Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Western Tennessee
© 2002, © 2006 by Paul Freeman. Revised 10/28/06.
Arlington Municipal (revised 10/28/06) - NOLF 15305 (revised 10/28/06) - Jacks Creek Intermediate Field (added 4/19/05)
NOLF 34105 / Hagler Airport (revised 4/12/04)
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Jacks Creek Intermediate Field, Jacks Creek, TN
35.5 North / 88.52 West (Southwest of Nashville, TN)
Jacks Creek Intermediate Field, as depicted on the April 1941 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the field while in use has not been located.
Jacks Creek Intermediate Field was one of the Department of Commerce's network of Intermediate Fields
which were constructed in the 1930s along airways between major cities,
for the emergency use of commercial aircraft.
Jacks Creek Intermediate Field may have been built at some point between 1938-41,
as it was not yet listed among active airfields in The Airport Directory Company's 1938 Airport Directory (according to Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the April 1941 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It depicted Jacks Creek as being Site 53A along the airway,
and also depicted the Jacks Creek Radio site a few miles to the north.
The Airport Directory Company's 1941 Airport Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
described Jacks Creek as being Site 53A along the Dallas-Louisville airway.
The field was said to consist of an irregularly-shaped sod field having three runways,
of which the longest was the 4,300' north/south strip.
The field was said to be illuminated, but to offer no other services.
The April 1944 U.S. Army & Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
described Jacks Creek as Site 53 along the Dallas-Louisville Airway,
and described the field as having a 4,300' unpaved runway.
The 1948 USAAF Pilot's Handbook (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Jacks Creek as an unpaved airfield having two runways: 4,300' north/south & 3,800' northwest/southeast.
The August 1956 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)
depicted Jacks Creeek as a public-use airport having a 4,300' unpaved runway.
Jacks Creek Intermediate Field was evidently abandoned at some point between 1956-61,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the January 1961 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).
This was quite a bit longer than most Intermediate Fields lasted,
as their need had been obviated by advances in the range & reliability of commercial aircraft.
USGS topo maps from 1979, 1986, and 1989 did not depict anything at all at the location of the airfield.
As seen in the 1997 USGS aerial photo,
the outline of the two former runways at Jacks Creek was still recognizable.
The site of Jacks Creek Intermediate Field is located southwest of the intersection of Route 22A & Jones Road.
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Arlington Municipal Airport (LHC), Arlington, TN
35.28 North / 89.67 West (Northeast of Memphis, TN)
Arlington Municipal, as depicted in the 1981 DoD VFR Supplement (courtesy of John Clifford).
This is the story of yet another well-used general aviation airport
which has been swallowed up by surrounding development.
It lasted a mere 30 years - not a very long time for a taxpayer investment.
According to a report by the University of Memphis,
the Arlington Municipal Airport was constructed in 1968
as a result of a grant agreement between the Federal Aviation Administration & the Town of Arlington.
A hangar & terminal were added the following year
with the State of TN sharing the cost with the Town of Arlington.
The Arlington airport was in operation by 1969.
The 1981 DoD VFR Supplement (courtesy of John Clifford)
depicted Arlington Municipal as having a single 3,800' asphalt Runway 15/33.
The 1982 AOPA Airport Directory (courtesy of Ed Drury)
listed the operators at Arlington Municipal as Shamrock Aero, Jewel Aircraft Engine Overhaul,
Ken Guthrie Aircraft Sales, and Starflight Inc.
Local pilot Bill Zollinger reported that "I don't recall if Shamrock Aero was there from the beginning
but it was certainly there by the mid-70's & continued at least until the late 1980's.
It was owned by Dr. Sam Hardison, a local dentist,
and the manager was Gary Miller.
John Jewell came along about 1977 & opened an engine overhaul shop there.
Richard Starnes had a general maintenance shop.
Jack Adams Aircraft Sales had an office there before Ken Guthrie.
Ken arrived about 1980 or so."
"In the late 1960's the mayor, Sam Yorty, lead a coalition of the town council
to fund the airport & an adjoining industrial park.
The two were supposed to complement each other.
The town as a sleepy bedroom community of Memphis never fully accepted or realized the value of either
but at least the industrial park was quiet.
First they pushed Shamrock out for bringing in too much business (noise)
and then they hired a retired FedEx flight engineer to run the place.
He told them he would get the registration of any noisy aircraft & have the FAA punish them.
He lasted 3-4 years & they brought in East Memphis Aviation as a lame duck
whereupon they jerked the rug & airport out from underneath him after not accepting any more aid money
and waiting the proscribed period after which they are no longer liable.
Then they made sure to place things on the ex-runway to ensure no further use even as an emergency airfield.
What they failed to take into account (other than the obvious)
is that Memphis is growing in their direction & within a very few years will completely surround them.
This will bring 24 hour grocery stores & the other bustle & noise from the "big" city to them.
If they had paid a little more attention to their economic base
and planned to grow their town they would at least have minimized this effect."
As of 1998, Arlington Municipal was apparently a quite well-used airport,
with a total of 51 resident aircraft,
and the total number of takeoffs & landings per year was 34,166.
the fixed base operator was Memphis East Aviation,
In the 1998 USGS aerial photo, in addition to the 3,800' paved runway,
the field had a parallel taxiway, and a ramp with two hangars on the east side.
A total of 29 light aircraft were visible parked outside.
In spite of this relative health,
the town of Arlington had the University of Memphis conduct a "cost-benefit analysis"
of whether or not to close their airport in 1998.
Guess what? The result of their "cost-benefit analysis" was to close the airport -
what was probably a foregone conclusion that the "analysis" was merely meant to support.
By selling the 102 acre municipal property to developers (who rarely have any connection to local politics, right?),
the town government was able to realize a substantial short term financial gain,
regardless of the long term potential of a municipal asset
(which was partially paid for by both federal & state taxpayers).
Rhea Palmer recalled, "My husband & I spent a lot of time out at Arlington Airport in Tennessee.
We were there when it was closed & it was a fiasco!
A.I. Guron was the man running it at the time
and he has since moved his operation a little west to DeWitt-Spain Airport right next to the Mississippi river.
I have fond memories of that airport.
My husband asked me to marry him at the end of Runway 15."
The exact date of closure of Arlington Municipal is unknown, apparently between 1998-2002.
It was depicted as an abandoned airfield on 2002 aeronautical charts.
A 2006 aerial view by Damon Morris looking south at the remains of the Arlington Municipal Airport.
The southern half of the runway & taxiway remain intact, while new construction covers the northern portion.
The former ramp & several hangars also remain intact.
Arlington Municipal airport is located south of the intersection of Route 70 & Airline Road, appropriately enough.
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Naval Outlying Landing Field 15305, Ellendale, TN
35.29 North / 89.83 West (Northeast of Memphis, TN)
NOLF "15305", as depicted on the October 1946 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the field while in use has not been located.
This former military airfield was one of several satellite airfields
which were constructed during WW2 for the use of NAS Memphis (5 miles northwest),
which was one of the busiest Navy training fields during the war.
Many of Memphis' satellite airfields were built in the same "wagon wheel" airfield configuration.
The designation of Naval Outlying Land Field 15305
refers to its bearing from the parent Naval Air Station, NAS Memphis (153 degrees)
and its distance (05 miles).
NOLF 15305 may have been built relatively late in WW2,
as it was not depicted at all on the March 1944 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the October 1946 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
NOLF 15305 was most likely abandoned quite soon after the end of WW2.
It was definitely gone by 1961,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the 1961 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Local pilot Bill Zollinger recalled that "The 'Wagon Wheel' at Ellendale was a common landmark
to those of us flying from Shelby County airport.
There was a lot of speculation about whether engine out training
was allowed to progress to the point of actually doing a touch & go on it.
I came close but never actually touched down.
There was also speculation that the wagon wheel was the very site, or certainly close by,
that Phoebe Omilie & her husband used as part of the process of bringing air mail to the Memphis area."
Skip Robertson recalled, “I was in a [model airplane] club that used the field in the early 1970's until around 1976.
I believe that it was in 1976 that the club lost it's lease there.”
As seen in the 1997 USGS aerial photo,
the airfield at Ellendale consists of three 1,300' runways, arranged evenly around the compass,
with a circular track running around the periphery.
This runway configuration was ideal for primary flight cadets,
as it allowed a landing to be made with minimal crosswind component regardless of the prevailing wind direction.
The runways of the former airfield are still remarkably well preserved in the above 1997 aerial photo.
A narrow shed for a model airplane club sits just west of the runway intersection.
Skip Robertson reported, “You can see where we used the center of the two crossed runways...
the X's on them are still a little visible.
I believe that they were concrete at the time.
You can also see the 3 taxiways from the pit area...one at each end and one in the center.”
Recent USGS topo maps did not depict anything at all at the location of the airfield.
Jack Estes reported in 2005, “The narrow 'structure' is actually a pilots shed for a local radio-control airplane club.
If you look carefully in the center of the runways, you can see two smaller paved runways that the models fly off of.
We frequently get Stearman traffic, and your occasional 172 shooting an engine out.
Every now & then, a Stearman will touch down.
That is rare though, because the original parts of the runway are very rough rock/grass.”
A 2006 aerial view by Damon Morris looking southwest at the remains of the Ellendale airfield,
showing the model aircraft runways & buildings which have been added over the site of the former military airfield.
NOLF 15305 is located one mile east of Route 14, four miles north of Ellendale, TN.
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Naval Outlying Landing Field 34105 / Hagler Airport, Wilkinsville, TN
35.41 North / 89.9 West (Northeast of Memphis, TN)
NOLF "34105", as depicted on the October 1946 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Photo of the field while in use has not been located.
This former military airfield was one of several satellite airfields
which were constructed during WW2 for the use of NAS Memphis (4 miles southeast),
which was one of the busiest Navy training fields during the war.
Many of Memphis' satellite airfields were built in the same "wagon wheel" airfield configuration.
The designation of Naval Outlying Land Field 34105
refers to its bearing from the parent Naval Air Station, NAS Memphis (341 degrees)
and its distance (05 miles).
NOLF 34105 may have been built relatively late in WW2,
as it was not depicted at all on the March 1944 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The earliest depiction of the field which has been located
was on the October 1946 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
NOLF 34105 was most likely abandoned by the Navy quite soon after the end of WW2.
The former Navy airfield was apparently depicted as "Hagler" Airport
on the 1961 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Unlike many other small WW2-era outlying fields, this one apparently saw some reuse as a civil airport,
as it was depicted as "Hagler" Airport on the 1961 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The Aerodromes table on the chart described the field as having two runways:
a 1,200' hard-surface strip & a 2,100' turf strip.
However, Hagler was apparently abandoned at some point between 1961-63,
as it was labeled "Abandoned airport" on the 1963 Chattanooga Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
As seen in the 1997 USGS aerial photo,
the airfield at Wilkinsville consists of three 1,300' runways, arranged evenly around the compass,
with a circular track running around the periphery.
The airfield layout is still quite apparent in the above 1997 aerial photo,
although the airfield is somewhat more deteriorated than that at Ellendale.
Two buildings (barns?) have been constructed just east of the runway intersection.
The Wilkinsville airfield is exactly the same configuration as NOLF 15305 in nearby Ellendale.
USGS topo maps do not depict anything at all at the location of the airfield.
NOLF 34105 is located at the southwestern terminus of Ahaz Armstrong Road, west of Wilkinsville Road.
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