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TCU Airport


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#1 JEwingFTW

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Posted 12 June 2004 - 06:19 PM

On June 14, 1946, I took my first flight lesson in a Piper J3 Cub at TCU Airport. My instructor's last name was Hale. A log book entry makes me think the airport owner was B. M. Roberts.

At the time I was a student at Kemper Military School, home for the summer and working at Kimbell Mills on South Main Street.

My log book shows that I was at the airport almost every day after work. As I remember, I would drive south on Granbury Road and at the airport would turn right and cross the railroad tracks to reach the grass-strip field.

After being away from Fort Worth as the city grew, I would like to have someone pinpoint the exact location of the old airport and perhaps provide some history.

#2 JEwingFTW

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Posted 12 June 2004 - 06:19 PM

At the Fort Worth Library, I found a city map showing the location of TCU Airfield. It was on what they called Old Granbury Road at the time. I checked it out and I believe the entrance to the airport was about at Belden St. Now its covered with apartments.

#3 John T Roberts

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Posted 12 June 2004 - 06:19 PM

Thanks for posting the results of your research. After you had mentioned to me where you thought it was, I estimated that the apartments were probably constructed on its old site.

#4 John T Roberts

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Posted 12 June 2004 - 06:20 PM

Here's a link to a map with it located that Kip Wright found.

http://www.members.t...X_FtWorth_S.htm

#5 Bill Sievers

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Posted 12 June 2004 - 06:29 PM

It was located right where the Hulen Mall is today (approximately). I remember there was a house (caretakers?) located under a small grove of Oak trees right next to the big tin hangar buiding. Some days you could park right on the side of the Old Granbury Road and watch the small planes take off and land. Starting in the early '60's I could see the slow encroachment of the housing development which now occupies all of that land today along with the mall. The house in the grove of Oak trees I think became the developer's equipment shed before it too finally disappeared.

Does anyone have any pictures of this old landmark?

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#6 Mark S

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Posted 15 March 2016 - 10:13 AM

This thread is older than, well, you know... but I just stumbled upon a photograph of the TCU Airport at the UTA Libraries site and had to share:

http://library.uta.e...tems/show/40434

 

I  read the earlier conjecture as to it's exact location, and I believe that I heard once upon a time that the airstrip itself ran along what is now Wentworth St. (take that with a grain of salt)



#7 Doohickie

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Posted 15 March 2016 - 08:57 PM

If you go to HistoricAerials for that area for 1952, and turn on the All Roads overlay, you can see that the north/south air strip ran parallel to, and just east of, what is now Wentworth St.  The entrance was across Granbury Road from where Wonder Drive empties into it today.


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#8 Mark S

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Posted 15 March 2016 - 08:59 PM

If you go to HistoricAerials for that area for 1952, and turn on the All Roads overlay, you can see that the north/south air strip ran parallel to, and just east of, what is now Wentworth St.  The entrance was across Granbury Road from where Wonder Drive empties into it today.

HistoricAerials is awesome, isn't it? Thanks Doohickie, I'll have a look at it!



#9 Ghost Writer in Disguise

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Posted 21 March 2016 - 04:11 PM

http://www.airfields..._FtWorth_SW.htm



#10 Mark S

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Posted 21 March 2016 - 04:48 PM

Great source of info. Thanks for sharing Ghost Writer!



#11 Ghost Writer in Disguise

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Posted 27 March 2016 - 08:21 PM

For what it's worth, here's another local airfield that the city rolled over around the same time: http://www.airfields..._FtWorth_SE.htm






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