Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:

West Virginia, Northwestern

© 2002, © 2011 by Paul Freeman. Revised 5/12/11.



Glendale Fokker Field (revised 5/12/11) - Weirton Airport (revised 5/12/11)

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Weirton Airport, Weirton, WV

40.4 North / 80.55 West (West of Pittsburgh, PA)

Weirton Airport, as depicted on the January 1949 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airport while in use has not been located.

 

Terry Marsh recalled, “The Weirton airport was built in 1947

and replaced the former Half Moon Airport in the valley by the turn in the Ohio River.

[Airport founder] Lawrence Gullette was my grandfather

and I was just about raised at that airport in Weirton.

There was an old military building which could house 18 planes,

but all planes had to be moved to get any but the end ones out,

a main building maintenance shop for 3 planes with room to work, 5 planes tight.

This building had a large side shop with a parts room, and a boiler room in the rear.

No control tower.

Next to that building was a building used to train pilots it had 3 rooms.

Later 10 private T-hangars were built on the north end.”



Terry recalled, “In 1947 my grandfather purchased all the production of Piper aircraft, up to that point,

which was 18 J-3 Cubs & 1 PA-12.

All were brought to Weirton & a flight school was started.

Over the years the training building was used for everything from a restaurant, living quarters,

Civil Air Patrol building, pilots lounge, to another flight school, for a while new tires were stored in it.

The old military building was later converted to an auto auction

and in the last years old trucks were stored there.

The main building was always a maintenance hangar.”



Terry continued, “The PA-12 Piper Super Cruiser that my grandfather purchased in 1947...

William Porter purchased it & kept it at the airport until the field was closed.”



The earliest depiction of the Weirton Airport which has been located

was on the January 1949 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted Weirton as having a 1,600' hard-surface runway.

 

Terry Marsh recalled, “The main building was destroyed by an explosion in 1952 & rebuilt.”



By the time of the 1961 Pittsburgh Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe),

Weirton's runway had evidently been lengthened somewhat to a 2,300' hard-surface strip.

 

The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory (based on a latest report from 1960)

described Weirton as having a single 2,300' slag Runway 4/22,

and the operator was listed as Lawrence Gullette.



Jim McCoy described the "Weirton General Airport".

"I remember flying with my dad as passengers on summer evenings in Mr. Porter's Piper,

Mr. Porter being a work friend of my dad.

I also remember seeing several airs shows in the early 1960s

including one where an authentic X-15 was displayed on a trailer that kids were even allowed to climb up for a closer view!"



Terry Marsh recalled, “The runway was tar & gravel

and at one point a layer of the residue from coal washing operation

was applied to the gravel which gave a solid good stopping surface.

The runway was lengthened to 2,700' but I do not think the records were changed.”



The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Weirtin Airport

was its depiction on the May 1968 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Finley).

It depicted Weirton Airport as having a single 2,600' paved runway.



Terry continued, “During the 1960's & 1970's there was an old See-Bee that sat behind the main building;

it had crashed in the Saint Lawrence Seaway & was hauled in by truck to use for parts to rebuild a replacement plane.”



Weirton Airport, as depicted in the 1971 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

 

The 1971 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Weirton

as having a single 2,600' paved Runway 4/22,

with three buildings (hangars?) along the northwest side of the field.

It was described as being attended during daytime.

 

John Maze recalled, "I grew up in Weirton and lived there until 1976.

My Mom still lives there, so I am quite familiar with the site [of the airport].

The 'original' 1960s-era buildings were a shed/hangar (to the south),

a Civil Air Patrol meeting room/control tower building in the middle

and a 'row' hangar to the north (I don't remember how many 'spots' it had).”



Terry Marsh recalled, “The old Cessna T-50 left behind the old hangars when the airport was closed

was a plane my grandfather grounded because of rotten wood in the spar.”



Terry Marsh recalled, “The airport was closed in 1974

and a W.T. Grant was to be built on the site of the main buildings but opened as a K-Mart.”



By the time of the 1976 AOPA Airports USA directory (according to Chris Kennedy),

Weirton Airport was no longer listed among active airports.



Terry Marsh recalled, “In 1977 my Grandfather [Lawrence Gullette] was awarded by the FAA

for 50 years of aircraft maintenance with a perfect safety record.

His mechanic FAA number was M-2890 & was still active at his death in 1979.”



The 1994 USGS aerial photo of the site of the former Weirton Airport,

annotated by John Maze to show the locations of some of the features of the former airport.

 

John Maze reported in 2004, "I really haven't looked over that way in recent years,

but I believe some of the surface is still there,

beyond the State Police driving test course (parallel parking and a figure eight with curbs that you aren't suppose to hit if you want to pass!)."

 

The site of Weirton Airport is located northwest of the intersection of Route 22 & Three Springs Drive.

 

Thanks to Jim McCoy for pointing out this airfield.

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Glendale Fokker Field (GWV, WV66), Glendale, WV

39.95 North / 80.76 West (Southwest of Pittsburgh, PA)

One of the Fokker factory buildings was depicted on the 1935 USGS topo map,

but not the airfield itself.

Photo of the airport while in use has not been located.

 

According to Tom Beamer,

Glendale Fokker Field was one of two Fokker factories in the US (the other was Teterboro, NJ),

probably opened early to mid 1920s.

 

The history of the Fokker company in America is fairly convoluted.

In 1923, the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation (of Teterboro NJ & Wheeling WV)

obtained a government contract to modify De Havilland DH-4s as mail planes.

In 1924, as the Netherlands Aircraft Manufacturing Company of America,

it became an importing agency for Fokker's Dutch aircraft designs.

By 1927, it had become the Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America (of Passaic NJ & Glendale WV).

In 1929 it became a subsidiary of General Motors as General Aviation Corporation.

The company ended operations in 1931 because of the Depression

and a much-publicized crash of a Fokker F-10 on March 31 in which famed Notre Dame coach, Knute Rockne,

and seven others were killed.

The company assets were turner over to GAMC,

then in a stock exchange became a subsidiary of North American Aviation.

 

The Glendale Fokker airfield apparently continued in operation after its namesake company faded away.

"Old Fokker Field" was listed in the 1934 Commerce Department Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It was described as consisted of a rectangular sod field, measuring 4,000' x 350'.

 

Glendale Fokker Field was not listed in the Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo),

but it was open at the time (according to Tom Beamer).

 

The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Glendale Airport

was its depiction as an auxiliary airfield on the September 1941 9M Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).



The 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)

described Glendale Fokker Field as having a 2,900' runway.



The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described Glendale Airport

as a 39 acre rectangular property within which was a single 2,900 sod north/south runway.

The field was said to have 2 hangars, the largest being a 80' x 60' metal structure,

and to be privately owned & operated.



“Glen Dale” Airport was depicted on a 1953 Flight Chart (courtesy of Scott O'Donnell) as having a 2,100' unpaved runway.



The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the Glendale Airport

was its depiction on the May 1968 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Richard Finley).

It depicted “Glen Dale” Airport as having a 2,700' unpaved runway.



The Marx Toy Company apparently reused the former Fokker factory at some point,

according to Tom Beamer.



Tom Beamer visited Glendale Fokker Field in 1984,

and reported that it was operated at the time by the local EAA Chapter.

"The Fokker factory was still standing along the east side of the field

and you could read 'FOKKER' under a black overpaint on the road side.

I was told that Marx made toy trains there at one time.

Near a concrete pad where the line shack had been there was a underground fuel pit

with a VERY long hose still on the reel…

imagine dragging that long hose up to the wing tanks of a Fokker Tri-motor or Super Universal."

 

As seen in the 1995 USGS topo map,

the runway at Glendale Fokker Field actually curves along the riverbank,

which must make for interesting takeoff & landing runs!

 

As seen in a circa 2001-2005 USGS aerial photo,

a total of four hangars were located along the northeast side of the runway.

The large former Fokker factory buildings were still visible,

adjacent to the east side of the runway, across the railroad tracks.

 

As of 2003, Glendale Fokker Field is still listed as an active private airfield.

It has a single maintained runway, a 2,600' turf Runway 1/19,

and a total of 11 aircraft are listed as being based at the field, including 6 ultralights.

The owner is listed as Thomas Aandrich,

and the manager is listed as Chuck Yager (which must be a pretty popular name for a WV pilot!).



A recent (pre-2005) picture of the former Fokker factory in Glendale (courtesy of Tom Beamer).



As of 2008, Glendale Fokker Field is still listed as an active private airfield.



Glendale Fokker Field is located in between the Ohio River & the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. 

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