215

THE HAGERSTTHE HAGERSTOWN OWN AIRPORT AIRPORT by Kent by Kent A. MitchellA. Mitchell

The airport serving the Hagerstown, Maryland commu-

nity and surrounding area is a story rich in aviation his-

tory. Along with other cities and towns, Hagerstown

too had an interesting aviation infancy and era of early devel-

opment.

Today however, even most local residents never knew, or

have forgotten, that the current airport location is actually the

third site for a flying field at Hagerstown.

DOUB’S MEADOW 1917 - 1919

A few months before the United States entered World War

I, young Gieuseppe Mario Bellanca came to Hagerstown from

Mineola, Long Island, New York. Bellanca went to work at the

Pope Avenue plant of the Maryland Pressed Steel Company,

which had large contracts to produce military equipment for

the French, Russian and U.S. governments. Bellanca was developing a design for a single-seat scout plane.

The aircraft, which Bellanca called his CD Tractor

Biplane, was completed in September 1917- It had a wing span

of 26 feet, was powered by a three-cylinder, air-cooled, 35-

horse-power Anzani engine, weighed 400 pounds empty, and

had a useful load of 375 pounds. It had a reported top speed of

85 miles per hour. Lateral control of the aircraft was achieved

by warping the wing tips.

Initial flight tests of the model CD were made from a farm

field known as Doub’s Meadow, about two blocks away from

the factory, on the outskirts of Hagerstown, now the athletic

field of South Hagerstown High School.

The Bellanca CD Tractor Biplane was flown from Hagerstown's first flying field, Doub's Meadow. (National Air and Space Museum)

The Bellanca model CE also was flown from Doub's Meadow.(Henry Reisner Collection via Fairchild Aircraft)

Advertisement for the Maryland Pressed Steel Co. showed itsHagerstown factories and the Bellanca model CE. (Author'sCollection)

Journal American Aviation Historical Society Fall 2003216

Bellanca subsequently built a second prototype aircraft at

Hagerstown which he called the model CE. That improved

design was a two-place biplane, powered by a six-cylinder, 55-

hp, Anzani engine. It incorporated ailerons for lateral control.

The reported top speed of this plane was 102 mph. The light-

weight plane had an initial rate-of-climb of 1,180 feet per

minute. Remarkable was that the CE’s useful load of 510

pounds exceeded its empty weight of 470 pounds!

Neither the CD or CE models went into production and

with the end of the war, the Maryland Pressed Steel Co. was

unable to make the transition to profitable peacetime produc-

tion and went out of business. Mr. Bellanca moved to Omaha,

Nebraska and began designing his next model, the five-place

CF cabin monoplane.

Meanwhile, then Mayor of Hagerstown, Charles E.

Bowman was spearheading a drive for development of a

municipal flying field on the Doub’s Meadow site - but his

enthusiasm was not shared by the city council and so the pro-

ject never materialized.

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE 1925 - 1928

One of the workers that helped Bellanca build his two air-

planes in Hagerstown was teenager Lewis E. Reisner. In 1920,

Lewis and his brother Henry formed Reisner Aero Service

Company and sold war surplus planes and parts from their

family home on High Street in the west end of town. By 1925,

joined by well-to-do shoe manufacturer and pilot Ammon H.

Kreider the business had expanded as an airplane repair shop

and Waco airplane dealership. The repair activities were con-

ducted in a rented shed just off the 800 block of Pennsylvania

Avenue. Behind that was their “flying field” ... a farm field

barely 600 feet in length, running north to south parallel with

and between the avenue and the New York Central Iron Works.

The field was bounded by high voltage electrical lines on the

north and Angle’s Quarry on the south.

Hagerstown's second flying field was the 600-foot strip behind theKreider-Reisner "little green shed." Two biplanes can be seenbehind the shop in this rare 1926 photo.(Author's Collection)

Below: Kreider-Reisner Aircraft company's first airplane, the KRAMidget.(Author's Collection)

Workers are seen building wings in the Kreider-Reisner shop in1927. (Author's Collection)

On good, dry days, wing fabric covering and doping was done out-side the shop. (Author's Collection)

217

In 1926, the business was incorporated as the Kreider-

Reisner Aircraft Company, Inc. During the summer, Kreider

and Reisner learned that the 1926 National Air Races would be

held at Model Farms Field, Philadelphia, September 4th to the

11th, and they decided to enter a racing plane. The only prob-

lem was - they didn’t have one! So, they hired engineer

Frederick G. Seiler to design a plane for them. He drew up a

small, low-wing, monoplane that when built measured only 15

feet 2 inches from propeller to tail, had a wing span of 20 feet,

and when fully loaded weighed only 490 pounds. Its empty

weight was 289 pounds. Dubbed the KRA Midget, the plane

was powered by a two-cylinder Wright-Morehouse engine that

produced 29 hp. The assembly of the airplane was completed

in Philadelphia only one day before the races and test flown on

the following morning. Its second flight was as an entry in the

race for the Scientific American Trophy. Piloted by Kreider, it

not only won that event, but also another race during which the

plane dropped out after the loss of the propeller nose spinner -

and then after it was realized that there was no serious problem

- rejoined the other racers and, although a lap behind, came on

to win! Ironically, one of the planes that the Midget beat in the

trophy race was the Bellanca CE (then powered by a three-

cylinder Lawrence engine), piloted by Clarence

Chamberlin...they came in third. Flush with their success, it

was decided to take advantage of the publicity and announce

that Kreider-Reisner Aircraft Company would be building air-

planes.

The company’s second airplane built was a Waco look-

alike biplane they called the Challenger. In May 1927, Ammon

Kreider flew the biplane all over the North Atlantic States,

demonstrating it to pilots, dealers and operators. When he

returned to Hagerstown, many changes were made to the air-

plane and it became the Challenger C-2. The Department of

Commerce issued Approved Type Certificate No.19 to

Kreider-Reisner for the C-2 in December of 1927, orders came

in, and production began.

Realizing that the “flying field” behind their shed was

woefully inadequate, Kreider and the Reisner brothers consid-

ered moving their company to another city which had an exist-

ing airfield. Hearing of this, the local Chamber of Commerce

(as reported in the January 7, 1928 Daily Mail newspaper)

announced that their goal for 1928 would be a landing field for

Hagerstown. However, the Kreider-Reisner company could

not wait for the city fathers to act. Consequently, on April 7,

1928, Kreider-Reisner purchased 60 acres of the farm owned

by Robert N. and Emma J. Brumbaugh for $9,000 - $7,500 in

cash and 15 shares of the preferred stock of Kreider-Reisner

Aircraft Company, Inc. with a par value of $100.00 per share.

The property, located on U.S. Route 11 approximately three

Workers pose outside the Kreider-Reisner "little green shed." (Author's Collection)

The 'little green shed" still stands today. (Author's Collection)

Kreider-Reisner's first production airplane was the OX-5 poweredmodel C-2 Challenger. (Fairchild Aircraft/Author's Collection)

Journal American Aviation Historical Society Fall 2003218

miles north of Hagerstown is part of the site of the present air-

port. Thus, it is among the oldest continuously operating U.S.

airports.

THE EARLY DAYS 1928 - 1931

During 1928 Kreider-Reisner built a hangar on the north

side of the tract with access from the Brumbaugh farm lane

and U.S. 11. Airplanes constructed at the Pennsylvania Avenue

factory were trucked in pieces to the hangar where the wings

were installed and flight tests were performed prior to cus-

tomer delivery.

By the end of 1928, the small Kreider-Reisner company

had produced 111 airplanes. By early 1929, it was evident that

the company badly needed to expand its manufacturing facili-

ties. By then, production of the Challenger biplanes was car-

ried on in a cluster of buildings lining the alley at the rear of

the 800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. Those facilities includ-

ed a one-time shoe repair shop, a low concrete block plant

originally built for the tin replating of milk cans, the ram-

shackle and derelict building once used by the Harlow Tire

Company to manufacture tires, and numerous one-car garages

leased from neighboring residents. The main building in this

complex was Wood’s Garage, a two-story brick structure that

formerly housed a local automobile distributorship.

Preliminary plans were drawn to construct a modern

building of 32,000 square feet next to the old garage being

used as a factory and on the previously used flying field. With

such a factory, Kreider-Reisner planned to build 10 airplanes a

week - 500 planes a year, or approximately five times the num-

ber of Challengers produced in 1928. The problem was how to

finance such a major undertaking.

It was at this time that Sherman M. Fairchild became

interested in adding another product line of models to comple-

ment the very successful series of Fairchild monoplanes.

Having bought a Challenger C-2 to use as a test bed for the

Fairchild - Caminez engine, he was already familiar with the

Kreider-Reisner organization and their airplanes. Fairchild

was impressed with the company, which was obviously being

operated in an efficient manner, its financial health was out-

standing, and its sales forecast was very good. When Ammon

Kreider approached Mr. Fairchild to see if he would be inter-

ested in purchasing stock in the company - he was.

Negotiations resulted in Fairchild’s corporation acquiring

a controlling interest in Kreider-Reisner which would be oper-

ated as a subsidiary. Ammon Kreider would remain as presi-

dent, Lewis Reisner as vice president, and Fred Seiler as vice

president and chief engineer.

It was decided to make the formal announcement of the

new organization at the Second All-American Aircraft Show

being held at Detroit, Michigan in April of 1929. Five new air-

planes were flown to Detroit for the show - three for demon-

stration flights at Ford Airport and two for display in the lobby

of the Book Cadillac Hotel. Mr. Kreider flew his company’s

latest model, the C-6 taper-wing biplane trainer, to Detroit.

On April 9, at a large black-tie dinner, Sherman Fairchild

introduced the officers of the Kreider-Reisner subsidiary to the

assembled members of the aircraft industry and the press.

Then, a tragedy occurred. On Saturday afternoon, April

13, 1929, Ammon Kreider climbed into his C-6 and took off

for a short demonstration flight. At about the same time, anoth-

er pilot took off and not seeing Kreider, climbed up and

crashed into his plane. A few seconds later, Kreider lay dead

on the ground, a victim of a mid-air collision. He was buried

English aviatrix Lady S. Mary Heath climbs aboard an AmericanCirrus-powered Kreider-Resiner C-2 Challenger as Lew Reisnerdiscreetly turns his eyes to preserve her modesty. (Photographerunknown, author's collection)

Dick Henson operated the Kreider - Reisner flying field as theHenson Flying Service. Seen here is his office and airplane withthe K-R hangar in background. (Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

219

April 16, in his home town of Annville, Pennsylvania, as three

Challenger planes flew overhead.

The death of Kreider did not stop the plans for a new air-

craft factory building in Hagerstown. On April 18, the pur-

chase of the land was finalized and construction began almost

immediately. The company’s board of directors brought in for-

mer Chrysler Motor Car Company executive John S. Squires

to be president.

As it turned out, Fairchild’s assuming control of Kreider-

Reisner in 1929 was unfortunate timing (for Fairchild).

Corporation officers soon noticed that an unsold biplane was

tied to every third fence post at the airport. They then decided

to cut back on production until the sales staff could catch up to

the builders. By the end of 1929 the entire country was in the

throes of the Great Depression. As a result, no Challengerplanes were built by the company during the entire year 1930.

Activities at the flying field were very sparse.

After the 1927 Lindbergh trans-Atlantic flight, all young

Americans were infatuated with airplanes and Hagerstown

teenager Richard A. Henson was one of them. Henson had

dropped out of school after the 11th grade and by February

1928, had obtained employment at the Kreider-Reisner

Aircraft Company. Starting first in the “stores” department,

Dick soon worked as a mechanic in the small factory where he

learned how airplanes were built under the watchful eye of

Henry Reisner.

Henson soon realized that it would behoove himself to

complete his high school education. Leaving Kreider-Reisner

in September 1928, Dick traveled to Mt. Park, North Carolina,

where he received his diploma from the Mt. Park Institute in

April 1929.

Returning to Hagerstown in May, Henson went to work

for Clarence M. Kastle as the operator of a Standard Oil auto-

mobile service station on Potomac Avenue. While there,

Henson borrowed $375 and talked three co-workers into each

providing a like amount to buy a used OX-5 engine powered

Challenger so that they could all learn how to fly.

Previously, while working at the airplane factory, Henson

had met pilot Arthur C. Pottorff who had been doing some fly-

ing for Kreider - Reisner. Pottorff was operating the

Waynesboro, Pennsylvania airport (12 miles from

Hagerstown) as the Blue Ridge Flying Service. After receiving

six hours and 55 minutes of instruction time from Potorff,

Henson soloed in 1930. Within a year Henson had obtained his

Commercial Pilot License.

In July 1931, in addition to operating the Waynesboro air-

port, Pottorff took over running the Kreider-Reisner flying

field at Hagerstown and hired Henson as his Airport

Operations Manager.

Right: View from the roof of theKreider-Reisner hangar shows aFairchild 22 landing south with “TheAlways” lunch counter and Henson'soffice in the background. (Photo byLyle S. Mitchell)

Interior of “The Airport Inn” shows pilot Dick Henson (wearing fly-ing helmet) seated at the lunch counter. (Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

Journal American Aviation Historical Society Fall 2003220

Meanwhile, by November 1931, the then 21 year old

Henson was doing production test flying as a part-time

employee of Kreider - Reisner. Sherman Fairchild had decid-

ed that the sales price of the Kreider-Reisner biplanes had

crept up over the previous years and that, along with the

increased competition from other airplane manufacturers,

meant in order to survive the Depression the company needed

to develop a new sport plane which would be economical to

build and affordable to the private flier. Consequently, Henson

became the test pilot for the new airplane to be known as the

Fairchild 22, a two-place, high-wing, parasol monoplane. Thus

began Henson’s long career of test flying for Fairchild.

THE MIDDLE YEARS 1932 - 1939

In March 1932, with the extra money earned doing test

flying, Henson bought the airport operations from Pottorff and

formed the Henson Flying Service. The new company had two

employees - Henson and a mechanic, Lyle S. Mitchell - and

one airplane (the used Challenger). The business was conduct-

ed from a small wood building situated on the corner of the

Brumbaugh farm lane and U.S.11.

The property on the north side of the farm lane was still

owned by Ed Brumbaugh, who was a livestock dealer. As a

hedge against the Depression, on the opposite corner of the

farm lane and the highway across from Henson’s operations,

Brumbaugh built a combination lunch counter and Sinclair

gasoline station which he called the Airport Inn. For a brief

time, Herb Cornish owned and operated the business as The

Always. The name quickly reverted to its original and through

a succession of owners and major architectural improvements,

the Airport Inn is known today as one of the area’s finest

restaurants.

Sales of the model 22 brought new life to Fairchild’s

Kreider-Reisner subsidiary and increased traffic at the flying

field. While the Fairchild 22 was a very popular airplane, for

those who desired more comfort, an enclosed cabin version

was designed with side-by-side seating replacing the tandem

open cockpits. First flown in 1932 by Dick Henson, the new

design was known as the Fairchild 24 and its sales were such

that the company eventually stopped building the model 22

altogether in 1935. The model 24 design was so successful that

improved versions of it continued in production until the late

1940s. Many famous personalities came to Hagerstown to take

delivery of their Fairchild 24.

In the fall of 1933, Pan American Airways sent specifica-

tions to a number of aircraft manufacturers for a new eight-

passenger amphibian transport that they wanted to place into

service. Fairchild won the contract to build six aircraft. The

Above: The enclosed cabin Fairchild 24 replaced the model 22and became popular with pilots. Seen here is a 1934 model with a145-hP Warner Super Scarab engine. (Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

Below: Fairchild was considering leaving Hagerstown in 1933 afterreceiving a contract from Pan American Airways to build six of theModel 91 Baby Clipper. (Fairchild Aircraft photo)

Above: With the introduction of the Fairchild 22 in 1931, Kreider-Reisner was out of the biplane business. (FairchildAircraft/author's collection)

221

design and construction of such a new all-metal aircraft would

put a severe financial strain on the company. Even so, the com-

pany seriously considered moving the entire Hagerstown man-

ufacturing operations to an off-water site in Florida. Learning

of this the city fathers, as an inducement to the company to

remain where they were, offered to buy the flying field and

lease it back to the Fairchild organization. Such an arrange-

ment would give Fairchild additional financing that it needed

and Hagerstown would have an airport.

Accordingly, under the administration of Mayor Irvin M.

Wertz, a contract of sale was drawn up between the Fairchild

Aviation Corporation and the City of Hagerstown wherein the

City agreed to pay the company $13,000 in cash and to assume

a mortgage of $5,000 for a total selling price of $18,000. Other

terms of the contract included: an agreement by the City to

purchase 21 additional acres of land for the airport; an agree-

ment by Fairchild to build the Pan American planes at

Hagerstown or repurchase the airport; an agreement that all

airport property and equipment should go to the City except

the Kreider-Reisner hangar; and an agreement that the city

would lease the airport to Fairchild for five years for demon-

strating, testing and delivering airplanes.

In 1934 the name of the Hagerstown subsidiary was

changed to the Fairchild Aircraft Corporation “to identify it

more closely with the Fairchild organization” and the name

Kreider-Reisner was dropped from the hangar sign at the air-

port.

Under the administration of the City of Hagerstown,

improvements in the Municipal Airport began the year follow-

ing its acquisition. For the planned improvements, Hagerstown

architect A.J. Klinkhart was asked to design a large hangar and

in May 1935 his completed plan was for a square brick and

windowed building, approximately 100 feet by 100 feet, with

a minimum inside vertical clearance of 20 feet and a clear

opening of 90 feet for the hangar doors. A waiting room and

airport manager’s office were included in a 16 foot by 40 foot

brick structure appended to the east wall of the hangar. In con-

junction with the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) District

Airport Engineer’s office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, two

hard surface runways were proposed: a North - South runway

Under the ownership of the City Of Hagerstown, a municipalhangar was built with the assistance of the federal Works ProgressAdministration (WPA). (Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

Entrance to the Henson Flying Service offices and city hangar.(Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

The Hagerstown airport as it looked in 1939, prior to the construc-tion of Fairchild Aircraft factory buildings at the right side of thephoto. (Photo by Richard H. Alvey,III)

Late 1941 view of airport activities shows Army PT-19 trainersawaiting delivery. In the foreground, the Henson Flying ServiceFlight School Dormitory is seen under construction. (Photo by LyleS. Mitchell)

Journal American Aviation Historical Society Fall 2003222

2400 feet in length and an East - West runway of 2420 feet.

City Engineer Samuel Greenawalt presented the overall

airport improvement plan to the Mayor and Council on

September 5, 1935 and, in addition to the discussion of the

plan, Greenawalt outlined the financing of the project: the

Federal Government, under the Works Progress

Administration (WPA), would assume approximately 85 per-

cent of the overall cost, the City of Hagerstown 15 percent.

The Council adopted the plan unanimously following an

address by Sherman M. Fairchild, president of the Fairchild

Aviation Corporation, who pointed out the necessity for airport

improvement if the City of Hagerstown really desired to attract

any volume of air traffic both from general aviation and sched-

uled airlines.

With the approval of the plan and the allocation of Federal

funds, the construction of the hangar and the runways were

completed in1937.

During “National Air Mail Week” (May 15-21, 1938),

proclaimed by Postmaster General James A. Farley to com-

memorate the Twentieth Anniversary of the Inauguration of

Scheduled Air Mail Service, on May 19 the first air mail flight

was made from Hagerstown. The pilot of the U.S. Army Air

Corps Douglas monoplane was met upon landing by a group

of local dignitaries, the Hagerstown Postmaster, and the

sidearmed Official Pouch Carrier with the outgoing mail. After

the proper signing of the many copies of official receipt by

everyone concerned, the obviously bored pilot (not impressed

with the goings-on) unceremoniously threw the mail bag into

the rear cockpit and took off into the overcast sky.

The Official Dedication of the Hagerstown Municipal

Airport was held on Sunday, June 19, 1938. The day’s events

began with passenger flying (for $1.00 per passenger) and at

1:30 with a concert by the Hagerstown Municipal Band. The

opening ceremonies began at 2:30 conducted by master of cer-

emonies William B. “Tubby” Rives. The requisite air show

began with a 5,000 foot parachute jump by Buddy

Batzel,”International Parachute Ace Next came demonstration

of “America’s Highest Performance Stunt Plane” - the Detroit-

built Continental Special - flown by Harold “Johnny” Johnson,

“Aviation’s Premier Stunt Star.” This was followed by a stunt-

ing exhibition with a motorless biplane glider by Charles Abel,

“International Champion Acrobatic Glider Pilot.” At the time,

View looking north along U.S. Route 11 in 1942. The buildings,from left to right, are the Fairchild hangar, the municipal hangar,“The Airport Inn”, and the flight school dormitory. (Photo by Lyle S.Mitchell)

Fairchild Plant 2 is under construction on land south of the city-owned airport in 1940. (Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

To fully utilize space, these Civil Air Patrol and Civilian PilotTraining Program J-3 Piper Cubs were stacked on their noses inthe city hangar during the early days of WW II. (Photo by Lyle S.Mitchell.)

A student pilot in winter flight gear poses with a Henson FlyingService CPTP Fairchild Model 62 trainer. (Photo by Lyle S.Mitchell)

223

Abel held the record of 48 consecutive loops in one flight - in

a glider!

A break in the air show activities at 3:30 allowed

Hagerstown Mayor W. Lee Elgin to make an opening address.

The mayor then introduced Mrs I.M. Wertz, widow of the pre-

vious mayor under whose administration the airport project

was started, raised the American Flag over the new facility.

That was followed with the Star Spangled Banner by the

Hagerstown Municipal Band.

In 1938 Fairchild Aircraft developed a low-wing mono-

plane trainer as their Model 62. By early 1939 the Army decid-

ed to expand its pilot training and had created the Civilian Pilot

Training Program, a system of civil contract primary flight

training schools, and was in the market for a new training

plane. In the summer of 1939, the Fairchild trainer was entered

in an Air Corps competition at Wright Field, Ohio, in a group

of 17 aircraft manufacturers. The M-62 won the contest and

was awarded a production contract for the planes, to be desig-

nated as the Army PT-19. (See the author’s article, “Fairchild

Cornell Trainer,” in the Winter 1992 issue of the AAHSJournal.)

WORLD WAR II 1940 - 1945

The first production PT-19 rolled out in February 1940

and by the end of that year two and three airplanes a day were

being produced. Also, by the end of that year, Fairchild had

received contracts from the Army for additional numbers of

the trainer, and new factory buildings were being built adjacent

to the Hagerstown airport, scheduled for completion in early

1941.

By 1943, Fairchild was not only turning out thousands of

the trainers, but was also delivering 525 of their popular civil-

ian F-24 models painted in military colors and redesignated

the Army UC-61 Forwarder Utility Transport. The airport was

quite busy with the testing and departures of these many

planes-plus the many student pilot training flights conducted

by the Henson Flying Service Civilian Pilot Training Program.

Knowing what larger airplane designs were on their draw-

ing boards, Fairchild had convinced the powers that be to

Looking northwest in 1941, the new Fairchild Plant 2 is seen southof the airport and construction of the west runway extension isseen to the left. (Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

This 1947 view shows the continually expanding Fairchild complexat the airport. (Fairchild Aircraft photo by Dan Frankforter)

Columbia Airlines began operating an early model Boeing 247between Hagerstown and Baltimore in October 1945. (Photo byLyle S. Mitchell)

Six of the 15 Air Transport Command C-47s on the Fairchild flightline waiting to fly wounded solders closer to home. In the fore-ground are new Fairchild UC-61 Forwarders awaiting delivery.(Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

Journal American Aviation Historical Society Fall 2003224

extend the Hagerstown runway lengths, especially to the west,

beginning in 1941.

The Hagerstown airport was the focal point for activities

of the Army, Air Transport Command in June of 1944 when 15

of their C-4’7 transports arrived to pick up several hundred

wounded soldiers from Newton D. Baker Army hospital at

nearby Martinsburg, W.Va. and take them to other Army hos-

pitals nearer their homes in various section of the country. The

wounded men, all recently returned from combat theaters,

were brought from Martinsburg by ambulance and placed in

the waiting planes parked on the Fairchild flightline. The

activities were accomplished in one day, with several of the

planes returning later to carry off more of the wounded.

Through the efforts of Major J.T. Semans, Army

Representative at Fairchild, and Mayor Richard H. Sweeney of

Hagerstown, arrangements were made for a lighting system to

be installed on all runways at the airport in August 1944.

The $30,000 project, financed by the Civil Aeronautics

Authority, was installed under the supervision of H.J. Streit,

Resident CAA Inspector, and was intended to light the field for

night flights by military and civil aircraft.

Also in 1944, the Government had authorized a large addi-

tion to Fairchild’s plant at the airport, under the wartime

Emergency Plant Facilities program, so that they could the

Army proceed with the development of a large cargo plane the

Army wanted badly. That secret “The Cargo”project was final-

ly revealed to be the C-82 and the prototype XC-82 first flew

on September 10, 1944. (See the author’s article, “The

Fairchild C-82,” in the Spring 1999 issue of the AAHS

Journal.) The C-82 Packet remained in production until

September 1948, when it was superceded by the Fairchild C-

119 Flying Boxcar.

POST WAR 1946 - 1980

After the war, the first venture into Commercial air trans-

port at Hagerstown was made by Columbia Airlines. Utilizing

a 1930s vintage Boeing Model 247, flights were made between

Hagerstown and Baltimore. However, service was unsatisfac-

tory with poor schedules and numerous delays and lasted only

several months in 1946.

Later, Commercial air service was provided by All

An Allegheny Airlines DC-3 is seen in front of the city hangar in themid-1950s. (Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

Henson's Allegheny Commuter was one of the first customers forthe Beech Model 99 airliner. (Photo by Chet Mazza for BeechAircraft Corp.)

The commuter airline industry began at Hagerstown. (Photo byWilliam W. Rinn)

Fairchild built this 81,000 sq.ft. plant on the southwest side of theairport to produce F-27 bonded assemblies. Taxi way F (Foxtrot)to runway 09 is at top of the aerial photo. (Fairchild photo, author'scollection)

225

American Airways using the venerable Douglas DC-3, starting

February 15, 1949. All American was the forerunner to

Allegheny Airlines and USAir. As Allegheny the airline made

two flights daily in and out of Hagerstown to make connec-

tions with major airlines in Washington and Pittsburgh. The

DC-3s were replaced by Martin 202s in the early 1960s.

Also after the war, anticipating a flood of student pilots

utilizing the G.I. Bill, the Henson Flying Service ordered a new

Aeronca 7AC Champion as an economical training aircraft

That plane remained on the field for many years and was the

one in which the author soloed

In the mid-1950s, another aircraft company began opera-

tions at the airport. The Custer Channel Wing Corporation

rented the small wood hangar built by the Kreider-Reisner

Aircraft Co. (and owned by Fairchild Aircraft). From there,

Willard Custer built and demonstrated his channel wing air-

craft until 1965 when he ran afoul of the Securities and

Exchange Commission (SEC) for selling stock in his company

in violation of U.S. court orders and was sentenced to jail. (See

the author’s article, “Mr. Custer And His Channel Wing

Airplanes,” in the Spring 1998 issue of the AAHS Journal.)On October 16, 1955, the Fairchild National Sports Car

Races were held on the runways and taxi strips of the

Hagerstown airport. Under the official auspices and sanction

of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc., the event was spon-

sored by the company's’ Employee Recreation Association and

instigated by then Fairchild President Richard S. Boutelle,

who drove one of the first Chevrolet Corvettes (a 1954 model,

later owned by the author). Boutelle was also a friend of

General Curtis LeMay, who as commander of the Strategic Air

The production A-10 Thunderbolt II ground support fighters weretest flown from Hagerstown airport. (Fairchild photo, author's col-lection)

Air Force One visits Hagerstown in 1972 during the Nixon admin-istration. (Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

Bronze plaque unveiled at the 1991 dedication ceremony.(Photo by Lyle S. Mitchell)

The new passenger terminal on the south side of the Hagerstownairport was dedicated on September 13, 1991.(Photo by Lyle S.Mitchell)

Journal American Aviation Historical Society Fall 2003226

Command sponsored the first airport races on Air Force bases

around the country.

By 1958, Fairchild’s military production lines had ceased

and the rows of parked C-119 and C-123 cargo planes await-

ing delivery ferry flights were gone from the airport. The roar

of Pratt & Whitney reciprocating engines was replaced by the

whine of Rolls Royce turbines as Fairchild began producing an

Americanized version of the Fokker F-27 transport for markets

in the Western Hemisphere.

The F-27 was unique in that a structural bonding tech-

nique was utilized to assemble major portions of its airframe.

Fairchild invested heavily in accommodating this process and

built a new 81,000 square-foot factory (Plant 12) on the south-

west side of the airport which was dedicated to the production

of F-27 bonded assemblies. The building, containing five large

autoclaves, was the largest such manufacturing facility in the

eastern part of the U.S. The F-27 program continued until late

1972. (See the author’s article, “The Fairchild F-27,” in the

Fall 1991 issue of the AAHS Journal.)

The F-27 sales had peaked in the early 1960s and with no

military contracts, Fairchild had laid off about 90 percent of its

work force. Economically, Hagerstown was a disaster area. At

the time, Allegheny Airlines was losing money on its

Hagerstown service which only offered two daily stops at the

airport. As airport operator for the city and as chairman of the

local Chamber of Commerce’s aviation committee, Dick

Henson tried unsuccessfully to get the airline to increase the

number of flights. Because Henson believed that improved air

service and economic stimulation went hand in hand, he decid-

ed to start his own airline at Hagerstown.

Henson bought a surplus Air Force twin-engine C-45

(Model 18) Beechcraft, installed eight passenger seats, painted

the aircraft yellow and white with a black fuselage stripe, and

applied a logo, “The Hagerstown Commuter,” to its sides. The

“Commuter” began four daily round trips, five days a week,

between Hagerstown and Washington National Airport on

April 23, 1962. In doing this, Henson became one of only a

handful of operators in the nation to start a scheduled air taxi

or commuter service.

Soon, when it was apparent that the eight seats were not

always going to be occupied, a smaller twin-engine 3-passen-

ger Beechcraft Travel Air and a single-engine Beechcraft

Bonanza were added. A single pilot (William W. Rinn) did

everything - took tickets, handled baggage, and flew the plane.

Because of this “low overhead,” Henson made money with his

airline. Within three years, the commuter had taken 70 percent

of the Hagerstown market from Allegheny.

In 1967, Allegheny president Leslie Barnes called Henson

about the Hagerstown airline business and invited him to a

meeting. As Henson recalled, Barnes said, “Why don’t you

take over?” Soon, Henson and Allegheny signed the first

agreement ever between an established commuter airline and a

local service carrier permitting the commuter to take over

unprofitable route of the local service airline. Under the agree-

ment, Henson Aviation would take over Allegheny service at

New sign at the entrance to the passenger terminal. (Photo by LyleS. Mitchell)

As the airport prospered, so did the Airport Inn, seen in this recentphoto (taken in the morning, before opening time). (Photo by LyleS. Mitchell)

Jet Stream International Airlines, "A Piedmont Commuter," andPiedmont Airlines officially assumed all of Henson's flights atHagerstown on March 15, 1987. (British Aerospace, Inc.)

227

Hagerstown and Salisbury, Maryland, and Hazelton,

Pennsylvania. The new service was provided under the trade

name of Allegheny Commuter Airlines. Specifically, it was the

first time a major airline had contracted with a small operation

like Henson’s to feed into its hub network and share the major

partner’s passenger ticketing computers and baggage handling

services. Henson made the first flight as an Allegheny

Commuter from Hagerstown to Baltimore in November 1967.

Under the Henson-Allegheny agreement, Henson Aviation

would acquire and operate the new 15-passenger Beech Model

99 turboprop aircraft. Thus, Henson was one of the first oper-

ators of the then new airplane.

By 1973, Fairchild (then known as Fairchild-Republic

after Republic Aviation was acquired in 1965) was back in the

military aircraft business - big time. The company was the

winner of a USAF contract to build the A-10 Thunderbolt II

ground support fighter. Final assembly, systems checkout, and

flight tests were conducted from the Hagerstown airport.

Production of that aircraft continued until 1984.

Beginning in 1972 (during the Nixon administration), Air

Force One was a frequent visitor to the Hagerstown airport,

because of close proximity to the Camp David presidential

retreat (12 miles to the east). Initially the aircraft was a VC-

137C (Boeing 707-320B) and carried Air Force tail number

27000. Frequently, different and smaller aircraft designated

Air Force Two arrived/departed the airport carrying the vice-

president, secretary of state, or other top officials. Those air-

craft were usually either a Douglas C-9C (DC-9) or a C-20B

(Gulfstream III). All aircraft were operated by the 89th Special

Air Missions (SAM) unit from Andrews Air Force Base.

In 1990, the Boeing VC-137Cs were replaced by two VC-

25A aircraft (747-200Bs, USAF tail numbers 28000 and

29000) which could not be accommodated at Hagerstown. The

main runway was adequate, but the taxi ways were not.

Instead, the presidential visitors were seen being transported

by a C-37A (Gulfstream V).

President George H. W. Bush spent a lot of time at Camp

David and quite often deplaned at Hagerstown, much to the

delight of the local press and TV crews.

President Clinton very seldom ever went to Camp David

and is not known to have visited the Hagerstown airport.

However, SAM aircraft crews continued to make practice

approaches and landings at Hagerstown several times a week

to maintain their proficiency, as had been their routine for

about 25 years.

In 1998, the Air Force SAM unit began operating four new

Boeing 757-200 aircraft as their C-32A VIP transports (tail

numbers 29025, 29026, 29027, 29028). These filled the gap

between the large VC-25A aircraft, which were too large to

land at many airports, and the C-37A Gulfstreams.

Upon his election in 2000, the younger President Bush

began spending almost every week end at Camp David and a

C-32A is seen at the Hagerstown airport quite often. However,

there are no photo opportunities for the local natives, as the

president is whisked away within about two minutes aboard

Marine One, a Sikorsky VH-3D, operated by Marine

Helicopter Squadron 1 (HMX-1).

Also in 1972, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

announced that funds were available for them to build and staff

a control tower at Hagerstown. This was justified by the traf-

fic count of incoming and outgoing flights (and almost cer-

tainly considering that the president’s aircraft used the airport).

Prior to this, a private control tower was operated by Fairchild

Aircraft, but the hours it was manned was at the convenience

of the company - in between times, pilots were on their own.

Construction was completed in mid-1973

1981 - 1987

In May 1981, a major change occurred with the airport

ownership being transferred from the City of Hagerstown to

Washington County. This had been recommended by various

commissions and other public interest groups since 1971. The

county was in a much better financial position to support

maintenance and expansion programs because they collected

taxes on the surrounding land and had zoning powers. The

county paid the city $1.5 million for the airport, hired a full-

time manager, and appointed an Airport Commission to moni-

tor and make recommendations concerning its operation. In

doing so, the elected county commissioners dedicated them-

selves to the safe and efficient operation of the facility and to

a goal of increased airport expansion. The county hoped to

entice light industrial and high technology businesses into

locating at the airport. The airport name was officially changed

to the Washington County Regional Airport on August 25,

1981.

Also in 1981, Henson’s airline was named the top region-

al airline in the nation by Air Transport World, the leading

trade magazine of the airline industry. It was also in that year

that Henson moved the corporate headquarters of Henson

Aviation Inc. from Hagerstown to the Salisbury/Wicomico

County Airport in eastern Maryland. Henson, who had been

operating the airport without a lease, could not reach an ami-

cable agreement with certain short-sighted county officials

about constructing aircraft maintenance buildings so decided

to invest his time and money elsewhere. Henson was then

operating five de Havilland DASH-7s, four Shorts 330s, and

six Beech 99s.

Journal American Aviation Historical Society Fall 2003228

The second year of ownership by the county and full-time

management saw the beginning of numerous airport improve-

ment projects(AIP), with the help of federal grants, such as

runway extension and repairs, taxiway extensions and the

installation of taxiway lighting, purchase of snow blowers and

other equipment, and construction of a building for their stor-

age and maintenance. The airport was then home for 110 air-

craft, six of which were corporate jets, and 12 helicopters.

In 1983, in a startling announcement, Fairchild said it was

closing down its large Hagerstown facility at the airport - after

building over 10,000 aircraft during 57 years, Fairchild was

out of the aircraft business. As one of the area’s largest

employers, this was a devastating economic setback to the

community. Subsequently, the main factory buildings at the

airport were donated to the state of Maryland for development

as an industrial park. The composite bonding plant on the other

side of the airport continued to operate to complete contracts

for components of Boeing 747, Lockheed C-5B, and the Saab

340 aircraft. (That plant was eventually sold, in 1987, to Rohr

Industries of California.)

In 1985, Chautauqua Airlines became the second com-

muter service to Hagerstown, flying British Aerospace

Jetstream 31s. Because the other service provider, the

Henson/Piedmont Commuter, occupied all of the available

counter space in the terminal area of the hangar building, the

new service had to operate from a mobile home-type trailer

next door on the hangar apron - much to the embarassement of

the county officials. Visitors using Chautauqua were not given

a very good first impression of the airport, the town, and the

area. However, this did renew efforts to press for a new, mod-

ern, terminal building to replace the nearly 50-year-old facili-

ty.

Jet Stream International Airlines, “A Piedmont

Commuter,” and Piedmont Airlines officially assumed all of

Henson’s flights at Hagerstown on March 15, 1987. In June

1987, it was announced by the county administrator that the

airport had become financially self-sufficient and was no

longer a drain on the county’s budget. Also in June, 20 new T-

hangars were completed and dedicated by the county as a start

of a long-term airport expansion and improvement program

instituted by the airport commission.

Site work for the new passenger terminal began in 1989 at

the south side of the airport on 26 acres of farm land bought

from the Fairchild corporation. The work on the $3.4 million

contract included construction of two additional aircraft taxi-

ways. Construction of the $3 million terminal building com-

plex itself began in January 1990. The building was complet-

ed and dedicated on June 13, 1991 at a ribbon cutting ceremo-

ny with Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer.

The Washington County Commissioners voted unani-

mously on October 6, 1998 to change the name of Washington

County Regional Airport to Hagerstown Regional Airport -

Richard A. Henson Field. The airport commission had recom-

mended putting Hagerstown (back) in the name to reduce con-

fusion. There are more than 30 Washington counties across the

country—and the Federal Aviation Administration had never

changed its airport identifier abbreviation of HGR. It was also

an opportunity to honor 88-year-old Henson for his long histo-

ry at the airport.

As far back as 1984, when the author became a member

and vice-chairman of the airport commission, there was much

discussion concerning the future requirement to extend the air-

port’s main runway to better accommodate larger and more

heavy jet aircraft. To this end, the county began acquiring any

available farm land or other properties around the airport (with

90% FAA, 5% state and 5% county funds). As of this writing

(2003), engineering work for the project is on-going. The main

runway extension of fifteen hundred feet is to the east - over

U.S. Route 11 - necessitating construction of a bridge/tunnel.

The $56 million project is expected to be completed in 2006.

In as much as Hagerstown is now a model medium-size

airport, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the

federal agency created to oversee airport security after the

September 11 terrorist attacks, uses the airport to test new air-

port security measures. The Hagerstown airline terminal is

currently using three “trace detection systems” that chemical-

ly test samples swabbed from the inner and outer surfaces of

baggage. The samples are fed into an analyzer, which can tell

within seconds if residue from an explosive is present. The

TSA provided the equipment that cost about $40,000 each.

Every piece of checked luggage is tested. All carry-on bags are

still checked by X-ray machines.

The airport continually receives federal grants for

improvements and additional security items such as surveil-

lance equipment (cameras) and new fencing for around the air-

port.

As of this writing, the airport officials are preparing a

request for bids for the construction of a concrete heavy air-

craft parking area for the use of Air Force One. Evolving from

a small, grass, flying field to a first-class facility, the

Hagerstown Regional Airport is one that the city and county

residents are justifiably proud.

An interesting story about the municipal hangar: When

the 1938 hangar was demolished in 1993 to make way for a

more modern structure, a rolled 1937 blueprint was found

inside a wall (now in the author’s collection). It called for

the construction of a basement room to contain the hangar

heating plant, the exterior of which was to have eight-inch

concrete walls. However, when the demolition progressed

to the point that the walls were uncovered, the concrete was

actually four-feet thick with steel reinforcement bars!

Someone had built a bomb shelter! No one remembers or

knows who ordered or paid for such a structure. The author

questioned Dick Henson about this and he claimed no

knowledge of such construction - however, knowing

Henson, he was a hands-on person - he knew every minute

detail of what was going on at the airport. In all fairness,

Henson may have simply forgotten. He was approaching

age 90 and was starting to exhibit signs of Alzheimer’s dis-

ease.

229

REFERENCES,

1. Theron Rinehart, “Bellanca: Part Of Fairchild Heritage

In Hagerstown,” historical vignettes, No-3 in a series,

Fairchild World company newspaper, Fairchild Industries,

Inc., Vol.8, No.10, October 1971, p.4.

2. Jay P. Spenser, Bellanca C.F., published for the

National Air and Space Museum by the Smithsonian

Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 1982, pp.16-18.

3. Deed, recorded April 7, 1928 in Land Record RO 180,

State Of Maryland, Washington County, conveying 60 acres of

land from Robert and Emma Brumbaugh to the Kreider-

Reisner Aircraft Company, pp.43-45.

4. Recollection by Mrs. Marie Brumbaugh Phillippy,

whose father built the first Airport Inn, The Cracker Barrelmagazine, Hagerstown, Maryland, November 1986, p.17.

5. Theron K. Rinehart, “Sherman M. Fairchild

‘Discovered’ Local Airplane Company and Bought it in 1929,”

The Cracker Barrel magazine, Hagerstown, Maryland, March

1979, pp.15,17,19-21,23.

6. Souvenir Program, “Official Dedication, Hagerstown

Municipal Airport,” Sunday, June 19, 1938

7. “Wounded Vets Evacuated By ATC In Large - Scale

Operation,” FAD newspaper, published for employees of the

Fairchild Aircraft Division, Hagerstown, Maryland, June 30,

1944, p.1.

8. “Airport Lighting System Now Being Installed Here,”

FAD newspaper, August 11, 1944, p.2.

9. Program, “Fairchild National Sports Car Races,” The

Craft Press, Inc., Chambersburg Pennsylvania, October 16,

1955

10. J.F. ter Horst & Col. Ralph Albertazzie, The FlyingWhite House, published by Coward, McCann & Geoghegan,

Inc., New York, 1979.

11. Jackie Spinner, “Plane Cleared for Takeoff, $84

Million Aircraft to Carry Vice President, Other Dignitaries,”

The Washington Post newspaper, Thursday, July 23, 1998.

12. Brendan Kirby, “Airport’s New Name Could Ease

Confusion,” The Daily Mail newspaper, Hagerstown,

Maryland, Wednesday, October 7, 1998, p.l.

13. Andrew Schotz, “Airport Serving As Test Site,” The

Daily Mail newspaper, Hagerstown, Maryland, Friday, April

19, 2002.

Below: Blueprint called for eight-inch walls --- not four-feet ofreinforced concrete! (Photographer unknown)