Disappearing Runways

[Kyle Boatright]

I think I'm seeing a growing trend where ex-military fields, typically of
WWII vintage, are suffereing runway attrition. 20 miles from my home field,
the Rome, GA airport has closed one of its 3 intersecting runways, and on my
last X/C to Texas, I discovered that one of my favorite stops - Greenville,
MS has closed its East/West runway (although keeping both of the N/S runways
open). Also, on Sunday, I was flying commercial from Las Vegas to Atlanta
and saw quite a few small airports with yellow X's on one or more runways.

Is this happening in your neighborhood too, or am I overly sensitive because
I fly a taildragger and really appreciate multiple runway options?

KB

[John Galban]

Kyle Boatright wrote:
>
> Is this happening in your neighborhood too, or am I overly sensitive because
> I fly a taildragger and really appreciate multiple runway options?
>
This has been happening pretty regularly for as long as I can
remember. The sad fact is that most of these former military bases are
now fairly low-volume GA fields. It's much too expensive for them to
maintain that vast amount of runway surface, for the smaller volume of
traffic. I love the old 3 runway triangles left over from the WWII
training days, but more often than not, those old airports will have
only 1 or 2 runways remaining because they couldn't afford to keep the
rest from falling apart.

I was flying at Williams Gateway (formerly Williams AFB, KIWA) the
other day. I'm still amazed that the (now GA) field still has all
three ~10K ft. concrete, parallel runways operating. My guess is that
as they start deterorating, at least one of those runways will turn
into a taxiway.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

[Dave Butler]

Kyle Boatright wrote:
> I think I'm seeing a growing trend where ex-military fields, typically of
> WWII vintage, are suffereing runway attrition. 20 miles from my home field,
> the Rome, GA airport has closed one of its 3 intersecting runways, and on my
> last X/C to Texas, I discovered that one of my favorite stops - Greenville,
> MS has closed its East/West runway (although keeping both of the N/S runways
> open). Also, on Sunday, I was flying commercial from Las Vegas to Atlanta
> and saw quite a few small airports with yellow X's on one or more runways.
>
> Is this happening in your neighborhood too, or am I overly sensitive because
> I fly a taildragger and really appreciate multiple runway options?

I think the displacement of taildraggers by noseplowers is part of the reason.
The airport's customers are no longer as sensitive to crosswinds as they used to be.

[Rob]

John Galban wrote:
> I was flying at Williams Gateway (formerly Williams AFB, KIWA) the
> other day. I'm still amazed that the (now GA) field still has all
> three ~10K ft. concrete, parallel runways operating. My guess is that
> as they start deterorating, at least one of those runways will turn
> into a taxiway.

It's my understanding that IWA is already equipped for commercial
passenger traffic and is planning to become an alternative to PHX for
commercial air travelers. I'd bet that SWA and the Airline Formerly
Known as America West will be there before too many years go by.
There's been an awful lot of population growth out there in the far
east valley recently.

-R

[Wizard of Draws]

On 5/24/05 9:44 PM, in article , "Kyle
Boatright" > spewed:

> I think I'm seeing a growing trend where ex-military fields, typically of
> WWII vintage, are suffereing runway attrition. 20 miles from my home field,
> the Rome, GA airport has closed one of its 3 intersecting runways, and on my
> last X/C to Texas, I discovered that one of my favorite stops - Greenville,
> MS has closed its East/West runway (although keeping both of the N/S runways
> open). Also, on Sunday, I was flying commercial from Las Vegas to Atlanta
> and saw quite a few small airports with yellow X's on one or more runways.
>
> Is this happening in your neighborhood too, or am I overly sensitive because
> I fly a taildragger and really appreciate multiple runway options?
>
> KB
>
>
I fly out of Canton, GA and we do approaches into Rome's ILS quite often. I
don't recall ever seeing that runway open at Rome. Do you know when it
closed?
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
http://www.wizardofdraws.com

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[Kyle Boatright]

"Wizard of Draws" > wrote in
message news:BEBAA294.716C1%jeffbTAKEOUTALLCAPS@TOEMAILwiz ardofdraws.com...
> On 5/24/05 9:44 PM, in article , "Kyle
> Boatright" > spewed:
>
>> I think I'm seeing a growing trend where ex-military fields, typically of
>> WWII vintage, are suffereing runway attrition. 20 miles from my home
>> field,
>> the Rome, GA airport has closed one of its 3 intersecting runways, and on
>> my
>> last X/C to Texas, I discovered that one of my favorite stops -
>> Greenville,
>> MS has closed its East/West runway (although keeping both of the N/S
>> runways
>> open). Also, on Sunday, I was flying commercial from Las Vegas to Atlanta
>> and saw quite a few small airports with yellow X's on one or more
>> runways.
>>
>> Is this happening in your neighborhood too, or am I overly sensitive
>> because
>> I fly a taildragger and really appreciate multiple runway options?
>>
>> KB
>>
>>
> I fly out of Canton, GA and we do approaches into Rome's ILS quite often.
> I
> don't recall ever seeing that runway open at Rome. Do you know when it
> closed?
> --
> Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

It closed about 5 years ago. I completed my tailwheel endorsement on that
runway one cold and windy day in February a year or two before it closed.
No way I'd have been able to land a Taylorcraft on any of the other runways
in Rome that day. By the way, that Taylorcraft belonged to Alan Bobo, and
was based in Canton. I seem to remember that it was tan and brown. You may
have seen it before he sold it.

KB