Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: North Carolina: Charlotte area

Brockenbrough Airport (revised 2/29/04) - Carolina Skypark (revised 10/24/07)

Carpenter Airfield / Flying H Farm Airfield (revised 8/11/04) - Grove Airport / Delta Air Base (revised 12/23/04)

Lincoln Airport (revised 10/24/07) - North Wilkesboro Airport (revised 10/24/07) - (Original) Wilkes County Airport (revised 10/24/07)

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Carolina Skypark, Kannapolis, NC

35.46 North / 80.61 West (Northeast of Charlotte, NC)

Carolina Skypark, 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 had a very brief existence.

It was evidently established at some point between 1945-48,

as it was not yet depicted at all on the April 1946 Charlotte Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

The earliest depiction of the airfield which has been located

was on the October 1948 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted “Carolina” as a commercial/municipal airport.

According to Jonathan Cox, “I believe its name was Carolina Skypark.

I know it was operational during the 1950's.”

Carolina Skypark was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1948-54,

as it was no longer depicted at all on the August 1954 Charlotte Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

No airfield-related features were depicted at the site on the 1974, 1984, or 1991 USGS topo maps.

The former hangar was visible in a 1998 USGS aerial photo,

but the surrounding area had been built upon,

and no obvious trace of any former runways was still recognizable.

Two 2006 photos by Jonathan Cox of “the only remaining building at the former Carolina Skypark - the old hangar,

that finished its life as an equipment storage building for the C.G. Tate Construction Company,

and still has the company's name painted on the side.”

A 2006 photo by Jonathan Cox of “an overgrown concrete area on one side of the hangar, possibly the former ramp area.”

A 2006 photo by Jonathan Cox of “the grassy area in front of the hangar looking toward Skyway Drive.

The area in front of the hangar may have been the location of the runway(s).”

The former hangar was visible in a circa 2006 aerial photo,

but the surrounding area had been built upon,

and no obvious trace of any former runways was still recognizable.

The site of the Carolina Skypark is located northeast of the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue & Skyway Drive.

Note that the next street to the south is named Airline Drive -

possibly the location of the former airport.

Thanks to Jonathan Cox for pointing out this airfield.

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Lincoln Airport, Lincolnton, NC

35.43 North / 81.27 West (Northwest of Charlotte, NC)

Lincoln Airport, as depicted in the April 1966 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

This small former general aviation airport was evidently established at some point between 1963-65,

as it was not yet depicted at all on the May 1963 Charlotte Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

The earliest reference to the Lincoln Airport which has been located

was in the 1965 Jeppesnen Airway Manual (according to Chris Kennedy).

It listed Lincoln Airport, but did not provide any depiction of the field.

The earliest depiction of the Lincoln Airport which has been located

was on the April 1966 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted Lincoln Airport as having a 2,700' unpaved runway.

The 1971 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Lincoln Airport as having a single 2,700' unpaved Runway 16/34.

A small ramp was depicted on the east side of the runway with a single building.

The 1980 AOPA Airports USA Directory (according to Chris Kennedy)

described Lincoln Airport as having a 2,700' dirt runway.

The Lincoln Airport was apparently 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 (according to Chris Kennedy).

The 1996 USGS topo map still depicted Lincoln Airport, even though it may already have been closed for several years at that point.

It appeared to depict the field as having a single northwest/southeast paved runway,

along with a single building (a hangar?) along the west side of the field.

At some point between 1994-98 the Lincoln Airport was evidently completely removed,

as the 1998 USGS aerial photo showed the site to be completely unrecognizable as a former airport.

All traces of the runway had been removed,

and several large buildings had been built over the property.

A circa 2006 aerial photo did not show any recognizable traces of the former Lincoln Airport.

The site of the Lincoln Airport is located at the intersection of Indian Creek Road Kawai Road.

Thanks to Brett Kepner for pointing out this airfield.

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Carpenter Airfield / Flying H Farm Airfield (NC39), Charlotte, NC

35.14 North / 80.97 West (South of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, NC)

Carpenter Airfield, as depicted on the July 1959 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airfield while open has not been located.

This former small airport was apparently established at some point between 1954-59,

as it was not yet depicted on the August 1954 Charlotte Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

The earliest reference to the airport which has been located

was on the July 1959 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted Carpenter as having a 3,200' hard-surface runway.

The 1959 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Carpenter Field as having a 3,400' paved Runway 17/35, a 4,700' unpaved Runway 4/22,

and a 2,500' unpaved Runway 9/27.

A taxiway led to a ramp on the north side of the field, with several small buildings (hangars?) around it.

The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described "Carpenter" Airfield

as having a 3,300' asphalt Runway 18/36, a 4,700' turf Runway 4/22,

and a 2,500' turf Runway 9/27.

The field was said to offer fuel, repairs, hangars, tiedowns, and charter.

The operator was listed as Smith Regal Aviation (also a Champion & Mooney dealer).

At some point between 1962-72,

the status of the field apparently changed to that of a private field,

as that is how "Carpenter" was depicted on the August 1972 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Robert Brown).

It was depicted as having two paved runways,

with the longest being 3,200'.

It was still depicted as "Carpenter" Airfield on the 1974 USGS topo map.

At some point between 1974-82,

the field was apparently renamed "Flying H Farm",

as that is how it was listed in the 1982 AOPA Airports USA directory (courtesy of Ed Drury).

The former two paved runways had apparently been abandoned,

as the runway configuration was listed as a single 3,500' turf Runway 6/24.

The status was described as "Private. Closed to public."

Gregory Jordan recalled, "I located the access road around 1980 or so

and drove out to a fence where you could see the runways & some old hangars.

It was all very grown up with brush.

I think there was an old single engine plane there too."

The "Flying H Airport" was depicted on the 1984 USGS topo map as having two runways.

The Flying H Farm Airfield evidently was closed at some point between 1984-98,

as it was no longer depicted at all on the 1998 Charlotte Sectional Chart.

By the time of the 1998 USGS aerial photo,

the site of the former airport had been covered by an industrial park,

with several streets (Westinghouse Commons Drive & Westlake Drive)

and buildings having covered any remaining trace of the former airport.

As seen in the 2002 USGS aerial photo,

not a trace appears to remain of the former Flying H Airport.

The site of the Flying H Farm Airfield

is located northeast of the intersection of Westinghouse Boulevard & Steele Creek Road.

Thanks to Gregory Jordan for pointing out this airfield.

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Grove Airport / Delta Air Base (NC24), Charlotte, NC

35.21 North / 80.72 West (East of Downtown Charlotte, NC)

"Grove" Airport, as depicted on the August 1942 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airport while open has not been located.

Grove Airport was evidently established at some point between 1941-42,

as it was not yet depicted on the May 1941 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

The earliest depiction of an airfield at this site which has been located

was on the August 1942 14M Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy),

which depicted "Grove" as a commercial or municipal airport.

The airport was still depicted as “Grove”

on the 1943 Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Apparently the field was renamed "Delta" at some point between 1943-44,

as that is how it was labeled on the 1944 Regional Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

“Delta” was depicted as a commercial/municipal airport

on the October 1948 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Delta Air Base was listed as a private airfield in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory,

with a single 3,100' turf Runway 18/36.

An aerial photo looking northeast at Delta Air Base from the 1963 NC Airport Directory,

which depicted at least 22 large piston-engine airliners (DC-3s & DC-4s?)

parked tightly together in a separate clearing adjacent to the south side of the field.

In the 1960's, Delta Air Base was the home of a bustling aircraft salvage operation.

Spurgeon McDade had the following experience at Delta:

"In 1965, a bunch of us had gone to Charlotte for a convention, sponsored by Hickory Grove Baptist Church.

As we wound down Albemarle & turned off on Hickory grove,

we spied the tail end of a large dirt strip.

In the background were DC-6s, a Connie, and all matter of wrecked planes.

As soon as we got to the church, 3 of us bolted, fled down the road to the base.

It was called "Charlotte" or "Carolina Airplane Salvage", and was not open to the general public.

There were some guys there who would not let us in past the office,

but let us look at some piles of B-17 & B-24 ball turrets stacked up 20-30' tall, B-17 & B-26 noses.

In the background of the hangars we could see a bunch of WW2 Corsairs, trainers, DC's,

even a couple of USMC jet Corsairs."

"Being the good obedient Baptists we were,

we left, ran down the road, & jumped the fence.

There were airliners set up on wooden pallets, fuselages damaged by fire,

more WW2 fighter & bomber wings, tails, turrets, parts,

and that Connie, that was every color of the rainbow, but intact & due to fly out within the next week or 2.

Some of the WW2 turrets had bullet holes in them, most of the parts showed some damage,

and even though we were in heaven,

we soberly realized that we were looking at remains of planes that had experienced & wrought death."

By the time of the August 1972 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Robert Brown),

Delta's runway had been lengthened to 4,200'.

Steve Richardson recalled, "One of my first summer jobs (1973) was in this salvage yard,

which made a huge impression on an airplane-minded kid like me.

For years you could see two Douglas B-26s parked near the fence just inside the entrance,

on the 'front' side of the facility.

In fact a classmate of mine sneaked over the fence one night & stole two 0.50 caliber machine guns from one of the aircraft,

leading the Charlotte Aircraft folks to remove the rest & store them more securely.

The first photograph I ever took in my life was in the cockpit of one of these B-26s.

Later the B-26s were flown out (not easy, since the runway was bisected by a drainage ditch)

and their place was taken by a pair of Martin 404s marked 'Cruzeiro do Sul'.

The rumor was that the B-26s were headed for some clandestine operator & I never heard any more about them."

"There were actually two businesses sharing Delta Air Base in 1973, Charlotte Aircraft and 'Equipment & Supply'.

Charlotte Aircraft did mostly mainstream parts repair,

while Equipment & Supply concentrated on the salvage part of things.

I worked for Equipment & Supply, my brother worked for Charlotte Aircraft.

Equipment & Supply would buy job lots of surplus government stuff, clean up the parts & resell them.

My jobs included driving the forklift, wire-brushing rust & cosmolene off the parts,

recording any numbers that I could find, and filing the info in a card file so it could be matched against customer parts requests.

There were many aircraft in the back as shown in the photo from 1963 [above], DC-3s & things like that.

What doesn't show is the small stuff.

In the dead center of that photo, just before the RH line of old hulks, there was a jet fighter fuselage.

I thought it was an F-80 but inside the gun doors it said P-80, meaning it predated the 'F' numbering convention.

Next to it was an F-84 fuselage, with the wings removed & lying nearby.

Both of these aircraft had been stripped of anything useful & were waiting to be melted down.

Down the back runway, though, there were two crates with F-86s inside,

appearing intact (wings removed & packed on edge on each side of the fuselages).

I asked my boss how much he'd sell the jets for,

and he said $100 for either the P-80 or F-84 but he'd have to have $200 each for the Sabres!

Well, I was making $1.35 an hour & trying to save money for college, so that wasn't possible - too bad!"

"There were racks of canopies going milky in the sun & piles of drop tanks in the 'front' part of the yard.

Then came the buildings that are apparently still there.

Then in the back there were stacks of wooden boxes holding radars & other electronic equipment,

with the top box unpacked & its contents left out to show what was in all the others.

Crude inventory management!

There were engine storage containers too, with R2800s & other engines in a state of semi-preservation.

Inside the Charlotte Aircraft buildings there was a room full of all kinds of aircraft maintenance manuals.

In our Equipment & Supply area there were the original wood molds for making B-26 clear plexiglass noses.

There was a cockpit mockup of the XB-43.

There were stacks of steel tube trussed fuselages for training planes

(and one complete, skinned BT-13 fuselage in the boneyard).

It was just a fabulous place for an aircraft buff."

"Many years after working there, I called to see if any of the aircraft or parts were left.

I was told that they had all been melted down years ago, and [the later aerial photos] seem to confirm this.

When I was there we were limited to 2 days, I believe, of smelter operations a month

because of pollution & the encroachment of residential housing.

They must have gotten a waiver for that, to get rid of all those airplanes."

The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)

described Delta as having a single 4,200' Runway 18/36.

A 1985 aerial photo by Paul Cotrufo looking northeast at Delta Air Base.

The large number of transport aircraft previously visible in the 1963 aerial photo had been removed by this point.

A 1985 aerial photo by Paul Cotrufo of the aircraft salvage yard at Delta Air Base.

On the 1996 USGS topo map, the runway's length has shrunk back to 3,000'.

In the 2002 USGS aerial photo of Delta air Base,

a shortened portion of the grass runway remained clear,

and a large number of hangars still remained standing along the west side of the runway.

Although Delta Air Base is still listed as an active facility (as of 2002),

it is now designated a heliport, and the published length of the runway has shrunk again, to only 1,000'.

As of 2002, the owner of Delta Air Base is listed as Charlotte Aircraft Corporation,

which apparently is still involved with aircraft salvage.

However, since at least the mid-1980s they have conducted

their active aircraft salvage operations at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport,

which is a much bigger airport, and isn't hemmed in by development, like Delta Air Base.

Delta Air Base is located northeast of the intersection of East Harris Boulevard & Albemarle Road.

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Brockenbrough Airport (9A3), Charlotte, NC

35.32 North / 80.84 West (North of Downtown Charlotte, NC)

Brockenbrough Airport, as depicted on the 1945 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).

Photo of the airport while open has not been located.

This former airport was located on the grounds of the Metrolina Fairgrounds,

adjacent to the southwest side of the racetrack.

Brockenbrough Airport may have been established at some point between 1944-45,

as it was not yet depicted at all on the November 1944 Charlotte Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

The earliest depiction of the field which has been located

was on the 1945 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss),

which depicted Brockenbrough as a commercial airport.

The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Brockenbrough Airport as having two sod runways:

2,700' Runway 15/33 & 1,800' Runway 4/22.

The operator was listed as E.H. Brockenbrough.

James McDonald recalled, "I was a frequent flyer at Brockenbrough (pronounced brock-in-burr-oh) between 1965-67.

Mr. Brockenbrough had retired & the facility was operated by Henry (Hank) Dutch.

Hank was a CFI complete, an FAA flight examiner,

and piloted C-124 Globemasters for the Air Guard or Reserves.

He, his wife, a number of identical looking sons, each about a year apart,

and a big mutt named Bozo lived on-site.

Bozo loved to fly when he wasn't entertaining the hanger flyers

by running, then jumping & sliding through an inch of water on the floor of an abandoned hangar."

"The stable included two Cherokee 140s, two Cherokee 150s, one Cherokee 180,

and a lone Apache for some economical twin time (I think dual in the Apache went for $35/hr).

By the way, I had a forced landing in one of the 140s courtesy of a complete engine failure."

"This place was a Mecca for the Charlotte Civil Air Patrol seniors & cadets.

The CAP stable contained an L-16, a J-3 Cub, and a Supercub as well."

"The crosswind runway was nothing but a field at that time,

but I have used it quite successfully when the crosswind component reached 35 knots on 14/32."

The primary runway at Brockenbrough had been paved at some point between 1962-72,

as the August 1972 Charlotte Sectional Chart (courtesy of Robert Brown)

depicted the field as having a 2,900' paved runway, oriented northwest/southeast.

The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury) described Brockenbrough

as having a 2,391' asphalt Runway 14/32.

The unpaved crosswind runway had apparently been closed.

According to Charles Phillips, Jerry Keller was the last operator at "Brock".

He later moved to the Metrolina Flying Club at Willgrove (8A6) in Charlotte.

Brockenbrough Airport was still depicted on the 1996 USGS topo map,

but that doesn't necessarily indicate it was still open at that point.

Brockenbrough Airport was apparently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1972-98.

It was no longer depicted at all (even as an abandoned airport) on the 1998 World Aeronautical Chart.

In the circa 2000 aerial photo,

the majority of the former runway still remained,

and was being used as a road for adjacent automobile parking areas.

The airport site is located west of the intersection of Old Statesville Road & Apache Avenue.

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North Wilkesboro Airport, North Wilkesboro, NC

36.15 North / 81.16 West (West of Greensboro, NC)

North Wilkesboro Airport, as depicted on the 1935 Winston-Salem Airway Chart.

Photo of the airport while open has not been located.

The date of construction of this former municipal airport has not been determined.

The earliest depiction of the field which has been located

was in The Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It described North Wilkesboro as a commercial airport, measuring 6 acres in size.

The turf field was said to be oblong in shape, and to measure 1,200' x 300'.

The field was said to have a hangar.

The earliest depiction of North Wilkesboro Airport which has been located

was on the 1935 Winston-Salem Airway Chart.

It depicted North Wilkesboro as a commercial or municipal airport.

The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo)

described North Wilkesboro Airport as having a 1,500' east/west turf runway & a hangar.

North Wilkesboro Airport was listed among active airfields

in The Airport Directory Company's 1938 Airports Directory (according to Chris Kennedy).

The North Wilkesboro Airport was evidently temporarily closed at some point between 1938-41

(like many other small civilian airports, due to wartime security concerns),

as it was not listed among active airports in The Airport Directory Company's 1941 Airports Directory (according to Chris Kennedy)

nor depicted at all on the 1945 Winston-Salem Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

The airport apparently reopened at some point between 1945-48,

as the 1948 Winston-Salem Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted "North Wilkesboro" Airport as having a 1,500' unpaved runway.

North Wilkesboro Airport, as depicted on the July 1961 Winston-Salem Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

North Wilkesboro Airport was listed among active airports in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory,

with a 2,300' turf runway, and the operator listed as Woodruff R. Wallace.

At some point between 1962-63, the North Wilkesboro Airport was evidently replaced

by the new Wilkes County Airport (1 mile to the southwest), which had a paved runway,

as the North Wilkesboro Airport was no longer listed in the 1963 AOPA Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy).

The April 1964 Winston-Salem Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted the new Wilkes County Airport,

but not the original North Wilkesboro Airport.

The 1966 USGS topo map did not depict the original North Wilkesboro Airport.

Interestingly, though, it did still depict a survey marker named "Piper"

at the site of the original North Wilkesboro Airport.

A building was immediately adjacent to the survey marker -

it is not known if this was an airfield building (a hangar?).

As seen in the 1998 USGS aerial photo, several buildings had been built along the western portion

of the site of the original North Wilkesboro Airport.

It did not appear as if any original airfield buildings remained.

The eastern portion of the airfield remained an open field.

A circa 2002 aerial photo showed the site of the original North Wilkesboro Airport to remain in the same condition -

with no recognizable traces of the former airport.

The site of the original North Wilkesboro Airport is located

south of the intersection of Business Route 421 & West Park Lane.

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(Original) Wilkes County Airport (IKB), Wilkesboro, NC

36.14 North / 81.19 West (West of Greensboro, NC)

Wilkes County Airport, as depicted on the April 1964 Winston-Salem Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

Photo of the airport while open has not been located.

At some point between 1962-63, the North Wilkesboro Airport (1 mile to the northeast)

was evidently replaced by the new Wilkes County Airport.

The earliest reference to the Wilkes County Airport at this location which has been located

was on the April 1964 Winston-Salem Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

It depicted the new Wilkes County Airport as having a 3,600' hard-surface runway.

The 1971 Flight Guide (according to Chris Kennedy)

described the Wilkes County Airport as having a 3,600' paved Runway 6/24.

The runway was lengthened somewhat within the next few years,

as the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury) described Wilkes County Airport

as having a 4,250' paved Runway 6/24, and listed the operator as Wilkes Aviation Center Inc.

The 1987 Flight Guide (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted Wilkes County Airport as having a single 4,250' paved Runway 6/26,

and a ramp on the south side of the runway with six buildings (hangars?).

The operator was listed as Wilkes Aviation Center, Inc.

The original Wilkes County Airport was closed at an unknown date (between 1987-90),

when it was replaced by a newer & larger Wilkes County Airport to the Northeast.

As of the 1993 USGS aerial photo (taken after the field's closure),

the airfield remained completely intact & unredeveloped.

The paved runway was marked with 3 closed-runway “X” symbols,

and all of the hangars remained standing.

A circa 2002 aerial photo showed that the runway & hangars remained,

but several new buildings had been constructed adjacent to the south side of the former runway,

and the area to the north had been redeveloped as ballfields.

Jon Guza reported in 2003 that the former airport has been used for the past few years as

"a gigantic parking lot during MerleFest every April.

MF is a 4-day bluegrass festival that gets bigger every year (last year was around 70,000 people I think).

We parked right along an old runway with tons of other cars."

Larry Reeves reported in 2007, “The former Wilkes County Airport runway

remains fully intact & serves as a road used to access Rivers Edge Park

which has radio-controlled flying, skateboard park, soccer fields, etc. on one side, and on the other an industrial park.

Nothing was really changed when it was decommissioned, things just cropped up around it.”

The original Wilkes County Airport is located at the end of Stokes Street, northwest of Route 268.

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