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:

The author refutes claims that Lunken Airport is "struggling," asserting it's a thriving facility with dramatically recovered post-COVID traffic and bustling flight schools, but is severely mismanaged by the City of Cincinnati.
City management is making detrimental changes, including tearing out a key runway (21R) and threatening the demolition of historic hangars, which significantly impede general aviation and flight training operations.
These decisions, driven by an uninformed city commission, are transforming the author's beloved "Home Sweet Airport" of 62 years, diminishing its accessibility for students and smaller aircraft.

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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.