“On the following pages, you will find information on vanished or abandoned airfields and their unusual histories,” foreshadows Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields on its home page.
On the Hunt for Diamonds in the Rough
Over the past 22 years, Paul Freeman has crowdsourced descriptions and images of (at present) 2,542 abandoned and little-known airfields, from all 50 states.
Key Takeaways:
- Paul Freeman's "Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields" is a website launched in 1999 that crowdsources and documents over 2,500 defunct airfields across all 50 states, born from his curiosity about abandoned airfield symbols on FAA sectionals.
- The project serves as a forum for aviation history, allowing Freeman to share his research and others to contribute stories, images, and memories of these often-forgotten sites, with each entry requiring official depiction as an airport.
- Many airfields, such as Greater Southwest International Airport, closed due to political decisions or rising property values, leading to redevelopment into commercial sites or residential areas.
- Beyond historical preservation, the website aims to raise awareness about ongoing airport closures in the U.S., motivating readers to support and advocate for the protection of existing airfields.
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