Cincinnati Will Always Be My ‘Home Sweet Airport’

Lunken Field faces an uncertain future, but it will forever be a special place.

Friday, September 27, 2024 at 08:47 AM ET

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The original FAA control tower in the terminal building at Cincinnati’s Lunken Airport sits in a state of disrepair. [Courtesy: Martha Lunken]

Key Takeaways:

Lunken Airport (KLUK) is experiencing significant growth in general aviation and corporate traffic, including thriving flight schools, contradicting local media reports of it "struggling."
The City of Cincinnati is mismanaging the airport by demolishing a crucial runway (21R), which will severely limit operational capacity, especially for smaller aircraft and flight training.
Plans also include demolishing a historic, nearly 100-year-old art-deco hangar, further eroding the airport's heritage and functionality.
These changes, alongside increased hangar rents, are negatively impacting general aviation, flight schools, and the overall character of the airport, which the author deeply cherishes.

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I had lunch with some pilot friends, including a retired airline guy, a kid working two jobs and going to college—crazy about learning to fly—and two or three others who can fly or fix anything from sophisticated corporate jets to homebuilts and small, antique taildraggers.

It’s great to call them friends, but the conversation topic was grim: “What in the hell is going on at Lunken Airport?” Sure enough, the front-page headline in the Sunday Cincinnati newspaper shouted, “What’s Next for Lunken Airport…Cincinnati’s tiny, aging airfield…and what’s ahead for the struggling airport’s second century?”

Martha Lunken

Martha Lunken is a lifelong pilot, former FAA inspector and defrocked pilot examiner. She flies a Cessna 180 and anything with a tailwheel, from Cubs to DC-3s.