Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields:
Louisiana: Western New Orleans area
© 2002, © 2010 by Paul Freeman. Revised 5/15/10.
Wedell-Williams Airport / New Orleans Airport / NOLF 22508
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Wedell-Williams Airport / New Orleans Airport / Naval Outlying Landing Field 22508,
New Orleans, LA
29.97 North / 90.19 West (West of Downtown New Orleans, LA)
Wedell-Williams Airport,
as depicted (in the top-left corner) on the 1934 Navy Aviation Chart V-242 (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
The Wedell-Williams Air Service operated flights between New Orleans & their facility in Patterson, LA.
At some point they established an airport on the west side of New Orleans.
The earliest directory reference to the Wedell-Williams Airport which has been located
was in the September 1931 Commerce Department Descriptions of Airports & Landing Fields (according to David Brooks).
It described Wedell-Williams Airport as a commercial airport consisting of an iregularly-shaped 142-acre sod field.
The field was said to have 2 runways, with the longest being 2,600'.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Wedell-Williams Airport
was on the 1934 Navy Aviation Chart V-242 (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
Wedell-Williams Airport, as depicted on the 1935 New Orleans Sectional Chart.
The earliest photo which has been located of the field
was an undated aerial view of the “New Orleans” Airport,
from The Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airport Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).
It described the field as a commercial airport, located 4 miles west of the center of New Orleans,
and situated only 6 feet above sea level.
The field was said to consist of a 90 acre rectangular sod field.
The photo showed what could have been a single building on one corner of the field.
During the Second World War, Wedell-Williams was used by the Navy as an auxiliary field
to support flight training operations at NAS New Orleans.
The last photo which has been located of Wedell-Williams
was a 5/20/43 aerial view from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock).
It depicted “New Orleans NAS Auxiliary (22508 Wedell-Williams Outlying Field)” as an open grass area.
The April 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Ken Mercer)
indicated that the Wedell-Williams Airport conducted Navy flight operations.
The field was said to be located 5.5 miles west of New Orleans,
and to have a 3,800' unpaved runway.
The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Wedell-Williams
was on the June 1944 New Orleans Sectional Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).
It labeled the field as “22508”, indicating that it was being used as a satellite airfield to support flight operations at NAS New Orleans,
and the numbering indicated that this field was located 225 degrees from the parent airfield, at a distance of 08 miles.
The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described “New Orleans NAS Auxiliary (22508 Wedell-Williams Outlying Field)”
as a 118 acre rectangular property containing a 3,210' x 2,057' all-way sod landing area.
The field was said to have two 65' square metal hangars,
to be owned by the U.S. Government, and operated by the Navy.
Wedell-Williams evidently never reopened as a civilian airport after WW2,
as it was no longer depicted at all on the 1945 New Orleans Sectional Chart (courtesy of John Voss).
As seen in the 2002 USGS aerial photo, the general location of the former Wedell-Williams Airport has been densely redeveloped,
and no recognizable trace of a former airport appears to remain.
The precise location of the former Wedell-Williams Airport has not been determined.
It was located roughly east of the intersection of Hickory Avenue & 10th Street.
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