Mr Spaceman From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 2780 posts, RR: 15 Posted (11 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 996 times:
Hi guys. I have a question about the Long Island MacArthur airport in New York, U.S.A. If you look at the photo below, you can see many taxiways that travel off into the surrounding woods.
***My question is...Are these types of taxiways proof of military aircraft being present/based at the airport, even if it is not designated an AFB? I understand that some airports in the U.S.A. serve both the military and civilian public.
The main reason that I'm curious about this airport is because, I have a photo of another airport that [I] took from the left side of an L-1011 while decending into Atlantic City Intl about 25 minutes before landing.
This particular airport that I photographed has a large network of taxiways extending into the forest around the airfield, that I figure could only mean one thing..."Military Airbase".
I will scan this photo to airliners.net very soon. Hopefully, someone will reconize it and be able to name it.
STT757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 16255 posts, RR: 52 Reply 1, posted (11 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 779 times:
I don't know about Islip but if you were flying over South Jersey and saw lots of wierd runways and taxiways in the middle of a pine forest that would be Lakehurst Naval Engineering center.
The have lots of test runways in the woods that test catapult equipment for the fleet, also Lakehurst is the site of the tragic Hindenburgh explosion.
There are HUGE hangars made out of wood that housed huge airships like the Hindenburgh, they're stil there and protected landmarks. They have old taxiways that lead to them but they're not used anymore and may be grown over in some places.
The two main runways are pretty far from those hangars, I went to an airshow there last month to see the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels flew off of a test runway that was three miles from the two main runways where most of the crowds and aircraft were lined along.
Three miles is a heck of a distance between runways, and Lakehurst has like 6 or more.
Other interesting items around Lakehurst is a former missle base that was built in the lates 1950s-early 60's to intecept Russian bombers threatening NY or DC. They were tipped with Nuclear warheads that would detonate near the groups of Russian bombers and wipe them all out, unfortunately there was a huge fire and many of the missles melted and the site is heavily contaminated with radioactive debris to this day..
Attached to Lakehurst is Maguire AFB (home to C-141s,Kc135s and many KC-10s),and Ft.Dix .
I would do a internet search of Lakehurst's history and if your in the area go check it out. You can't get into Maguire but you can get into Lakehusrt and Ft.Dix.
Chdmcmanus From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 374 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (11 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 765 times:
McGuire AFB is located in South Jersey, but isn't connected to Lakehurst in any manner. Ft Dix is a stone throw away from Lakehurst but isn't actually connected either. The three bases are completely independent of each other and only MAFB and Dix share a border.
Taxiways through the trees don't necessarily mean an airbase, only that its facilities are spread out. The only real way to identify a USAF base is the rotating beacon, or more easily, just look for a Golf Course next to a runway and viola!, you found one.
STT757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 16255 posts, RR: 52 Reply 3, posted (11 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 759 times:
Lakehurst and Maguire aren't connected directly by paved roads, but Lakehurst is connected to Ft Dix through fire roads and Maguire is thus connected to Ft.Dix.
All three installation's properties are connected and make up a big piece of Central Jersey.
And to the original poster why were you on a L1011 into Atlantic City?.. The biggest plane in the last 10-15 years that airport has seen (commercialy at least) has been Spirit airlines M80s.
JohnM From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 310 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (11 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 756 times:
Millville NJ is an old WWII training base. It has some old isolated taxiways, etc. Great place for rotary wing training. Nice and dark at night for NVG ops too.
Chdmcmanus From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 374 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (11 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 753 times:
AC has had several L-1011's on the ramp in the past few years at the FAA facility awaiting reclamation or owner/operator transfer. About 2 years ago there was a line of about 4 of them parked to one side.
Regards,
ChD
P.S. connected or not, it's M-C-G-U-I-R-E, after WWII ace Maj. Thomas McGuire. Maguire makes car polish.
HN From Finland, joined Mar 2001, 69 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (11 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days ago) and read 757 times:
Well if you come to Finland then you will see A LOT of Civilian/Military airports I think every airport exept EFHK (Helsinki-Vantaa) and EFMA (Maarianhamina), and Malmi (can´t remember the ICAO code) is used by Air Force too and really often too (daily)
---Antti---
Mr Spaceman From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 2780 posts, RR: 15 Reply 9, posted (11 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 738 times:
Hi guys. I'm sorry for the delay in my response.
OK, I understand that seeing taxiways running off into the trees dosen't mean that there are military aircraft present. The reason I felt this might be the case though, is because of a certain image that I have in my mind of AV-8 Harriers landing, taxiing and parking in small areas out in the woods, hidden away from view in a great camoflage setting.
Therefore, I was thinking that this particular airport in my photo could actually be an airbase for the USA Marine Corps. (I'll scan this pic this weekend...I'm confident that it will make the grade).
STT757, the reason why I flew to Atlantic City in and L-1011 was for a one day gamblers "Getaway", sponsered by Bally's Casino. I flew to ACY on August 19, 1987 with Worldways Canada. At the time, they only flew charters. (I have a pic of the jet parked on the ramp at ACY that I will also scan).
ILOVEA340 From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 2100 posts, RR: 5 Reply 10, posted (11 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 709 times:
Tupolev154B2 From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1332 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (11 years 10 months 1 week 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 702 times:
Why would they be military bases if the taxiways go into the woods? What's significant about that?
Aerotech From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 259 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (11 years 10 months 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 698 times:
This airport, as Fly-K said, is in Westhampton, and is home to C-130's and HH-60G's of the N.Y. Air Guard, and has had a history of military aircraft dating back to the 50s. I can send you the website if you'd like. So, yes, this is in a way home to military aircraft, just Air Guard aircraft. If you look on the right side of the ramp, you can see two C-130s. They're the dark ones.
Mr Spaceman From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 2780 posts, RR: 15 Reply 13, posted (11 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 684 times:
Hi Aerotech. Yes, I can definetly see those C-130 Hercules aircraft, now that you pointed them out to me. Also, to the right of them are a set of 8 white Quanset Hut (not sure of spelling) type hangers that I associate with the military, especially when they're in a row like that.
I had the pleasure of flying on a Canadian C-130 Herc from CFB Toronto (Downsview Airport), out across Lake Ontario and over northern New York state for about 2 hours, way back when I was in the Air Cadets at 13 years old. It was a scenic flight for fun and I have some good photos of the trip.
Chdmcmanus From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 374 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (11 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 665 times:
OK SU508, your corrected (again), If you look at the upper area of the airfield you will see several taxiways through the trees with what appears to be old alert pads. In the US we try to avoid driving on runways and such, it's what the interstate system is for.
SU508 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (11 years 10 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 661 times:
Oh! Yeah okey...
Yeah, I remember when they did this mock fight between F-15 and Su-27, F-15 refused to land on on our runways cozz they were afraid the plane would fall apart or something...
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