Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:

Ohio: Northeast Ohio

© 2002, © 2012 by Paul Freeman. Revised 11/12/12.



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Youngstown Executive Airport (06G), Youngstown, OH

41.06 North / 80.83 West (Southeast of Cleveland, OH)

Youngstown Executive Airport, as depicted on the 1963 Cleveland Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).



This small general aviation airport was apparently built at some point between 1960-63,

as it was not depicted on the 1960 Cleveland Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

The earliest depiction of this field which has been located

was on the 1963 Cleveland Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

The Aerodromes table on the chart described the field as having a single 3,000' asphalt runway.



The 1963 USGS topo map depicted Youngstown Executive Airport

as having a single paved northwest/southeast runway & 3 small buildings on the north side.

 

The runway at Youngstown Executive was apparently lengthened within the next 2 years,

as the 1965 Cleveland Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

described the field as having a single 4,200' asphalt runway.

 

The 1966 OH Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

depicted 2 rows of T-hangars on the north side of the runway,

as well as a new hangar & administration building.

 

Scott Tanner recalled, “Youngstown Executive Airport... I worked as a line boy at the airport around 1970.

It was run by Frank Corby, and his brother Mario. Some of the names I remember are Ray Penny, Scott Rapp, Jack Wilson, Scott Cory.

I took flying lessons there. I have lots of good memories from those days like watching the drag races & calling the tower when a plane was about to land.

One time, I even got to run the tug down the track on a Saturday night.

I don't remember my time but I'm sure it was a record for the slowest ever 1/4 mile ever.”



Jay McMurray recalled of Youngstown Executive Airport, "I started flying there in 1973

and worked as a 'Lineboy' fueling airplanes that summer.

We closed for the races on weekend nights.

The field was also used for a lot of cargo flights. Beech 18's were common.

I used to work till sundown & hop on a Beech 18 or some other lighter twin

and fly all night with the cargo pilot flying Packard Electric car parts

around to the various cities making cars: Oshawa Canada, Detroit, Andersen Indiana etc."



A flight simulation scenery re-creation looking northeast at Youngstown Executive Airport by Richard Finley.


Dan Anthony recalled, “I took my first flight lessons out of Youngstown Executive Airport

and was one of the 'line boys' from about 1973-75.

With my employee discount my hourly rate for a Cessna 150 or 152 & the instructor

was about $15 but I was making only minimum wage ($1.65 / hour at the time).

The airport was a Cessna Dealer & sold many new Cessnas

that ended up getting leased back into the flight training program.

One nice thing about taking lessons at this airport was there were always new airplanes to fly.

As a line boy one of my jobs was to clean & wax the airplanes.

The instructors liked when I scheduled a lesson because the plane I scheduled for myself

was pulled from the line & cleaned spotless just prior to my lesson, I made sure of that!”


Dan continued, “They also had a thriving charter service with a Cessna 421 (Golden Eagle),

a C-410, C-310s, Piper Navaho and the Beech 18s.

The Beeches were used as freight haulers & passenger planes

(as a line boy I was required to load & unload the freight & install/remove the seats).

They had a very active A&P shop to maintain the fleet of training aircraft

and the private planes hangared on the field as well as many that would fly in for their maintenance needs.

They also had an active radio shop.”


Dan continued, “During my time there they had an annual Fly-In

and planes from all over the country would drop in.

At the Fly-In the training fleet was used to give 'penny-a-pound' rides to anyone that wanted a ride in a small plane.

We had a bathroom scale & the person would step on & get weighed

and we collected a Penney for every pound & off they went.”


Dan continued, “The drag-racing that was every Friday & Saturday Night during the racing season...

One of my jobs was to work the radios once the FBO’s daytime staff left.

The pilots based at 06G didn’t like the fact that the airport closed for drag racing

and many would takeoff just prior to race time & then buzz the runway or interrupt the racing by landing.

One of the charter pilots would often take the B-18 down

and blow the racing timing lights or the 'Christmas tree' & starter shack over

with his prop-wash & run-up prior to a late evening take-off.

Because of these intentional pilot-induced delays the race sponsors hired an off-duty, uniformed police officer

to operate the radios & 'talk' to any pilot that wanted to land or takeoff.”


A 1978 photo by Charles Brasile (used by permission) of a Douglas DC-3 of Mannion Air Charter departing Youngstown Executive Airport.

 

The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)

described Youngstown Executive as having a single 4,155' asphalt Runway 11/29.



Dan Anthony recalled, “The large hangar to the right of the FBO building...

This hangar & most of the airplanes inside & tied-down all over the airport

were destroyed by a tornado sometime in the mid 1980s.

Shortly after that the FBO folded & then the rest of the place fell apart.”


A 4/20/94 USGS aerial view looking southeast showed Youngstown Executive to consist of a single paved 4,100' runway & some small hangars.

A small middle portion of the runway appeared to have been recently repaved, possibly for radio-controlled model aircraft flights.

Only 1 (or possibly 2) aircraft were visible on the field.

 

Youngstown Executive was evidently closed (for reasons unknown) at some point between 1994-2002,

as it was depicted as an abandoned airfield on 2002 aeronautical charts.



The rows of T-hangars were still standing in a 2005 aerial photo,

but had been removed by the time of a 2006 aerial photo.

 

A circa 2001-2005 aerial view looking north at Younstown Executive Airport,

showing that the hangars & runway remain in fine condition.



A 4/6/12 aerial view looking southeast showed Youngstown Executive to remain mostly intact, with the exception of the removed T-hangars.

In contrast to the 1994 photo, a different portion of the runway (further west) appeared to have been recently repaved, presumably for radio-controlled model aircraft flights.

 

In the words of Gene Zeigler, "Much aviation history in Northeast Ohio is lost

and very few of these facts have been recorded for the future generations to know about."

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