Dallas airport history buffs?

[tosugrad]

So every time I fly in/out of DFW I see this old north-south runway on the southwestern side of DFW and try to figure out what it was. I have searched extensively online and can't find a thing.

Here is an aerial view. Anyone know so I can rest at night??

 

[nsxtasy]

So every time I fly in/out of DFW I see this old north-south runway on the southwestern side of DFW and try to figure out what it was. I have searched extensively online and can't find a thing.

Here is an aerial view. Anyone know so I can rest at night??

You can actually see two runways in that photo. The second runway is a southeast/northwest runway in the grassy area.

Both runways - 17/35 and 13/31 - are remnants of Greater Southwest International Airport, an airport built by the city of Fort Worth and originally named Amon Carter Field. You can read all about it, including the competition for airports between Dallas and Fort Worth, and how that airport was replaced by DFW, the first joint airport for both cities, in the Wikipedia entries for DFW Airport and Greater Southwest International Airport.

If you're interested in more, you'll find a complete history with lots and lots of historical photos of the old airport on this website. You'll especially enjoy this diagram which overlays the old airport's configuration over a recent photo similar to yours:

 

[Blackend]

You know, I've lived in Dallas most of my life - with the majority of years around DFW airport, and until you posted that link, I never knew that Amon Carter Blvd was actually part of an old airport...




Thanks for posting that!

 

[tosugrad]

Ken Sax to the rescue!! THANKS KEN!!!

 

[usafdarkhorse]

I actually flew out of DFW yesterday and was sitting next to an AA crewmember who pointed that out to me in the air.

All you can see is the tail end of the one runway and a ton of buildings ( like it is in the aerial photo ).

Good work on the old airport diagram.

 

[tosugrad]

I looked at this site that Ken posted:

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/TX/Airfields_TX_FtWorth_NE.htm

Some really cool stuff if you are an aviation buff.

Can someone tell me what plane this is in the back right? Looks like a B36.

 

[Blackend]

i looked at this site that ken posted:

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/tx/airfields_tx_ftworth_ne.htm

some really cool stuff if you are an aviation buff.

Can someone tell me what plane this is in the back right? Looks like a b36.

an april 1953 photo of reeder, thelin, jackson, and sattervashita at amon carter field

(from the c.m. Thelin collection, courtesy of john bradford).

According to john, “i think jackson was the architect. Thelin is c.m. Thelin, the public works director of fort worth, my grandfather.”

note the b-36 bomber in the background on the right.

...


EDIT: A little over half way down in that link, they start talking about it. Apparently the last B-36 ever produced...