Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:

Eastern Michigan

© 2002, © 2016 by Paul Freeman. Revised 11/3/16.

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Baker Airport (revised 12/7/15) - Spencer Landing Field / Spencer Airport / Vernon M Spencer Memorial Airfield / Wixom International Airport (revised 11/3/16)

Trott Brothers Airport / Almont Municipal Airport (revised 4/19/15)

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Baker Airport, Port Huron, MI

43.014, -82,453 (Northeast of Detroit, MI)

A 1949 aerial view of Spencer Airport (courtesy of Mike Denja) showed 1 single-engine plane on the north end of a north/south grass runway, next to one small building.

Photo of the airport while in use is not available.



The date of construction of this small general aviation airport has not been determined.

The earliest reference which has been located of Baker Airport was in the article “Blue Water Memories” in the 9/27/15 The Times Herald (courtesy of Mike Denja),

which said in 1945, “Three Detroiters were slightly injured Thursday night in a crash landing of a 4-passenger Fairchild airplane at Baker Airport after failing to gain altitude in the takeoff.”



The earliest depiction which has been located of Baker Airport was in the 1947 MI Airport Directory (courtesy of Mike Denja).

It depicted Baker Airport as having 3 unpaved runways, with the longest being the 2,700' north/south strip.

A few small hangars were depicted on the northeast side.



The 1958 USGS topo map labeled it as “Bakers” Airport.



The earliest photo which has been located of Baker Airport was in a 1958 aerial view.

It depicted several light single-engine aircraft parked next to the hangar on the northeast side.



The 1961 USGS topo map (courtesy of Mike Denja) depicted Baker Airport as having 2 unpaved runways,

with the northeast/southwest runway presumably having been abandoned at some point between 1947-61.

Three small buildings were depicted on the northeast & east sides.



The earliest photo which is available of Baker Airport was a 1961 aerial view (courtesy of Mike Denja).

It depicted the field as having 2 unpaved runways.

No aircraft were visible on the field, but a number of boats were apparently stored on the field around the buildings on the northeast side.



The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Baker Airport was an admittedly-poor scan of a 1964 Detroit Sectional Chart.



The last photo which has been located showing aircraft at Baker Airport was in a 1964 aerial view.

It depicted several light single-engine aircraft parked next to the hangar on the northeast side.



The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Baker Airport

was on the May 1977 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mitchell Hymowitz).

It depicted Baker Airport as having a 2,500' unpaved runway.



Baker Airport may have already been closed (for reasons unknown) by 1985,

as a 1985 aerial view (courtesy of Mike Denja) showed that the runways remained clear,

but what appeared to be a large number of boats were stored around the hangar,

and no aircraft were visible.



The last labeled map depiction which has been located of Baker Airport was on the 1990 USGS topo map.

It depicted Baker Airport as having 2 runways.



Baker Airport evidently was abandoned (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1977-98,

as a 1998 MI DNR aerial view (courtesy of Mike Denja) showed roads & paths having been built over the site.

The orientation of the north/south runway was only barely recognizable, but the hangars had been removed.



An August 2013 photo looking southeast (courtesy of Mike Denja) shows the last remaining trace at the site of Baker Airport – its windsock has been preserved by the park which occupies the site.



A 2015 aerial view looking northeast showed more roads & parking lots had been built over the site of Baker Airport.



As of 2015, street maps label the site of Baker Airport as Bakers Field Park.



The site of Baker Airport is located at the northeast end of Strawberry Lane.



Thanks to Mike Denja for pointing out this airfield.

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Spencer Landing Field / Spencer Airport / Vernon M Spencer Memorial Airfield /

Wixom International Airport, Wixom, MI

42.522, -83.55 (Northwest of Detroit, MI)

A 1949 aerial view of Spencer Airport (courtesy of Mike Denja) showed 1 single-engine plane on the north end of a north/south grass runway, next to one small building.



Spencer Airport was evidently established at some point between 1947-49,

as it was not yet depicted on the 1945 USGS topo map nor listed in the 1947 MI Airport Directory (according to Mike Denja).

The earliest depiction which has been located of Spencer Airport was a 1949 aerial view (courtesy of Mike Denja)

which showed 1 single-engine plane on the north end of a north/south grass runway, next to one small building.



Spencer Airport was founded by Vern Spencer on his home property (according to his obituary, courtesy of Mike Denja).

Spencer was a founder of the MI Flying Farmers.



The 1954 USGS topo map (courtesy of Mike Denja) depicted “Spencer Landing Field”

as having a single unpaved north/south runway with 1 small building on the northeast side.



A 1956 aerial view (courtesy of Mike Denja) showed Spencer Airport

had gained a 2nd small hangar on the northeast side at some point between 1-54-56.



Spencer Airport evidently gained a crosswind runway at some point between 1956-67,

as shown on a 1967 aerial view (courtesy of Mike Denja).

This photo also showed the small airport at perhaps its zenith of popularity, with 13 light aircraft visible on the field.



The 1969 USGS topo map (courtesy of Mike Denja) depicted “Spencer Landing Field”

as having 2 unpaved runways & 6 small building on the northwest & northeast sides.



Spencer Airport was operated by its founder Vern Spencer until his death in 1971 (according to his obituary, courtesy of Mike Denja).



According to Mike Denja, “Some newspaper articles [indicated that] Oakland County officials wanted to save it & make it a public airport

but in the end they ended up buying/saving 3 other airports in the area.”



The only aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Spencer Airport

was on the May 1977 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mitchell Hymowitz).

It depicted Spencer Airport as having a 2,600' unpaved runway.



The last reference which has been located showing Spencer Airport still in operation

was on a 12/2/83 airport directory (courtesy of John Kielhofer).

It depicted Spencer Airport as having 2 unpaved turf runways: 2,640' Runway 18/36 & 1,840' Runway 9/27.

Two small buildings were depicted northwest of the runway intersection.



Spencer Airport evidently was closed at some point between 1977-97,

as a 1997 aerial view (courtesy of Mike Denja) showed the field devoid of aircraft,

and a cul-de-sac for a new street had been built over the southern end of the north/south runway.



A 1997 aerial view (courtesy of Mike Denja) shows a dramatic transformation of the Spencer Airport site in only 1 year,

with all traces of the former airport having been erased by new construction.



The site of Spencer Airport is located south of the intersection of Century Drive & West Pontiac Trail.



Thanks to Mike Denja for pointing out this airfield.

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Trott Brothers Airport / Almont Municipal Airport, Almont, MI

42.94, -83.062 (Northeast of Detroit, MI)

Almont Airport, as depicted on a 5/1/67 USGS aerial photo.



According to “Almont: The Tale of Then & Now” (courtesy of Michael Denja), Trott Brothers Airport was built in 1947 by Frank & Robert Trott

on the family farm after their dad purchased the land.



The 1948 Airport & Business Flying Directory (courtesy of Michael Denja)

described Almont Airport as a private field having 2 unpaved runways, measuring 2,500 northeast/southwest & 1,800' northwest/southeast.



The Trott brothers operated the airport until 1952, when it was leased.



A 1956 Flying Magazine article (courtesy of Michael Denja) described how Frank Trott

served as a pilot for the Ligon Brothers business aircraft based at Trott Brothers Airport.



The earliest depiction of Almont Airport which has been located was on a 5/1/67 USGS aerial photo,

which depicted it as having 2 grass runways, with a few small buildings & 2 single-engine planes on the east side.



Mark Cryderman reported, “Almont Airport brings special memories.

It was owned by my cousins, the Trotts, whose farm can be seen at the west end.

My father taught me to love aviation & he was taught to fly, at this airport, by cousin Frank Trott.

Frank had a 4 digit pilot's license, taught bomber pilots during WW2 & flew DC-3s for Republic Airlines.

I spent fun times as a kid at this airport & have many funny & crazy stories!”



The 1968 USGS topo map (courtesy of Mike Denja) depicted Almont Airport

as having 2 unpaved runways, with 4 small buildings on the east side.



The only aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Almont Airport

was on the May 1977 Detroit Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mitchell Hymowitz).

It depicted Almont Airport as having a 2,300' paved runway.



The 1983 USGS topo map depicted the Almont “Municipal Airport” as having a single northeast/southwest runway.



Wade Lawrence recalled, “Almont Airport... It had a paved strip & grass,

and used to be a center for ultralights in the 1980s.

I landed there many times for gas.”



The 1991 USGS topo map depicted Almont Airport

as having a single paved northeast/southwest runway, along with 2 unpaved runways.

A taxiway led to several small buildings (hangars?) along the east side.



The Almont Airport was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1991-99,

as the 3/28/99 USGS aerial photo depicted the paved runway as being marked with 3 closed-runway “X” symbols.

The airfield otherwise remained intact.



At some point between 1999-2006 the majority of the Almont Airport runway was covered by a residential street,

as shown in a 2006 aerial view, but the northeast portion of the runway remained recognizable.

The hangars appeared to remain intact on the east side of the field.



A circa 2006-2010 photo (courtesy of M. Hoshaw) looking west at the former hangars, now reused as “Almont Airport Storage”.



    M. Hoshaw reported in 2011, “Almont Airport... If you drive by it on Van Dyke (in Michigan) you can still see the hangars.

    It even says something like 'Almont Airport hangars' or something to that effect.”



The site of Almont Airport is located northeast of the intersection of Tubspring Road & Shoemaker Road.



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