Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Maryland, Southern Prince George's County area
© 2002, 2008 by Paul Freeman. Revised 10/5/08.
For a suburban community, Prince George's County has a remarkable aviation heritage.
A total of 12 airfields within the county are profiled on this web site (many of which have historic value).
Unfortunately, the county's proud aviation heritage is not very widely known.
A perfect example of this is the fact that of the 12 airfields profiled on this web site,
only 3 of them are still in operation as of 2003,
and all 3 of those will most likely be closing soon
as a result of heavy-handed government "security precautions" established in response to terrorism concerns.
More aviation history, soon to be largely forgotten.
Bower Field (revised 4/15/08) - Cheltenham Navy Airfield (added 8/30/03) - Hyde Field (revised 10/5/08)
Rose Valley Airport / Prince George's Airpark / Potomac Airport (revised 4/14/08)
Riverside Field / Columbia Air Center / Croom Field (revised 8/10/08)
____________________________________________________
38.75 North / 76.93 West (Southeast of Washington, DC)
An August 14, 1943 U.S. Navy aerial photo looking southwest at “Hyde Landing Field” (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel).
Brian observed, “I believe this photo was taken after the primary training had ended, as there are no planes present in the picture.“
Hyde Field is one of the "DC-3" - three little general aviation airports
that have the misfortune to be located within close proximity to Washington, DC.
Normally, this wouldn't be a problem - but in the post-9/11 world,
our elected leaders have decided that 2,000-pound Cessnas pose a security risk,
even though the aircraft used by the 9/11 terrorists were commercial airliners
(which are much heavier & much faster, packing about 1,300 times the kinetic energy of a general aviation aircraft).
A 1938 aerial photo of the Hyde Field property did not yet show any recognizable trace of an airfield, just farmland.
According to the book "Maryland Aloft" by Preston, Lanman, and Breilhan,
"Hyde Field opened in 1939 or 1940,
and began appearing on aeronautical charts in September [of 1940]."
It was built by Arthur Hyde, who at one point also owned Congressional Airport in the Maryland suburbs.
The 1940 Airport Directory Company's Airport Directory described Hyde as a new facility,
having a 3,950' x 2,600' sod field.
Hyde was depicted as a commercial airport
on the 1942 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
According to Brian Rehwinkel, Hyde was one of several outlying fields
used to support primary flight training at Naval Reserve Aviation Base Anacostia during WW2
(the others being Beltsville, Hybla Valley, Cheltenham, Nottingham, and Riverside).
Brian remarked, “Hyde served more as an Auxiliary Air Station role in that training planes were actually 'based' at the field
and were only sent back to Anacostia for maintenance & repairs
(this concept was used at other stations such as Minneapolis, Dallas, and St. Louis).”
The earliest depiction which has been located of Hyde Field
was an August 14, 1943 U.S. Navy aerial photo captioned “Hyde Landing Field” (courtesy of Brian Rehwinkel).
It depicted the field as having a total of 4 runways,
with numerous hangars along the southeast side of the field.
Brian observed, “I believe this photo was taken after the primary training had ended, as there are no planes present in the picture.“
Rep. Jennings Randolph (left) & Civil Air Patrol Major Arthur Hyde (the founder of Hyde Field),
pictured in 1943 in front of a Fairchild 24.
Hyde Field was used during WW2 by the Civil Air Patrol,
in which organization Arthur Hyde held the rank of Major.
Tom Beamer reported, "I have a cute little book called 'Love at First Flight', published in 1943,
that takes a humourous look at Navy Flight Training.
The author began his training at Hyde in a N3N ['Yellow Peril' biplane]
after a daily bus ride from quarters, and classrooms, at Anacostia."
Hyde Field was described by the 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
as having a 3,100' hard-surface runway.
The 1945 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)
depicted Hyde Field as a commercial airport.
An advertisement for Hyde Field from the Haire Publishing Company's 1945 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
According to the book "Maryland Aloft", a 1947 MD Airport Directory
said that Hyde Field had 28 hangars (most of which were small T-hangars).
The earliest photo that has been located of Hyde Field was a 1949 aerial view.
It depicted the field as having 2 runways, with a long row of hangars along the southeast side of the field.
A closeup from the 1949 aerial view showing a DC-3 among the aircraft parked on the west side of Hyde Field.
Hyde Field, as depicted on the 1949 USAF Target Complex Chart.
The Aerodromes table on the 1951 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe)
described Hyde Field as having 2 runways,
with the longest being a 3,200' hard-surface strip.
Cleve Stanley recalled, “I was born & raised less than 1 mile from the airport
and learned to fly there in the late 1950s early 1960s
when my dad was manager of the airport's day-to-day operations for Mr Hyde.”
According to the book "Virginia Airports" by Vera Rollo & Norman Crabill (published by the VAHS),
Harry Lehman moved his flying business to Hyde Field after the closing of Virginia's Beacon Field in 1959.
Merton Meade recalled, “Harry Lehman & Franklin Reid made a deal with Art Hyde in 1959
to locate Beacon Flying Service at Hyde & operate the airport.
Harry was the manager & Franklin was the president of Beacon Flying Service.”
The Aerodromes table on the 1960 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)
described Hyde Field as having 2 runways, with the primary being a 3,200' bituminous strip.
The 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Hyde as having 2 paved runways (3,200' Runway 3/21 & 2,100' Runway 12/30),
along with what appeared to be 2 other unpaved runways.
Several hangars (including the extremely long hangar on the east side of Runway 3/21) were depicted on the field.
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Hyde Field as consisting of
a 3,800' bituminous Runway 4/22 & a 2,400' "semi-paved" Runway 13/31.
The operator was listed as Harry Lehman (Piper).
According to Ace Stutz, “Professional Pilots, Inc., was started by Bob Jenkins & Joannie Miller at Hyde Field
and later run by Norman Mowbray.”
A 1965 aerial photo of Hyde Field showed the airport to have 2 paved runways, numerous hangars,
and a large quantity of based aircraft.
The September 1965 Washington Local Visual Navigation Chart
and the 1967 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe)
depicted Hyde as having 2 paved runways, with the longest being 3,200'.
The primary runway had continued to be shortened
by the time of the 1973 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe),
as longest runway was described as being only 2,800'.
According to Tom Reed, "I used to take flying lessons in 1976 at Hyde Field while I was in high school.
Harry [Lehman] & his wife ran Hyde Field & also ran their FBO, Beacon Flying Service.
They where very nice folks."
The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
listed the Hyde runway configuration as a 2,800' asphalt Runway 5/23 & a 2,000' asphalt Runway 13/31.
The operator was listed as Beacon Flying Service.
According to Shawn Gilson, Arthur Hyde had some legal troubles in the 1980s
(including an indictment on charges of conspiracy to murder his wife).
He sold the airport to a beer distributor named William Albright back in 1985.
According to Ace Stutz, “In 1988 [Professional Pilots, Inc.] became Blue Sky Aviation
run by Marianne Boone & was very successful.
She sold out & Stan Fetter has what's left at Hyde Field now.”
In its heyday Hyde was home to a large number of aircraft.
As seen in the 1988 USGS aerial photo,
a row of hangars is lined along the eastern side of the primary runway,
and several T-hangars also exists just west of the former runway intersection.
The crosswind Runway 13/31 was still open in the 1988 photo,
and note the DC-3 parked at the southwest corner.
Is this the same aircraft seen at Hyde Field in the 1949 aerial photo?
The field was renamed Washington Executive Airport at some point between 1982-86,
as it was labeled as "Washington Executive (Hyde Field)" on the 1989 USGS topo map.
Hyde Field's crosswind runway was closed in 1990.
The 1993 Jeppesen Airport Directory depicted Washington Executive / Hyde Field
as having a single 3,000' paved Runway 5/23.
The operators were listed as Beacon Flying Service, Blue Sky Aviation, and Freedom Air.
In Shawn Gilson's words, "There were heavy plans to turn Hyde into something spectacular.
From what I can gather, the plans were to build another Manassass [Regional Airport],
with 3 runways, the longest over 5,000'.
Everything was approved, and ready to go by the county.
There was considerable community resistance to the airport.
Somewhere in the middle 1990s everything seemed to vanish into thin air."
According to Shawn Gilson, "A doctor purchased the airfield in there somewhere from a different owner.
The good folks over at Maryland have told me that they understood that the doctor plans
to sell the airport after the latest round of NOTAMs."
An aerial view of Hyde Field circa 1990s, looking southwest.
In the circa 2001 aerial photo, the contraction of the airport may be seen:
the eastern end of the former crosswind runway was still visible (being used as a taxiway),
whereas the western end of the former runway was no longer even discernible.
Unfortunately, due to Hyde's proximity to DC, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks,
it was placed under onerous security procedures, along with nearby Potomac Airport & College Park Airport.
Among other things, these regulations outlawed any transient aircraft landings at Hyde,
which decimated its business.
A 2002 USGS aerial photo looking southwest along Hyde's Runway 23,
showing the drastically reduced number of aircraft based at Hyde following the post-9/11 “security restrictions”.
As of 2003, the airfield configuration at Hyde consists of a single 3,000' asphalt Runway 5/23,
described as being "in fair condition".
A total of 112 aircraft were listed in the FAA records as being based at Hyde in 2003.
However, in light of the government restrictions placed on the field,
it is unlikely that a fraction of that number of planes remained at the field in 2003.
The following operators were based at Hyde in 2003:
Fetter Aviation, Beacon Flying Service, Clinton Aero Maintenance,
Cloud Club Flying Club, Gilley Aviation Repair,
and the Prince George's County Police Aviation Section (which operates MD520N NOTAR helicopters).
As of 2003, Hyde Field was owned by Nabil Asterbadi, a Washington D.C. Ob/Gyn doctor,
who was described as rarely even visiting the field.
According to the FAA pilot database, he is evidently not a pilot.
When the Baltimore Business Journal prepared an article about the plight of the airport,
Asterbadi would not return phone calls seeking his comment
(which is evidently his usual response about the airport).
In 2003, an employee at Hyde Field said,
"We are in danger of being closed down because of the onerous restrictions put on flight to & from the airport,
which was headed downhill anyway because the succession of owners has sold off all the hardwood
and mined the gravel on the 450+ acre property, sucking the airport dry -
taking everything out & returning nothing.
What was a viable, thriving airport when I came here in 1981
has steadily deteriorated so that even before the Homeland 'Security' restrictions,
we have steadily lost pilots, planes and patrons. Pity."
Unfortunately, the director of the new Transportation Security Administration, Admiral James Loy,
was quoted in 2003 as saying that the government may proceed to "buy out" the operators at the "DC-3" airports,
and close the airports.
Very sad.
Ben Selig reported in 2004, "I still keep my aircraft at Hyde because I hope it will show the TSA that there is a need for the DC-3 airports.
I can't seem to find out anything about it's future anytime.
Doctor Asterbadi never answers to anyone.
Stan Fetter who runs Trafficplanes.com doesn't seem to know which way his future there is heading either.
Milton Gilley at Gilley aviation is still working everyday at his hangar...
well he is at least watching guard hoping someday that the FRZ will be lifted so he can get his loyal customers back.
Danny Fugazzi is still working maintenance also at the other end of the airfield with hopes too of a reopening.
Herb Jones at Cloud Club is still flying a few students out of the FRZ
but not much there more than a few hours a week from some loyal pilots.
Without the FRZ clearing there isn't any traffic Pattern work and no students.
I will keep N3741V on the airfield as long as possible.
It doesn't get the flight time it deserves anymore
but it does get some even with the heavy restrictions on the DC-3 airports."
A circa 2005 aerial photo looking north at hangars & planes on the southern portion of Hyde Field.
SW reported in 2008, “The field will be gone in the next couple of years.
We understand that the property is under contract to a developer.
The guys say 2-3 years & it will be houses & there was an article in the local paper talking about it's demise.
No matter what you hear it's not gone because of the regulations. The owner is taking his profit.
There are surveyor's makings all around the field & many of the tenants have confirmed the sale.
They appear to be in phase 1 of construction & I think Phase 2 is the part which includes the runway.”
See also: http://www.hydeair.com/hydefieldmain.htm
____________________________________________________
Rose Valley Airport / Prince George's Airpark / Potomac Airport (VKX), Friendly, MD
38.75 North / 76.96 West (Southeast of Washington, DC)
Rose Valley Airport, as depicted in the 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
A 1957 aerial photo of the eventual site of this airport did not yet show any recognizable trace of an airfield, just farmland,
and no airfield at the location was depicted on the 1957 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
According to the book "Maryland Aloft" by Preston, Lanman, and Breilhan,
a paper by Karin Thiessen said that Potomac "originated in the 1950s as a grass landing strip for private use."
According to Merton Meade, “Rose Valley Airport was named after Martin Shaw's wife, Rose.
I first flew into there in about 1957 or 1958 in a Super Cub owned by the Fort Belvior flying club.”
The earliest depiction of Rose Valley Airport which has been located
was on the 1960 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss),
The Aerodromes table on the chart described Rose Valley as having a single 3,000' asphalt runway.
The 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted "Rose Valley" Airport as having a single 3,000' paved Runway 7/25,
with a parallel taxiway on the north side leading to 2 rows of T-hangars.
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Rose Valley as consisting of
a single 3,000' bituminous Runway 2/20.
The operator was listed as Raymond Keiflin.
The earliest photo that has been located of Rose Valley Airport was a 1963 aerial photo.
It depicted the field as having a single paved runway, with 2 long hangars,
and over 30 light aircraft parked on the field.
The 1964 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)
depicted the "Rose Valley" Airport as having a 3,000' paved runway.
At some point between 1964-65, the field was renamed Prince George's Airpark,
as it was labeled "PG Airpark" on the September 1965 Washington Local Visual Navigation Chart.
It was depicted as having a single 2,600' paved runway.
A 1965 aerial photo of PG Airpark depicted the field as having a single paved runway, 2 hangars on the northwest side of the field,
and a large quantity of based aircraft.
Former Washington-area pilot Will McGuffin recalled,
"Professional Flight Service at Rose Valley or PG Airpark, as it was also called at the time
(I believe that it was called P.G. Airpark on the Washington Sectional chart at the time, about 1968),
was owned by a pilot [who worked for Eastern Airlines].
Due to the proximity to Hyde Field, we had to fly a reverse downwind leg,
looking out the right side of the aircraft at the runway.
However, one got used to it.
I was amazed to see that a housing development has been built so close to the south end of the runway.
On a hot summer day one did well to clear the trees that used to be there!
One of the best instructors I had there was a lady named Velta Benn who was probably in her 50s at the time.
I have often wondered what became of all those good folks."
According to Ace Stutz, “Professional Flight Service, Inc., was run by Larry DeAngelis, a retired Eastern Airlines Pilot.
Larry & his wife Alice operated out of Rose Valley / PG Airpark / Potomac Airpark for many years.”
Prince George's Airpark was listed in the 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury).
The runway was described as a a single 2,580' asphalt Runway 6/24,
and the operator was listed as Professional Flight Service.
It was still labeled "Prince George's Airpark " on the 1983 USGS topo map,
In the 1988 USGS aerial photo,
there were 2 t-hangars along the north side of the runway,
and the airport office building on the south side.
At some point between 1983-91,
the name of the field was changed again, to Potomac Airport,
as that is how it was labeled on the 1991 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
The 1993 Jeppesen Airport Directory depicted Potomac Airfield
as having a single 2,281' paved Runway 6/24,
with a parallel taxiway on the northwest side.
The operators were listed as ATC Flight Training Center & Potomac Aviation.
An aerial view of Potomac looking southwest.
This is a perfect illustration of how blatantly close the housing development has been built,
directly on the short final approach path to the runway.
A circa 2001 aerial view of Potomac.
In the early 2000s, a photo of Potomac Airport was featured on the cover of Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine,
showing the perspective of an aircraft on short final to the runway from the south.
What was shocking about the picture was how a housing development
had been built directly along the runway centerline,
less than a thousand feet from the end of the runway.
Not only that, but the builders of the housing development had even thought to erect a mound of dirt
directly under the final approach path at the end of one of their new residential streets,
so that the residents of their new development would not see how close they were
to the airport that preceded their new houses.
Potomac Airport is also located less than one mile west of Hyde Field,
which has made traffic patterns at the 2 fields quite a delicate operation.
Unfortunately, Potomac's location in relative close proximity to DC
has made it one of the "DC-3" airports which are threatened with closure
in the new post-9/11 world by the new Transportation Security Administration.
A 2002 USGS aerial photo looking southwest along Potomac's Runway 24.
As of 2003, the airfield configuration at Potomac consists of a single 2,665' asphalt Runway 6/24.
A total of 112 aircraft were listed in the FAA records as being based at Potomac in 2003.
However, in light of the government restrictions placed on the field,
it is unlikely that a fraction of that number of planes remain at the field in 2003.
The following operators were based at Potomac in 2003:
Potomac Airfield, ATC Flight Training Center, Buckley Aviation, Cloud Club II, Aviation Adventures,
and, ironically, the FAA Flying Cub.
Unfortunately, the director of the new Transportation Security Administration, Admiral James Loy,
was quoted in 2003 as saying that the government may proceed to "buy out" the operators at the "DC-3" airports,
and close the airports.
Very sad.
In yet another sad twist in the story of this airfield,
Potomac Airpark was suddenly closed by the Transportation Security Administration on November 2, 2005,
for supposed “security violations”.
This action trapped a number of aircraft which were still resident at the field,
until they could be ferried out during a special time period.
It remains to be seen how long this closure will last.
A circa 2005 aerial photo looking north at hangars & planes at Potomac Airpark.
____________________________________________________
Cheltenham Navy Airfield, Cheltenham, MD
38.74 North / 76.83 West (Southeast of Washington, DC)
"Cheltenham (Navy)", as depicted on the 1944 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
This short-lived Washington area military airfield is a bit of an enigma.
Hardly anything is known about it.
A 1938 aerial photo of the property did not yet show any recognizable trace of an airfield, just farmland.
The purpose of the Cheltenham Navy airfield is unknown,
but a nearby Navy installation may provide some clues.
The Naval Radio Station Cheltenham was established in 1938,
less than a mile northwest of where the "Cheltenham (Navy)" airfield was depicted on the 1944 Sectional Chart.
The facility was located on a wide expanse of wooded trees & farms
that originally encompassed more than 559 acres of land the Navy bought from a local farmer.
By 1940, Cheltenham was one of five Navy communications intelligence intercept sites
which monitored diplomatic communications, and were all linked directly (or indirectly through Army circuits)
to Washington via radio & landline communications.
The Cheltenham Navy airfield was not yet depicted at all
on the 1942 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
The only depiction of the field which has been located
was on the 1944 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe),
which depicted "Cheltenham (Navy)" as an auxiliary airfield.
The airfield configuration at Cheltenham is unknown.
The Cheltenham Navy airfield may have been built to support the Naval Radio Station.
On the other hand, it is possible that the "airfield" never really existed at all -
its very brief depiction on maps as an airfield may have been a ruse
to conceal the sensitive nature of the activities conducted at the nearby Naval Radio Station.
A 1949 aerial photo of the property did not show any recognizable trace of an airfield,
just the Naval communications facilities.
Mike Doll reported, “I worked at the Naval Communications Unit there in the mid-1980s.
While looking for history on the base I found some info that indicates
that the Navy considered moving air operations from the Anacostia NAS to Cheltenham in the 1940s
due to limited expansion room along the Anacostia River.
The Navy apparently owned additional land in Cheltenham that was to be used for this purpose.
Apparently this idea was scrapped for whatever reason.
I don't know if any type of strip was actually built” [at Cheltenham].
The Cheltenham Navy airfield was apparently closed by 1945,
as it was not depicted on the 1945 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)
or later Sectional Charts.
A 1965 aerial photo of the property did not show any recognizable trace of an airfield,
just the Naval communications facilities.
The Naval Communications Detachment Cheltenham was eventually disestablished in 1998.
A circa 2001 aerial photo of the general location of the former Cheltenham airfield.
As depicted on the 1944 Sectional Chart,
the site of the Cheltenham airfield is located less than a half-mile northwest of the town of Cheltenham.
In aerial photos of the area northwest of Cheltenham from 1988 & 2001,
there were no recognizable traces of a former airfield.
____________________________________________________
38.74 North / 77.02 West (South of Washington, DC)
Bower Field (labeled simply "Landing Strip"), as depicted on the 1956 USGS topo map.
This very short little private paved strip was located along the east bank of the Potomac River,
seven miles south of Reagan National Airport.
The date of construction of Bower Field is unknown.
A 1938 aerial photo of the property did not yet show any recognizable trace of an airfield, just farmland.
It was apparently built at some point between 1955-56,
as it was not yet depicted on the 1955 Washington Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
The earliest reference to Bower Airport which has been located is the 1956 USGS topo map,
which depicted the single north/south runway, labeled simply as "Landing Strip".
Merton Meade recalled, “I remember Don Bowers & his wee field.
Don used to keep his Cessna 310 there & also had a Cessna 180.”
The earliest photo which has been located of Bower Field was a 1957 aerial view.
It depicted the field as having a single grass runway.
The Aerodromes table on the 1957 Washington Sectional Chart
described Bower Field as having a single 2,000' turf runway.
The runway at Bower was apparently paved within the next 3 years,
as the Aerodromes table on the 1960 Washington Sectional Chart
described Bower Field as having a single 2,000' hard-surfaced runway.
Stan Fetter (of Hyde Field's Fetter Aviation) said that
"The guy that built it had a [Cessna] 310 in there, believe it or not.
He'd go out light & pick up fuel & passengers at Hyde."
The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Bower Field as a private field
consisting of a single 2,000' blacktop Runway 18/36.
Apparently, the runway length was shortened somewhat by 1964,
as the Aerodromes table on the 1964 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)
described Bower Field as consisting of a single 1,660' asphalt runway.
A 1965 aerial photo of Bower Field showed the airport to have a single paved runway,
and what appeared to be 2 aircraft parked on the west side of the runway.
Also note the airport circle marking on the east side of the field.
Ben Selig recalled, "I grew up in Ft. Washington just down the street from the Bower airfield.
My first airplane ride was from there at the age of about 3 from the original owner Don Bowers about 32 years ago [circa 1970].
Don had a [Cessna] 210 and a yellow 172.
With my brother about 4 years & myself screaming at the offer for a ride from Don my mother couldn't say 'No.'
Off we went my brother & I standing in the back of the 172,
out over the roller coaster at Glenn Echo & around southern PG county."
Bower Field, as depicted on the 1975 Washington Terminal Area Chart (courtesy of Ed Drury).
The last photo which has been located showing aircraft still on Bower Field was a 1980 aerial view.
It showed 2 single-engine aircraft parked on the southwest side of the runway.
The airport circle marking previously seen on the east side of the field had evidently been removed at some point between 1965-80.
The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
described Bower Field as having a single 1,660' asphalt runway.
The 1983 USGS topo map depicted Bower as having a single paved runway with buildings along the west side.
The March 1993 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Carl Taylor)
depicted Bower as having a single 1,600' paved runway.
Bower Field was still depicted as an active private airfield on 1998 aeronautical charts.
As seen in the above circa 2001 aerial photo,
2 small hangars were situated west of the single runway.
There did not appear to be any other aircraft parked outside at the field.
The airport circle marking (previously visible in the 1965 photo) had disappeared.
Unfortunately a 2002 USGS aerial photo showed that the house which previously sat along the west side of the runway had been leveled,
although the runway still remained intact.
A sad sight – a circa 2002-2004 aerial view looking east, showing the Bower Field runway in the process of being replaced by new houses.
Stan Fetter said in 2003 that the Bower Airport property
was sold a couple of years ago to a real estate developer
"and it's been dug up to become the backyards of some very expensive homes."
Ben Selig reported in 2004, "It's completely gone & 20 or so homes have been built there,
and a plan for another 30 or so to be built along the Potomac River waterfront area."
____________________________________________________
Riverside Field / Columbia Air Center / Croom Field, Croom, MD
38.75 North / 76.7 West (East of Andrews AFB, MD)
The Columbia Air Center, as depicted on the 1945 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).
A 1938 aerial photo of this property did not yet show any recognizable trace of an airfield, just farmland.
In 1941 aviation history was made when Riverside Field,
the first black owned & operated airfield licensed in America, opened on this site.
The property, a 450 acre potato field, was leased by The Cloud Club, a group of black pilots from Washington,
for $50 / month from Rebecca Fisher.
John Greene, a pioneer in black aviation, was instrumental in developing the airfield.
According to the book "Maryland Aloft" by Preston, Lanman, and Breilhan,
"Riverside Field opened in February 1941.”
The Washington Afro-American newspaper wrote August 16, 1941,
"...(Croom is) the only field solely operated by a colored staff."
According to the book "Maryland Aloft" by Preston, Lanman, and Breilhan,
"In August [1941], an air show there drew 800 spectactors, about 150 of whom went aloft for rides.
During this same general period,
students from the Civilian Pilot Training Program at Howard University did their flight training at the field."
With the advent of WW2, civilian flying was restricted & many private airfields
were utilized by the military to train pilots.
Wartime restrictions halted private flying at Riverside,
but the Navy began to use Riverside Field for training missions.
Strangely, no airfield at all was depicted at Croom
on the 1942 or 1944 Washington Sectional Charts (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
The Navy's usage of Riverside Field ended in 1944.
After the war, John Greene reopened the airfield as "Columbia Air Center".
It was depicted as "Columbia" on the 1945 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss)
and the 1946 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
According to the book "Maryland Aloft",
in 1946, the airfield consisted of 130 usable acres with 7 marked runways.
The airport had one 100' x 60' hangar, one 40' square hangar, and a 20' square office building.
The management's fleet included a Fairchild PT-19 trainer, Piper J3L, Aeronca Champion, and Aeronca L3.
Columbia Air Center offered a flying school, charter services, and facilities for major & minor repairs.
The first black Civil Air Patrol squadron in the Washington DC area,
called the Columbia Squadron, was formed here.
The "Columbia" airfield was described on the 1949 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe)
as having a 3,300' unpaved runway.
It was listed as "Columbia Air Center" in the 1950 MD Airport Directory (courtesy of Stephen Mahaley).
At the time, the field boasted a total of no less than seven runways, all grass,
of which the longest was 3,300'.
The airport office building & 2 hangars were situated west of the runways.
Columbia Air Center was described on the 1951 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe)
as having five runways, with the longest being a 2,600' unpaved strip.
Undated photo of a hangar at Riverside.
After John Greene's retirement, the airport was managed by Charles Wren & Herbert Jones,
whose firm was named "W & J Flying Service".
The "Capital Flying Club" also was based here,
promoting such activities as skydiving & parachute jumping.
The flying service at the field operated until 1956, when the Fisher family refused to renew the lease.
However, Columbia Air Center was still depicted as an active airfield
on the 1957 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe),
and described as having five runways, with the longest being a 2,600' turf strip.
Columbia Air Center was closed to all air traffic in 1958.
In 1959, the property became the first acquisition of the Patuxent River Watershed Park.
No airfield was depicted at the site on the 1961 Washington Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
However, this airfield apparently was briefly reopened at some point between 1961-63,
as a "Croom" Field was depicted at the same location
on the 1963 Washington Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
It was described as having 2 runways, with the longest being a 3,200' turf runway.
Croom Field evidently lasted only one year,
as nothing was depicted at the site on the 1964 Washington Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).
A 1965 aerial photo of Croom Field showed a large open grass area, in which distinct runways were not recognizable.
A horsetrack was situated on the northwest side of the property.
Traces of the former airport buildings on the west side of the field were evident,
but it is not certain if they were still standing at that point.
There was no sign of any based aircraft.
The 1979 USGS topo map still depicted the site as a “Landing Field”,
with 2 small buildings along the west side of the field.
The 1983 MD Aeronautical Chart no longer depicted the field at all (not even as an abandoned airfield).
A 1993 aerial photo of Croom Field showed a somewhat smaller cleared area compared to the 1965 photo.
However, an airport circle marking was visible in the center of the field, which was not visible on the 1965 photo.
A circa 2000 aerial view of Riverside Field showed that the cleared area was the only trace remaining of the airfield.
A recent photo of the historic marker at the open grass field.
The historic marker is also displayed at the College Park Aviation Museum.
Today, the only remaining trace of the airport is a historic marker on the side of an open grass field.
However, the 2002 book "Maryland Aloft" reported that a fuel pump remained at the field.
Although a 2006 aerial view of Riverside Field showed that the cleared area was the only trace remaining of the airfield,
an airliner was also captured overflying the field (along with a photo artifact of the same airliner).
A 2007 photo by Michael Regen of the wreck of an unidentified light single-engine aircraft
found in the woods only a few hundred feet northwest of the northwest corner of Croom Field.
Micheal reported, “September 2007 the Civil Air Patrol Maryland Wing had a SAREX (Search & Rescue Exercise)
in the area that was Croom Airport & surrounding Jug Bay.
None of us at the time knew that this area had previously been an airport.
I was leading a ground team searching for a practice ELT
and ran across this aircraft frame in the woods at N 38.767 / W 76.71.
You can probably guess at the shock & surprise when I radioed back to mission base that we had found a wrecked aircraft
since no one knew of either this plane’s existence or the fact that it had once been an airport.
I could not identify the old aircraft tube frame. Pieces of it were scattered around the site.
It had wooden wing spars with the bolted ends still in the upper tube frame but badly deteriorated.
There was no trace of wings other than the spar ends and the tubular struts so the wing may have been all wood & long since deteriorated.
It was obviously a fabric-covered high wing aircraft.”
Croom Field is located along "Croom Airport Road", on the western shore of the Patuxent River.
See also:
http://www.geocities.com/cd19/croom.html
http://www.tc-solutions.com/croom/airport/airport.htm
____________________________________________________