on weekend, 'adults' would bring their model airplanes to the west end of Runway 9 & fly them.
They were using 60 foot wires to do this, so as a youngster, it was fun to watch.
Sometime in about 1956, they used part of Stout Field for sports car racing.
Now and then, an old National Guard Otter would come out, do an engine check & then taxi back to a hangar.
The Indiana State Police had some very beautiful aircraft parked at Stout... V-tailed Bonanzas.
These aircraft had a wonderful turquoise & white color scheme.
These would takeoff & land now & then, but not on Runway 9,
(too many houses at the west end of the runway).”
In the 1956 aerial photo of Stout AAF
from the Electronic Atlas of Central IN (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
the airfield looked for all intents abandoned, as not a single aircraft was visible on the entire field.
Stout was still depicted in the 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),
but the field was described as being "available to IN National Guard, State Police, and Highway Department aircraft only."
The field was depicted as having only 2 active runways (4,490' Runway 4/22 & 3,890' Runway 15/33).
The north/south & east/west runways were still depicted,
but they had apparently been closed.
Stout AAF was closed at some point between 1960-61,
as it was labeled "Stout (NG) (Closed)" on the 1961 Cincinnati Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Jim Slater recalled, “By 1961, commercial buildings were popping up on some of the runways
and a little later, Interstate 70 sliced off part of the field.
After that, it stopped looking like an old airport.
It took on the appearance of an industrial park combined with a parking lot for National Guard trucks.”
Stout Field was depicted as an abandoned airfield on the May 1971 St. Louis Sectional Chart (courtesy of Robert Brown).
Jim Slater recalled, “By the mid-1970s, there were 2 F-80s mounted on pylons at the southeast & northeast end of the field.”
By 1977, portions of the land not used by the National Guard were sold off to become an industrial park.
The 1986 USGS topo map still depicted several remaining runways at “Stout Field (Abandoned)”.
According to Jim Slater, “There were plans to make an outdoor museum so a collection of different aircraft started coming together,
but something changed by the mid 1980s & most of it was gone.
In the mid-1990s, there was still 1 aircraft parked at the field.
It was a static display the public hardly noticed it. An old F-101 Voodoo was all that was left.
Needless to say, I took my young daughter to Stout Field 1 day,
got permission from the National Guard to walk out to the F-101 & I took her picture standing next to it.
She was more interested in the birds that were flying in & out of the air intakes.”
A 1994 photo by Lou Thole (author of the book "Forgotten Fields of America") of former hangars at Stout Field.
A 1994 photo by Lou Thole (author of the book "Forgotten Fields of America")
of Stout Field's former headquarters building (with control tower on top).
A 1994 photo by Lou Thole showing the view from inside Stout Field's former control tower.
As of the 1998 USGS aerial photo,
warehouses had been built over significant portions of the runways,
and other portions of the runways were used for vehicle parking.
As of the circa 2001-2005 USGS aerial photo,
the remains of 4 paved runways still existed,
along with a control tower & numerous hangars.
A circa 2005 aerial photo looking north at Stout's remaining control tower building.
A circa 2005 aerial photo looking north at 1 of 2 remaining hangars at Stout Field, on the southeast corner of the base.
Jim Slater reported that by 2005, the static display F-101 formerly at Stout Field “was long gone.”
Jim Slater reported in 2006, “The old control tower & a couple of the old hangars are still at Stout Field.
Old, crumbling runways can still be found, along with yellow painted lines, but you have to look for them.
They're all reminders of how this airport, at 1 time, was an active place, pointing to the future.
Funny how when we sometimes look so hard for the future, we forget & bury our past.”
A 2008 photo by Dick Merrill of Stout's control tower.
Dick reported, “The guard said I couldn't get on the field to take photos of the old terminal.”
A 2008 photo by Dick Merrill of a former hangar at Stout Field.
A 2008 photo by Dick Merrill of a military emblem on a former hangar at Stout Field.
Brian Harrier of Tippmann Properties reported in 2008, “The history of Stout Field is not completely forgotten.
I manage many of the industrial buildings in the park.
We still refer to the buildings that were built on Runway 15 as the 'Runway Buildings'.
Grass does not easily grow on the north end, possibly where the runway lights used to be.
We also use some of the original brick drainage system that dates back well before 1961.”
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