Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Western North Carolina
© 2002, © 2007 by Paul Freeman. Revised 10/28/07.
Asheville-Hendersonville Airport (revised 10/28/07) - Camp Summit - Lake Logan Airfield (revised 8/4/04)
Josephson Airport / Asheville Airpark (revised 10/28/07) - Owen Field (revised 10/28/07)
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35.57 North / 82.58 West (Southwest of Downtown Asheville, NC)
"Owens" Field, as depicted on the October 1948 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.
This small general aviation airport was located directly along the north bank of the French Broad River.
The date of construction of this field has not been determined.
Owen Field was evidently established at some point between 1946-48,
as it was not yet depicted on the April 1946 Charlotte Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the October 1948 Charlotte Sectional Chart,
which depicted "Owens" as a commercial or municipal airport.
"Owen" was depicted on the August 1954 USAF Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
as having a 3,000' unpaved runway.
"Owen" Field, as depicted on the January 1961 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory (based on a latest report from 1960)
described Owen Field as having a single 3,000' turf Runway 9/27,
and listed the operator as Dr. J. E. Owen.
Owen Field apparently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1961-63,
as it was no longer depicted on the May 1963 Charlotte Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
By the time of the 1972 USGS topo map, the airfield was no longer depicted.
During the 1970s, the property of the former Owen Field
was reused as the site of the new Asheville Motor Speedway.
As seen in the 1994 USGS aerial photo,
what appears to be a section of a former paved runway was still recognizable -
the white shape which extends to the east out from the speedway.
The history of this property took another turn in 1999
when the Asheville Motor Speedway was closed.
The owner of the speedway sold it to a non-profit organization called Riverlink,
which quickly placed deed restrictions on the property that outlawed racing on the site
and then gave the land to the City of Asheville for a new riverside park.
Apparently, the sale also included stipulations that the racetrack facilities could not be given historic designation,
so the city would be free to modify or remove them as it saw fit.
However, the majority of the former speedway has remained intact,
now reused as a bicycling velodrome.
The facility is know as the French Broad River Park.
A 2004 photo by William Stephens, looking east along what would have been one of the final approach paths to Owen Field.
Strangely, the park which now occupies the site contains no mention whatsoever
of the site's history as either an airfield or a speedway.
William Stephens visited the site of Owen Field in 2004.
"The only thing they did was go around & replace the red & white stripes on the guardrails & concession stand green & white.
The catch fence is still there (ooh, one of the bicyclists might get going really fast!)
with the speakers for the P.A. system still attached.
Alas, they did not leave a trace of the airstrip.
There wasn't much there to begin with, but it was still easy to know where it had been
(a long, straight stretch of asphalt that ran right up to the outer east wall of the speedway)."
Nick Sandin reported in 2006, “I recently had the opportunity to visit the former site of Owen Field.
One interesting thing I found when I was there was a small patch of concrete [located in the center of the former airfield area]
dating from sometime in the 1940s or 1950s
(according to my friend, a construction expert, who was with me at the time).
I also noticed that the parks authority does acknowledge the history of the racetrack there
(it has plans for a building honoring the racetrack on the east side of the facility)
but it does not recognize the history of the airfield that used to exist on the site.”
A 2006 aerial photo showed that the last visible remnant of the former Owen Field
(the portion of runway pavement on the east side of the former racetrack, still visible in the 1994 aerial photo) had been removed.
The site of Owen Field is located south of the intersection of Amboy Road & Short Michigan Avenue.
Thanks to William Stephens for pointing out this airfield.
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Josephson Airport / Asheville Airpark, Emma, NC
35.6 North / 82.6 West (West of Asheville, NC)
Josephson Airport, as depicted on the April 1946 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The date of construction of this small general aviation airfield has not been determined.
Josephson Airport was evidently established at some point between 1944-46,
as it was not depicted on the November 1944 Charlotte Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the April 1946 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted “Josephson” as an auxiliary airfield.
The airport was evidently renamed "Asheville Airpark” at some point between 1946-48,
as the October 1948 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted "Asheville" as a commercial or municipal airport.
No airfield at this location was depicted on the August 1954 USAF Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) -
either the airfield went through a brief period of closure,
or it was simply overlooked as a relatively small airfield.
The airport was evidently reopened at some point between 1954-58,
and may have been informally known during this period as Emma Airpark.
B.D. McKay pictured in front of his Piper J-5 Cruiser at Emma Airpark in 1958.
The January 1961 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted "Asheville Airpark" as a private airfield, having an 1,800' turf runway.
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described the Asheville Airpark as having a single 1,800' turf Runway 13/31,
and listed the operator as Joe Josephson.
The field had apparently changed from a private to public-use airfield.
The April 1966 Charlotte Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy)
depicted Asheville Airpark as a public-use airfield with a 1,660' turf runway.
Asheville Airpark was still listed among active airfields in the 1967 NC Airport Directory (according to Paul Cotrufo).
The 1971 Fight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted the Asheville Airpark as having a single 1,660' unpaved Runway 14/32,
with an inset 800' paved portion.
A total of 3 buildings were depicted on the northeast side of the runway.
The field was said to be unattended, to be used at "Own risk."
Asheville Airpark was listed as the site of a 1974 accident of a Baby Ace,
after it suffered a complete power loss while in the traffic pattern.
Paul Cotrufo recalled "the former Emma Airpark…
was at the edge of town in 1976, when I was there.
It was a north-south runway, with the north end of the runway butting up to Brickyard road.
There never was much too this airport but it sure had a lot of grassroots aviation charm.
There was a large cow barn that was the main hangar.
The Asheville Civil Air Patrol kept a couple of L-5's there."
The Asheville Airpark was depicted on the April 1980 Atlanta Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
once again as a private airfield, still with a 1,600' unpaved runway.
The Asheville Airpark was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1980-82,
as it was no longer listed among active airfields in the 1982 AOPA Airports USA Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury).
William Stephens recalled, "I haven't been over there for awhile,
but the last time I did I discovered that it had been turned into a mobile home park,
from the looks of it most likely in the 1970s.
The trailers were lined up on & along the runway, which was still quite visible."
No trace of the former Asheville Airpark was still recognizable in the 1994 USGS aerial photo.
Paul Cotrufo recalled, "Last I heard, which was about 1998, it was an automobile junkyard,
but the short, narrow, partially paved runway might still be there under all those cars -
if it's not a housing development now."
The general area of the former Asheville Airpark, as seen in a 2006 aerial photo.
No specific traces of the former airfield have been identified.
The site of the Asheville Airpark is located at the eastern terminus of Airpark Road,
appropriately enough.
Thanks to Paul Cotrufo for pointing out this airfield.
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Asheville-Hendersonville Airport, Fletcher, NC
35.44 North / 82.48 West (East of Asheville Regional Airport, NC)
An aerial view of the Asheville-Hendersonville Airport,
from the Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
The original Municipal Airport for the town of Asheville was located southeast of the town.
The date of construction of the Asheville-Hendersonville Airport has not been determined.
The earliest reference to the Asheville-Hendersonville Airport which has been located
was in the Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It described Asheville-Hendersonville as being a 50-acre field, having 2 "silt-loam" runways in an L-shape,
measuring 3,100' north/south & 1,200' east/west.
A hangar was said to have "Asheville Airport" painted on the roof.
The earliest depiction of the Asheville-Hendersonville Airport which has been located
was in the Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
It described Asheville-Hendersonville as having 2 "silt-loam" runways, with the longest being a 3,100' north/south strip.
A hangar was said to have "Asheville Airport" painted on the roof.
The Asheville-Hendersonville Airport was described in a 1940 U.S. Airport Directory (according to Paul Cotrufo)
as having 2 runways: a 2,200' east/west paved strip & a 3,200' north/south turf strip.
Asheville-Hendersonville was depicted as a commercial or municipal airport
on the May 1941 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
described the Asheville-Hendersonville Airport as having a 4,000' hard-surface runway,
and indicated that both Army & Navy flight operations were conducted from the field.
According to Hillis "Al" Cunliffe, commercial airline service at the Asheville-Hendersonville Airport
"began after WW2 & was provided by Delta Airlines, Capital Airlines, and Piedmont Airlines.
Asheville was one of the enroute stops on Piedmont's inaugural service from Wilmington, NC to Cincinnati, OH."
The Asheville-Hendersonville Airport also had some use in testing of ejection seats.
The Stencel Aeronautical Research Corporation (which produced aircraft ejection seats)
had a plant "located about 2 miles from the Asheville Airport
on the main access road from Route 25", according to Hillis "Al" Cunliffe.
"My father worked for the Stencel organization from the day it opened it's doors in 1958
until his retirement in 1982.
He was one of the original dozen people hired by the company's founder, Fred Stencel.
He maintained the 3 different aircraft the company operated to support their R&D efforts."
The airplanes were kept the Asheville Regional Airport.
Over a period of several years they owned an SNJ-5, a TBM-3 and a Douglas A-26.
The SNJ-5 & TBM were operated at the same time,
but the A-26 was the last airplane they had, for only a year or so."
The 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted the Asheville Hendersonville Airport as having 3 paved runways (with the longest being the 4,079' Runway 4/22),
as well as a taxiway leading to a ramp on the east side of the field,
around which were clustered a large number of small buildings & a tower (a control tower?).
In January 1961 the new Asheville Airport (today's Asheville Regional Airport) was opened 3 miles to the west.
The new airport featured a much longer runway,
which would be more compatible with modern airline flights.
Both the new & old Asheville Airports were depicted
on the January 1961 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Asheville-Henderson Airport was described as having a 4,100' hard-surface runway.
The Asheville-Hendersonville Airport was closed at some point between 1961-63,
as it was labeled "Abandoned airport" on the May 1963 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Paul Cotrufo recalled, "When I visited that old airport in 1973,
it was 'way out in the boonies', no sign of urban development anywhere, horse & farm country."
According to Hillis "Al" Cunliffe, "The old airport was used as a drag strip for several years,
then became an industrial park."
As seen in the 1994 USGS aerial photo,
the outline of 3 former runways were still recognizable at the site of the original airport.
Numerous large industrial buildings had been built on & along the former runways.
Recent street maps label the property of the former airport as the Cane Creek Industrial Park.
Ironically, as of 2004, the site of the former Asheville-Hendersonville Airport still has some aviation use.
The Cane Creek Airport is listed as of 2004 in the Airport/Facility Directory as a private airfield.
It consists of a 2,680' turf Runway 4/22,
visible immediately adjacent to the northwest side of the large industrial building in the above aerial photo.
The owner is listed as L. A. White,
and a total of 7 aircraft are listed as being based at the field,
including 5 single engine aircraft & 2 gliders.
Several small Quonset-hut style buildings just north of the large building may serve as hangars for the field.
Thanks to Hillis "Al" Cunliffe for pointing out this reuse of the old field.
As seen in a 2006 aerial photo, the outline of 3 former runways were still recognizable at the site of the original airport.
Note the grass runway of the Cane Creek Airport just northwest of the large white building at the center of the photo.
The site of the Asheville-Hendersonville Airport
is located north of the intersection of Mills Gap Road & L A White Road.
Thanks to Paul Cotrufo for pointing out this airfield.
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Lake Logan Airfield, Sunburst, NC
35.4 North / 82.93 West (Southwest of Asheville, NC)
The Lake Logan Airfield, as depicted on the 1979 USGS topo map.
Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.
The date of construction of this former small private airfield has not been determined,
as well as its actual name.
It was not depicted at all on on the 1941 USGS topo map (according to William Stephens)
or on Sectional Aeronautical Charts from 1948, 1954, 1961, 1966, 1974, 1975, or 1976 (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of this airfield which has been located was on the 1979 USGS topo map.
It depicted a single 3,600' runway,
which actually was somewhat curved as it followed the narrow slice of land
in between Route 215 & the west bank of the Pigeon River.
The airfield was not labeled at all.
Spurgeon McDade recalled, "Champion Paper had a company camp/retreat near Sunburst,
at Lake Logan (lakes, cabins, hunting lodges),
and the remains of a concrete landing strip is still there."
William Stephens recalled, "Champion International paper company (since absorbed by International Paper)
had a sort of fishing retreat called Lake Logan.
At some point they built a very narrow paved strip with a sort of cul-de-sac at one end for turning around.
It was completely surrounded by huge pine trees,
and my father said the company pilot threatened to quit if he had to keep flying in there,
so that one went by the wayside."
The date of abandonment of this airfield has not been determined.
No airfield at this location was depicted on the 1980 Sectional Aeronautical Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
As seen in the 1995 USGS aerial photo,
the single concrete runway was still recognizable.
A small group of buildings was located on the west side of the field,
but they did not appear to be big enough to be hangars.
A 2004 photo by Rod Wright, looking north at the abandoned runway at Lake Logan.
"At this end of the runway, a parking area for a boating access ramp
has been built by the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission [behind the photographer].
Note the obstruction warning balls on the power line.
At least the power company figures somebody may try to land there."
A 2004 photo by Rod Wright, looking south along the abandoned runway at Lake Logan.
"Note remains of asphalt runway with closed 'X'."
A 2004 photo by Rod Wright, looking south along the abandoned runway at Lake Logan.
"Note the buildings in the distance. The runway curves to the left before the buildings."
The site of the Lake Logan Airfield is located on the east side of Route 215,
just south of Lake Logan.
Thanks to Spurgeon McDade for pointing out this airfield.
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Camp Summit Airfield, Cedar Mountain, NC
35.17 North / 82.61 West (West of Charlotte, NC)
USGS aerial photo 1999.
Recent view of the Camp Summit runway, with Mount Pisgah visible in the background.
Although less than 20 years old, this former private airfield is already abandoned.
It is located on the grounds of the DuPont State Forrest.
As described on their web site, the airfield was part of a former boys & girls camp.
The facilities also include a boat house, dining hall, equestrian center, and a lodge.
However, the site explains that public use of the facilities
will not be available in the near term due to lack of funding.
The Camp Summit airfield was apparently built at some point between 1986-90,
as it wasn't depicted on the 1986 USGS topo map,
but was depicted (labeled simply "Landing Strip") on the 1990 USGS topo map.
As depicted on the above 1999 aerial photo,
the Camp Summit airfield consists of a single asphalt 3,000' runway (painted with closed runway "X" markings).
A single hangar sits west of the runway, with a caretaker's cottage on the opposite side.
On the 2002 aeronautical chart, the airfield doesn't show up at all (even as an abandoned airfield).
The airfield is located on the west side of Conservation Road, north of Blue Ridge Road.
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