An acquaintance named Mark Burton recently sent me a copy of his book about an airport owned and operated by his family called Brownie’s. A few days later, I met a guy at a party who regaled me (unsolicited) with wild and woolly tales about flying out of a now defunct airport called Brownie’s with his father, who kept an airplane there. I know it, and found, on Paul Freeman’s great site Abandoned and Little Known Airfields, lots of early Brownie’s lore and photos in the Southwestern Ohio section. So it seemed like the synergy was there to share my memories of this rather unique ‘drome.
Brownie’s is a Field Out from the Past
Key Takeaways:
- Brownie's was a uniquely challenging, family-operated airport in Southwestern Ohio, characterized by its short, sloped, and obstacle-laden runway that made landings a harrowing experience.
- The author, a flight instructor, deliberately used Brownie's as a crucial training ground to teach student pilots vital short-field landing techniques and hazard avoidance in real-world conditions.
- Despite its difficulties, Brownie's had a vibrant history, even accommodating DC-3s for skydivers, before ultimately ceasing operations around 1983 due to the owners no longer buying fuel.
- The article highlights the significance of preserving the history of such abandoned or little-known airfields, referencing Paul Freeman's website as a valuable resource for documenting these unique aviation landmarks.
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