Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Maryland, Southeastern Baltimore area

Maryland, Southeastern Baltimore area

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Baltimore Municipal Airport / Baltimore AAF / Harbor Field (revised 9/5/23) – Dundalk Flying Field / Logan Field (revised 11/6/22)

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Dundalk Flying Field / Logan Field, Baltimore, MD

39.249, -76.514 (Northeast of Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore, MD)

A 1920 photo of Logan Field's terminal under construction.

Following WW1, pilots coming home to Baltimore needed an airport.

Until then, there were not enough local aviators to justify the creation of a regular field.

General Felix Agnus, president of the Park Board, had been approached by the military veterans who asked for an airfield in one of the city parks.

In those days airplanes required very little space.

General Agnus was the owner of The Baltimore American newspaper.

He wanted to find them a field, but knew the city parks would be too dangerous to the public.

General Agnus consulted with Mayor William F. Broening, who was enthusiastic at the prospects.

The Maryland Flying Club had found the perfect location near Dundalk.

It was just right, a large, level field which that had been a truck farm.

The property, however, belonged to the Bethlehem Steel Company.

W. Frank Roberts, then manager of the plant, himself an aviation enthusiast, had no objection to the use of the property for flying purposes.

They first called it the Dundalk Flying Field.

It was approximately 100 acres, and lay between Belclare Road, Dundalk Avenue, and Sollers Point Road.

A formal lease agreement was signed & the airfield officially dedicated in 1920.

It was renamed Logan Field in memory of Lieutenant Patrick Henry Logan, a barnstormer who died in after crashing his"Red Devil" biplane

while performing a tailspin at the site a few months prior to the official opening.

The earliest depiction which has been located of Logan Field was a 1920 photo of its terminal building under construction.

According to an article by Frederick Rasmussen in the 10/13/2007 issue of the Baltimore Sun,

the airport was dedicated to Logan on 7/11/20, the closing day of the air show in which he had been a participant.

General William "Billy" Mitchell, Deputy Chief of the Army Air Service,

and Baltimore Mayor William Broening were principal speakers.

The Reverend Louis Vaeth, who represented Cardinal James Gibbons, gave the invocation,

and Lt. Harry McGinnes addressed the 4,000 spectators at the dedication.

At last, Baltimore had its first Municipal Airport.

The deal almost didn't happen. Bethlehem Steel had changed its mind & decided it might need the land after all.

The city, however, came up with $2,000 a year rent. The state of Maryland provided $500 in operating expenses.

After all, Baltimore did not want to be caught short without a major-league airport, which Logan Field then qualified as.

More money for improvements arrived & lights were installed for night flying.

Before long, fliers such as Amelia Earhart & Charles Lindbergh were visiting Logan Field.

According to the book "Maryland Aloft", "In 1921 a group of American Flying Club members based at the airfield

received recognition as the 1^st (later than 104^th) Observation Squadron, the Maryland National Guard's first flying unit."

The unit received 13 JN-4D-2 Jennies in 1921. The aircraft were kept in 4 canvas hangars at Logan Field.

Most of those first Maryland Air Guard aircraft were in an advanced state of wear.

Some had no seat in the rear for the observer. In the air, the Jennies growled, groaned, whistled, and creaked.

But despite all those shortcomings, they were considered good ships, powered by good engines.

Logan Field was initially a great success. Canvas hangars were built, and by 1922 the field was hosting an annual series of air meets.

There would often be captured German WW1 Fokkers, British & French models, plus the latest American biplanes.

In the flying-crazy 1920s, Logan Field was the place to be.

The 1927 Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of David Brooks)

described Logan Field as a 100 acre irregularly-shaped sod property measuring 2,000' north/south by 1,583' east/west.

The field was said to have 3 steel hangars measuring 120' x 60'.

A 5/31/27 photo depicted a large crowd of spectators at Logan in front of 4 biplanes, with another biplane overflying.

A 1927 Chesapeake Aircraft Company aerial view of Logan Field (from the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Library), the airfield to consist of an irregularly-shaped grass area,

with 2 light planes parked near a row of hangars on the southwest side, one of which had “Logan” painted on its roof.

A 1928 business card for Logan Field's Chesapeake Aircraft Company (courtesy of Paul Shank).

It listed the Field Manager as I. H. (Dick) Dice, and their corporate office as 1309 North Charles Street, Baltimore.

A 1928 photo of Eddie & Evelyn Evans about to take a joyride in a biplane (model undetermined) marked Chesapeake Aircraft Company, most likely at Logan Field (courtesy of Ron Evans).

A 1928 photo of the christening of a Waco 10 by its owners, the Chesapeake Flying Club (courtesy of Paul Shank).

A 5/19/28 photo by Edwin Severn of 3 unidentified biplanes at Logan Field (courtesy of Mary Severn Hodge).

A Summer 1928 photo by Harry Cassell (courtesy of Don Cassell) of a unidentified biplane of the MD National Guard at Logan Field.

In 1929 the Post Office began airmail service to Logan Field.

At the Logan air meet in 1929, 30,000 people cheered a new air speed mark of 258 mph.

"In some respects, 1929 marked the height of Logan's glory.

The opening of a Department of Commerce office there made it the headquarters for Maryland & Delaware aviation,"

reported The Baltimore Sun in a 1948 article.

The 1929 "Rand McNally Standard Map of MD with Air Trails" (courtesy of Chris Kennedy)

described Logan Field as being 2,300' x 1,800' in size.

The earliest aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Logan Field

was on the 1929 Washington to New York City Air Navigation Map #3.

Baltimore Airways inaugurated the first daily scheduled flights between Baltimore Logan Field & New York in 1929.

In 1930, the company announced it would use 6 planes to provide service between Baltimore, Washington, New York, Camden & Atlantic City.

It charged $25 from Baltimore to New York & $40 for round-trip. Later, there was a biweekly flight to Miami, Florida.

A circa 1920s photo of a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny in front of several hangars at Logan Field.

Three circa 1920s/30s photos of Baltimore Airways aircraft at Logan Field,

including a Curtiss CO Condor & a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker.

The Bellanca was also marked with “Handler Field” - another early airfield on the northwest side of Baltimore.

A circa 1920s/30s photo of Logan Field hangars.

A circa 1920s/30s photo of the Logan Field control tower, of a configuration not seen anywhere else.

A circa 1930 Cram's street map (courtesy of Greg Stec)

depicted “Baltimore Municipal Airport” adjacent to “Logan Field, City of Baltimore Municipal Airport (Temp)”.

A 10/20/30 photo of MD National Guard 104^th Observation Squadron pilots in front of one of the unit's O-11 Falcons at the unit's home station, Logan Field.

Among them are Charles Masson (2^nd from left), who commanded the squadron from 1929-42,

and William Tipton (4^th from left), who commanded the squadron from 1924-29.

According to Andrea Tracey (Museum Director at the College Park Aviation Museum),

“The Boyd Aircraft Model C was created by the Boyd Brothers out of Baltimore during the early 1930s.

It is my understanding that they flew out of Logan Field.”

As depicted on a 1931 Commerce Department Airway Bulletin (courtesy of Michael McMurtrey),

the airfield at Logan consisted of a 2,000' x 1,583' sod field.

Two commercial hangars & 3 military hangars were situated at the southwest corner of the field,

The owner of the property was listed as Bethlehem Steel Company, and the operator was the City of Baltimore.

A Summer 1931 photo by Harry Cassell (courtesy of Don Cassell) of a Curtiss Falcon biplane of the MD National Guard at Logan Field.

A Summer 1931 photo (courtesy of Don Cassell) of Harry Cassell & a Consolidated biplane (model unidentified) of the MD National Guard next to the Logan Field hangars.

A Summer 1931 photo by Harry Cassell (courtesy of Don Cassell) of a Curtiss Condor of Eastern Air Transport at Logan Field.

A Summer 1931 photo by Harry Cassell (courtesy of Don Cassell) of a Ford Tri-Motor of Eastern Air Transport at Logan Field.

By 1932 Logan Field had a 3,000' runway & two 2,000' runways.

It was depicted as "Baltimore Municipal" Field on the May 1932 Washington Sectional Chart.

A 5/28/32 aerial view looking northwest at "Baltimore Municipal Airport, Logan Field",

from the Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

The directory described the field as having a total of 3 runways,

with the longest being a 3,000' asphalt & cinder northwest/southeast strip.

A cluster of hangars was depicted at the southwest corner of the field. The manager was listed as Louis Rawlins.

Logan Field, as depicted on the 1934 U.S. Navy Aviation Chart (courtesy of Chris Kennedy).

The 1935 Air Pilots Register (courtesy of Paul McMillian) described “Baltimore Airport (Logan Airport)” as a municipal field

having a 2,800' square sod field within which were a 3,000' dirt northwest/southeast runway & 2 shorter cinder & turf runways.

An 11/7/35 aerial view by the MD National Guard's 104^th Observation Squadron (courtesy of Wayde Minami) looking southeast at Logan Field.

Wayde Minami observed, “At the [left], you can make out Logan Field's runways, and [on the right] the peninsula being constructed that will eventually become Baltimore Municipal Airport (Harbor Field).”

The 1/1/36 Department of Commerce Airway Bulletin

described Logan Field as a municipal airport, consisting of a rectangular sod field, measuring 2,800' x 2,000'.

It was said to have 2 turf & cinder runways: 2,100' east/west & 1,900' north/south.

The field was said to be an operating base for MD National Guard & Army Air Corps Reserves.

Pat Romano operated Logan Flying Service starting in 1936, providing flying lessons in a Piper E-2 Cub.

American Airlines began passenger flights at Logan Field in 1936,

and the Pennsylvania-Central Airlines Corporation inaugurated service in 1937.

A circa 1930s aerial view looking southeast Logan Field,

showing several checkerboard-roofed hangars, and a number of biplane & monoplane twin-engine aircraft.

An undated aerial view looking east at Logan Field, from the Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).

The directory described Logan Field as having 3 cinder/oiled runways, with the longest being 3,230'.

The aerial photo in the directory depicted a cluster of buildings & hangars at the southwest corner of the field.

A 1937 photo of a Curtiss Condor at Logan Field.

A 1937 photo of a biplane at Logan Field.

A circa 1937-38 aerial view of Logan Field (from the JScholarship Sheridan Libraries Collection),

showing the north/south & east/west grass runways, checkerboard-roof hangars, and several planes on the field.

Also note the Berliner-Joyce aircraft factory to the south of the airfield.

A 2/10/38 photo of the MD National Guard's fulltime Air Technical Detachment in front of one of the 104^th Observation Squadron's Douglas O-46 observation planes at Logan Field (courtesy of Wayde Minami).

A September 1938 aerial view of Logan Field (courtesy of the National Archives, photo # 18-LMU-V1-850G).

Note the DC-2 or DC-3 just southeast of the runway intersection.

According to Harry Young, a Dundalk native & member of the board of the Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society and Museum,

a DC-3 was the largest plane ever to land at Logan Field.

A circa 1930s view of Logan Field hangars.

A circa 1930s photo of planes at Logan Airport.

The 1938 Commerce Department Descriptions of Airports & Landing Fields (courtesy of David Brooks)

described Logan Field as consisting of a square sod field,

having 3 runways, the longest being a 3,230' northwest/southeast turf & oil strip.

A 4/24/39 photo depicted a Douglas DC-2 airliner landing at Logan Field, with the control tower & hangars in the background.

A 1939 aerial view by Robert Kniesche looking west at the hangars on the southwest corner of Logan Field,

showing a variety of single & twin-engine monoplanes & a large twin-engine biplane.

The prim clapboard building, with "BALTIMORE" painted in big letters across its roof & a small front porch, was no larger than a 2-car garage.

A 10/28/39 aerial view depicted no less than 21 National Guard O-47s parked at Logan Field,

along with a DC-2 & 3 other high-wing monoplanes.

A circa 1940 advertisement for Whipp Flying Service, at Logan Field & “Glen Burnie Field”.

Inexplicably, Logan Field was not depicted on the 1940 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

A 3/1/40 photo of aircrew of the MD National Guard's 104^th Observation Squadron boarding their O-47 aircraft at Logan Field for a training sortie.

A 9/6/40 aerial view looking east Logan Field showed several aircraft parked on the south side.

A summer 1940 or 1941 photo by Fred & Clara Klaburner (courtesy of Fred Klaburner Jr.) of an Eastern Airlines DC-2 landing at Logan Field.

A summer 1940 or 1941 photo by Fred & Clara Klaburner (courtesy of Fred Klaburner Jr.)

of the boarding stairs of “Eastern Airlines, The Great Silver Fleet” with one of their DC-2s at Logan Field.

A summer 1940 or 1941 photo by Fred & Clara Klaburner (courtesy of Fred Klaburner Jr.) of an Eastern Airlines DC-2 at Logan Field.

A circa 1940s street map depicted Logan Field as “Municipal Airport”,

and also depicted “Baltimore Municipal Airport” across the street to the west.

The National Guard's 104^th Observation Squadron was continuously based at Logan Field until 1941,

and averaged 2,000 flying hours annually for 2 decades, all without a fatality.

The last aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of Logan Field was on the November 1942 Washington Sectional Chart.

It depicted Logan as a commercial or municipal airport

Logan Flying Service operated until 1942, when it was closed by the government on account of the war.

According to an article by Frederick Rasmussen in the 10/13/2007 issue of the Baltimore Sun,

Baltimore City held a lease on the property until February 1943.

The last depiction which has been located of Logan Field was on the 1943 USGS topo map.

According to Harry Young, a Dundalk native & member of the board of the Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society and Museum,

“At that time, the United States Army took over the lease.

Sentries patrolled the area, and the land was used as part of the war effort as a prisoner of war camp.

They kept the general prisoners there who were trucked to nearby farms where they worked during the day & then returned at night.”

Logan Field was no longer depicted at all on the November 1943 Washington Sectional Chart or later Sectional Charts.

According to the book "Maryland Aloft", the Army's use of the Logan Field property ended after August 1945.

According to the 1946 issue of Jane's All The Worlds Aircraft,

the Cheston Eshelman Company of Dundalk MD “has built 5 experimental aircraft of unconventional design,

the latest of which, known as the FW-5, has been subjected to protracted tests at Logan Field, Dundalk.”

The actual date of these tests at Logan Field was not noted.

The photo showed the FW-5 to be a single-engine 4-seat taildragger with a “blended wing/body” design

(which would come into vogue 40 years later on such designs as the F-16).

Logan Field was no longer depicted on the 1946 USGS topo map.

Housing shortages after WW2 made the Logan Field property valuable for veterans' homes.

According to the book "Maryland Aloft", "By 1947, Bethlehem Steel was constructing 400 federally-funded houses on its share of the property,

and the city soon sold its 47 acres."

An 8/31/48 approach plate for Baltimore Municipal Airport (courtesy of John Hazlet)

depicted the hangars of Logan Field (just to the east of the southeast corner of the runways),

but showed that houses & streets were starting to cover a portion of Logan Field's airfield area.

Before long, the north runway had become an athletic field for St. Rita's Catholic Church.

Another portion became Logan Village, a shopping center still there.

A 1957 aerial view showed no trace remaining of the former Logan Field, with the property having been covered with houses.

According to an article by Frederick Rasmussen in the 10/13/07 issue of the Baltimore Sun,

Harry Young, a Dundalk native & member of the board of the Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society and Museum,

reported in 2007 that there were still a few concrete remnants of Logan Field.

Young reported, “There are some old foundations that stick up a little.

A plumber doing some work up there recently unearthed an old piece of metal, a tie-down,

that was used to tie planes down. It's now in our museum."

A historical marker commemorating Logan Field, sponsored by the Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society,

was scheduled to be unveiled on 10/20/07 at the Logan Village Shopping Center.

A 12/22/07 photo by William Pfingsten of a historical marker commemorating Logan Field, in front of the Logan Village Shopping Center.

A January 2009 aerial view by Paul Freeman looking north at the site of Logan Airport.

A 2020 photo by Paul Shank of a propeller he owns from Logan Field's Chesapeake Aircraft Company.

A 2021 aerial view showed no remaining trace of Logan Field.

The site of Logan Field is located at the intersection of Dundalk Avenue & Belclare Road.

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A 1929 advertisement for the new Berliner-Joyce aircraft plant (courtesy of the Enoch Pratt Free Library).

According to the book "Maryland Aloft", in 1928 the new Berliner-Joyce Aircraft Company started building a factory

on a 5.5 acre site adjacent to the south side of Logan Field.

"Enclosing some 54,000 square feet, the brick & stone factory had a rectangular main area.

A separate 50' x 20' building was added during the facility's early years & housed the company's wind tunnel,

quite an elaborate piece of equipment.

The site of the Berliner-Joyce plant was south of Logan and across a railway from it,

between Broening Highway & the Patapsco River."

According to Boeing, “Berliner-Joyce Aircraft housed one of the largest privately-held wind tunnels of that era.”

Berliner-Joyce had intended to introduce a new commercial aircraft,

but these plans were thwarted by the 1929 stock market crash, and instead the company relied on military contracts.

In 1930, it was acquired by North American Aviation, which changed the company's name to B/J.

An undated photo of the prototype experimental XFJ-1 biplane fighter in front of the B/J facility in Dundalk.

B/J built a 2-seat biplane fighter for the Army (the P-16, later designated the PB-1),

the light OJ-2 observation biplane for shipboard Navy operation, and an experimental XFJ-1 biplane fighter for the Navy.

A 2009 photo by Mike Brown of his grandfather's Berliner Aircraft plaque that is attached to his toolbox.

Mike reported, “Berliner-Joyce... my grandfather worked for them before working for Martin.”

North American eventually consolidated the former Berliner-Joyce facility

with the operations of the former Curtiss-Caproni plant in Dundalk, under the General Aviation name.

The General Aviation GA-15 observation monoplane was built in 1934, and saw service with the Army as the O-47.

The first aircraft to bear the North American name was built in Dundalk, the NA-16 trainer.

The prototype of the Army B-16 was also built here.

However, the resulting production models of both of these aircraft were not built in Maryland,

as North American moved to a new factory in California in 1935.

An undated aerial view looking east at Logan Field, from the Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).

Note the Berliner-Joyce aircraft factory on the left side of the photo

A circa 1937-38 aerial view of the Berliner-Joyce aircraft factory at the bottom of the photo (from the JScholarship Sheridan Libraries Collection),

showing its proximity to the hangars of Logan Field at the top of the photo.

In 1941, the Allied Aviation Corporation bought the former Berliner-Joyce factory, where it manufactured a range of military aircraft components.

Allied Aviation filled a Navy order for a pair of LRA-1 amphibious gliders, which may have been produced at the Dundalk plant.

However, that aircraft was canceled in 1943.

Note the 1946 USGS topo map depicted the “General Aviation Tank” as a landmark (presumably the water tank of the former General Aviation factory).

In the postwar era, Allied Aviation turned to the manufacture of boats, and was acquired by Moulded Products Inc. in 1947.

In a 1957 aerial view of the former Berliner-Joyce factory,

what appeared to be a number of aircraft parking spots were located along a paved area on the north side of the property.

A circa 1990s photo looking west at the former Berliner-Joyce aircraft factory.

Louie Armstrong reported in 2005 that according to a friend, "The Berliner-Joyce aircraft factory is active, some kind of an insulation firm."

A circa 2006 aerial view looking west at the nearly 60-year-old former Berliner-Joyce Aircraft factory.

Jason Henson reported, “The old Berliner-Joyce factory on Maryland Avenue (the old Logan Field site) was torn down in early 2016.

Currently [2018] it's a parking lot; I'm sure of the long-term plans.”

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Baltimore Municipal Airport / Baltimore AAF / Harbor Field, Dundalk, MD

39.25, -76.53 (East of Baltimore, MD)

An undated artist's conception of a planned Baltimore “Lindbergh Field”,

which given its location relative to Logan Field (at top-left), evidently was a precursor to the eventual Baltimore Municipal Airport / Harbor Field.

Harbor Field was Baltimore's commercial airport which was intended to succeed the much smaller Logan Field.

In 1926, the city's government decided that Baltimore needed a modern airport facility

that could accommodate state-of-the-art land & sea planes.

The plan was ambitious, and Baltimoreans of the time were praised nationally for their "airmindedness".

Mayor William Broening eventually chose a 360-acre site on the shores of the Patapsco River & Colgate Creek,

practically across the street from the field it was intended to replace, Logan Field.

A possible precursor to the eventual Baltimore Municipal Airport was the planned Baltimore “Lindbergh Field”,

an undated artist's conception of which depicted a field with 3 runways (including one 5,440' long), with factories on either end, and hangars along one side.

Logan Field was depicted adjacent to the property, which matches the location of what was eventually Baltimore Municipal Airport.

According to the book "Maryland Aloft", construction of Baltimore Municipal Airport began in 1929.

The construction project coincided with a harbor dredging effort,

so tons of harbor silt were used as fill as an artificial point into the Patapsco was created for the runways.

But this aspect of the new airport's construction proved to be a fiasco,

as the fill did not harden according to predictions,

and it dragged on the construction of the land-plane side of the airport beyond the end of the decade,

requiring additional loans & millions of dollars of new federal grants.

A circa 1930 Cram's street map (courtesy of Greg Stec) depicted “Baltimore Municipal Airport” adjacent to “Logan Field, City of Baltimore Municipal Airport (Temp)”.

In spite of the difficulties with the land-plane portion of the airport, a flying boat ramp was dedicated in 1932.

The flying boat base at Baltimore's Municipal Airport was depicted on the May 1932 Washington Sectional Chart.

The earliest photo which has been located of Harbor Field was ironically a 1934 photo by Ray Watson “of my gas-powered model at Harbor Field Baltimore.

The airport manager let me fly the plane in evenings when there was not commercial traffic scheduled.”

An 11/7/35 aerial view by the MD National Guard's 104^th Observation Squadron (courtesy of Wayde Minami) looking southeast at the site of Baltimore Municipal Airport.

The city reached an agreement with Pan Am in 1936, under which they would commence transatlantic flying boat service within 2 years.

A 270' x 190' flying boat terminal was constructed, which provided hangar space, offices, a passenger concourse, lounge, and observation deck.

An undated aerial view looking east at a Sikorsky S-24 flying boat in front of Harbor Field's terminal (from the Baltimore Pratt Library).

An 11/14/37 photo of a Sikorsky S-42 flying boat moored at a Baltimore Municipal Airport dock.

An 11/17/37 MD National Guard aerial view of a Sikorsky S-42 flying boat (registration # NC-16735) anchored to a Baltimore Municipal Airport dock.

A circa 1930s postcard of “Seaplanes at Baltimore's Transatlantic Air Base, Municipal Airport Dundalk”.

According to Bob Mattingly, “Pan Am began flying out of Harbor Field on the Bermuda route 11/17/37 using Sikorsky S-42B flying boats.

Imperial Airways made its first flight from Harbor Field the same day using its Short S-23 Cavalier.”

An undated aerial view looking east at Logan Field, from the Airport Directory Company's 1937 Airports Directory (courtesy of Bob Rambo).

Note the area in the background which would eventually become the site of Harbor Field was still open & undeveloped.

An undated aerial view looking north at the Short Brothers Empire flying boat Cavalier overflying the “new land-sea-air base at Baltimore”,

with the seaplane terminal visible at bottom-right, from a 12/23/37 article (courtesy of David Parkinson).

A circa 1937-38 aerial view of Baltimore Municipal Airport (from the JScholarship Sheridan Libraries Collection),

showing the flying boat terminal along the western edge, the former Curtiss-Caproni aircraft factory at the top-right,

and a large empty field in what would eventually be the runways of the landplane airport.

The 1938 Commerce Department Descriptions of Airports & Landing Fields (courtesy of David Brooks) did not yet list Baltimore Municipal Airport.

A 7/8/38 photo by Harry Leopold of a hangar under construction at Baltimore Municipal Airport.

According to Bob Mattingly, “The Boeing B-314s did not arrive until 1939.”

The Boeing 314 “Yankee Clipper” (NC 18603) landed at Harbor Field on 2/23/39 when she arrived from the West Coast.

Yankee Clipper made her first trans-Atlantic flight from Baltimore.

Bob noted, “The first B-314 service from Baltimore to Bermuda was on 3/20/39 by Atlantic Clipper (NC 18604) with 74 paying passengers aboard.

However, this configuration was never used for trans-Atlantic flights.

The B-314 was a great airplane but it was not big enough for 74 passengers.”

A 2/25/39 photo of a Pan Am Boeing 314 Yankee Clipper (registration # NC18603) on its initial arrival at Baltimore Municipal Airport.

Note the overflight of the Douglas O-46 observation plane from the MD National Guard's 104^th Observation Squadron based at nearby Logan Field.

A 1939 photo by Robert Kniesche looking southwest at the Boeing 314 “Yankee Clipper” landing at Baltimore Municipal Airport's flying boat facility.

The airport was eventually served by a number of airlines: American, Eastern, United, Pan Am,

and British Overseas Airways (which provided service to Bermuda).

Baltimoreans were very optimistic about their new airport,

In part because the Glenn L. Martin Company in nearby Middle River was very active in building flying boats.

Mr. Martin himself fed the optimism, proclaiming "Baltimore will face a golden opportunity to become a world port.'

At this point in its history, the airport had 20 or so departures & arrivals per day.

A circa 1939 photo of a Boeing 314 Yankee Clipper entering a Baltimore Municipal Airport hangar.

A circa 1939 photo of a Pan Am Boeing 314 Yankee Clipper (registration # NC18603) being towed out of the water & onto the dock at Baltimore Municipal Airport.

But the halcyon days of Dundalk's infatuation with the flying boat were brief indeed.

In 1939, Pan Am noticed that New York's harbor was usually almost always ice-free too.

This, coupled with the fact that there were a lot more potential customers in New York than Baltimore,

led the carrier to shift the majority of their flying boat operations northward.

But the Baltimore facilities were still used for shorter flights & as a maintenance & repair yard.

A 1/22/40 plan showing the construction of the planned runways at Harbor Field, overlaid on a 12/1/37 aerial view.

A 9/6/40 aerial view looking east at the construction of Harbor Field, with Logan Field in the background.

An undated photo of the Baltimore Municipal Airport terminal building & control tower, which appears to show it while still under construction.

The land-plane terminal at Baltimore Municipal Airport was built in 1940 in the Art-Deco style.

It was constructed of brown brick, with 2-story wings flanking a octagonal section that was topped with a control tower.

Hangar 1 measured 149' x 106'.

A Maryland National Guard hangar was funded by the Works Progress Administration,

and consisted of a steel-frame hangar measuring 130' x 250', with adjoining offices & shops.

However higher military priorities prevented the Maryland National Guard

from moving into their purpose-built facilities at Harbor Field until after WW2.

In August 1940, Pan Am transferred 3 Boeing 314 flying boats (NC 18607, NC 18608, NC 18610, dubbed the Bristol, the Berwick and the Bangor)

to the British Overseas Airways Company.

Two of the 3 were delivered in Baltimore.

These boats were used by BOAC during the war to transport vital correspondence, supplies and people

to the United States and British outposts in West Africa and the Caribbean.

A November 1941 photo of the Works Progress Administration improvements to the Baltimore Municipal Airport,

including a concrete driveway under construction from the highway to the airport.

A November 1941 photo of workers preparing for the opening of Baltimore Municipal Airport, with the terminal building in the background.

The November 1941 Washington Sectional Chart still depicted Baltimore Municipal as only having a seaplane base (not yet a landplane airport).

After a prolonged construction period, Baltimore's Municipal Airport was finally dedicated on 11/16/1941,

at which point the airport was served by 3 airlines.

A circa 1941 photo of the interior of the Baltimore Municipal Airport terminal building.

A circa 1941 photo of a Flagship Airlines Douglas DC-3 airliner at Baltimore Municipal Airport.

A flight simulator scenery recreation of Baltimore Municipal Airport by Richard Finley, looking south along Runway 18.

A flight simulator scenery recreation of a TWA Boeing 307 Stratoliner departing from Baltimore Municipal Airport by Richard Finley.

The first aeronautical chart depiction which has been located of the landplane airport at Baltimore Municipal was on the May 1942 Washington Sectional Chart.

And all normal civilian traffic was suspended in 1942 when the War Department took over Baltimore Municipal Airport.

According to the MD Air National Guard's website, “Although the federal Work Projects Administration had funded the construction

of a new hangar for the MD National Guard as part of the airport, by the time the airport opened the unit had been mobilized & was stationed Detrick Field.”

A circa 1940s street map depicted “Baltimore Municipal Airport” & “Baltimore Seaplane Port”,

and also depicted “Municipal Airport” (Logan Field) across the street to the east.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill departed from Baltimore Municipal Airport on a 1942 British Overseas Airways flight.

BOAC continued to use Harbor Field as its main U.S. Operating base during WW2.

According to the MD Air National Guard's website, “The field's first significant military occupant was the headquarters of the 353^rd Fighter Group,

which moved into the facility in October 1942.

The headquarters oversaw subordinate squadrons based at Langley Army Airfield, Richmond Army Airfield and Norfolk Municipal Airport, all in Virginia.

The 353^rd flew P-40 Warhawks - later augmented by a small number of P-47 Thunderbolts - out of the base until being sent to fight in Europe in mid-1943.”

The 1943 USGS topo map depicted both Baltimore Airport & Logan Field.

A 10/21/43 aerial view looking north at “Baltimore Army Air Field (Baltimore Municipal Airport)”

from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) depicted the field as having 4 paved runways.

It was depicted as "Baltimore" Airport on the 1944 Washington Sectional Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

A 1944 photo by William Ebert (used by permission of Colin Ebert) of Baltimore Municipal Airport

showing a Sikorsky VS-44 (Excalibur, which had been built for American Export Lines) & a Boeing 314 Clipper.

The 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields (courtesy of Mike Keefe) described Baltimore AAF as having a 4,500' hard-surfaced runway.

The 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock) described “Baltimore Army Air Field (Baltimore Municipal Airport)”

as a 375 acre triangular property within which were 4 asphalt runways, the longest being the 4,535' northwest/southeast strip.

The field was said to have 3 metal & brick hangars, the largest measuring 246' x 231'.

The field was described as being owned by the City of Baltimore, and operated by the Army Air Force.

According to the MD Air National Guard's website, “Baltimore Municipal Airport remained under the control of the War Department for the duration of the war,

but was then returned to civilian control.”

Civilian airline service returned to Baltimore Municipal Airport after WW2, with 136,000 airline passengers using the field in 1946.

A circa 1940s photo of passengers disembarking from a DC-3 at Baltimore Municipal Airport,

The Maryland National Guard finally moved into their purpose-built facilities at Harbor Field in 1946.

According to the MD Air National Guard's website, “P-47s returned to Baltimore Municipal Airport when the Maryland National Guard's 104^th Fighter Squadron was reactivated there on 8/17/46.”

“Baltimore” Airport, as depicted on the 1946 USGS topo map.

Baltimore “Municipal Airport” was depicted on a 1946 USGS topo map as having 3 paved runways, with several hangars along the east side.

In 1947, John Hinson relocated his flight school from Lee Airport to Harbor Field, according to an article by Clayton Davis.

A 7/26/47 photo looking east at the MD Air National Guard's 104^th Fighter Squadron conducting a retreat ceremony in front of the Air Guard hangar at Baltimore Municipal Airport,

with 3 P-47 Thunderbolt fighters visible on the right foreground & background.

A circa 1940s aerial view looking south at the MD Air National Guard's hangar at Baltimore Municipal Airport,

with P-47 Thunderbolt fighters visible in the background.

A circa 1947 photo of a MD National Guard convoy preparing to depart Baltimore Municipal Airport for summer camp (courtesy of Wayde Minami).

Wayde Minami observed, “The aircraft parking areas were unpaved at this point.”

Two MD National Guard Douglas C-47s are paked behind the hangar, and a visiting North American B-25 Mitchel is at bottom-right.

According to Bob Mattingly, “BOAC made its last Baltimore to Bermuda flying boat flight in January 1948.

The three British B-314s were then purchased by World Airways which went under in a sea of red ink & the planes ended up parked at Harbor Field.

Like the old field itself, all were eventually scrapped.”

The popularity of the flying boats waned, as decent runway facilities were built for the major cities.

The beautiful & temperamental flying boats fell into disuse. So did Baltimore's flying boat terminal.

A 1948 photo by William Ebert (used by permission of Colin Ebert) of a Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat, anchored off of Baltimore Municipal Airport.

According to the MD Air National Guard's website, “With heavy civilian use & no room for expansion,

it quickly became clear that the base would not be the Guard's permanent home.

Moreover, the MD National Guard only held a 15-year lease on the hangar, with the city due to take control at the end of that period.”

After the war, aviation engineers judged the runways at the Municipal Airport

inadequate to accommodate the new, heavier planes that had been developed.

Jets had made flying boats obsolete & dashed Baltimore's dream of becoming the leading flying boat port of the world.

The airport's use was limited to smaller, lower-capacity planes, and the site proved unprofitable.

Furthermore, engineering problems with the airfield's runways never really were solved, as they continued to settle into the filled-in land.

A circa 1940s advertisement for Pan-Maryland Airways at Baltimore Municipal Airport.

A circa 1940s advertisement for Atlantic Aviation at Baltimore Municipal Airport.

A 7/15/48 photo of the MD National Guard's Republic F-47 Thunderbolts at Harbor Field (courtesy of Wayde Minami).

An 8/31/48 approach plate for Baltimore Municipal Airport (courtesy of John Hazlet)

depicted the field as having 4 paved runways, with the longest being the 4,440' Runway 14/32.

A 1948 City of Baltimore aerial photo of the northwestern portion of Baltimore Municipal Airport (from the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Library), showing a Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat anchored in the water at top-left.

A 1948 City of Baltimore aerial photo of the southwestern portion of Baltimore Municipal Airport (from the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Library), showing a large number of aircraft parked on the National Guard ramp at top-right.

A 1949 photo of a Navy F4U-4 Corsair fighter of VF-32 at Harbor Field.

According to Wayde Minami, “The F4U Corsair is probably a Navy Reserve plane.

The Navy Reserve used the field from time to time after WWII (they weren't based there, just used the field).

It might also be from one of the airshows they had there.”

A circa 1949 photo of a Navy F4U-4D Corsair fighter at Harbor Field.

A circa 1949 photo of a snow-covered Republic F-47 Thunderbolt in front of the MD National Guard's hangar at Harbor Field (courtesy of Wayde Minami).

A circa late 1940s photo of the MD National Guard's hangar at Harbor Field (courtesy of Wayde Minami).

A circa 1949-50 photo by Solomon Miller of Capital Airlines Douglas DC-3-313D NC33678, C/n 4133 at Baltimore Harbor Field.

A 5/15/50 photo of the MD National Guard's fulltime Air Technical Detachment in front of their Republic F-47 Thunderbolts at Harbor Field (courtesy of Wayde Minami).

A July 1950 advertisement for Baltimore Municipal Airport.

In 1950, the much larger Friendship Airport (eventually renamed BWI Airport) was dedicated south of the city,

with purpose-built runways that were sized to accommodate the coming jet airliners.

All airline operations relocated to Friendship Airport, and the older airport was renamed Harbor Field.

The 1950 MD Airport Directory depicted Harbor Field as having 4 paved runways (the longest, Runway 14/32 was 4,500'),

numerous taxiways, and a large ramp surrounding the control tower along Broening Highway.

According to the MD Air National Guard's website, “While the airlines' departure created more space for the Air Guard at Harbor Field,

the base's short runways - it's longest was only 4,520' - would be inadequate once the unit converted to jet operations.

In fact, an F-84C sent there for jet familiarization training had to circle the field burning off fuel before it could land

and still had great difficulty stopping on the short runway.”

Harbor Field was depicted on the January 1951 Washington Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Tim Zukas)

as having 4 paved runways, with the longest being 4,500'.

The former BOAC facilities at Harbor Field were used by the Bendix Field Engineering Company in 1951 to operate training classes for radar operators.

According to the book "Maryland Aloft", during the 1950s Harbor Field "remained an Air Guard base and continued to serve private pilots & business aviation."

A circa 1950s photo of the Harbor Field terminal building & control tower.

By 1953, John Hinson's flight school at Harbor Field's Hangar 4 was making revenue of $2 million annually, according to an article by Clayton Davis.

It was contracted by U.S. Army Aviation to provide instrument flight training, using 3 Link Trainers, 4 Stinson 108s, and 10 Cessna 182s.

A 2/14/53 closeup from an aerial view of Baltimore Municipal Airport (from the JScholarship Sheridan Libraries Collection),

showing over a dozen single-engine aircraft (type unidentified) & one 4-engine aircraft

parked on either side of the National Guard hangar on the east side of Harbor Field.

A 7/16/53 photo by Pat Patterson (courtesy of Ray Stinchcomb) of a Sikorsky VS-44 being launched at Harbor Field after being returned to service by Baltimore Aero Service.

ay Stinchcomb observed, “It says on the nose 'Excalibur', but it is actually 'Excambian'. The owner in 1953 chose the better-known name.

This airplane went to South America, then CA, the Antilles Airboats and is now in the museum in Windsor Locks, CT.”

According to the MD Air National Guard's website, “Beginning in 1953, Guard officials began looking in earnest for a new home for the unit, but with little success.

As it seemed likely that the fighter unit would be forced to close, it seemed logical to find a new mission,

and on 9/10/55, a second flying unit, the 135^th Air Resupply Group, was activated at Harbor Field.

The National Guard's 135^th Air Commando Squadron flew the HU-16 Albatross amphibian starting in 1956.

A solution had been found to the 104^th's dilemma: In July 1955, the Martin Company offered space on a 25-acre tract on the north side of its airfield in Middle River.

The 104^th was able to temporarily base T-33 trainers at Friendship & F-86 fighters at Andrews AFB

while it continued to fly piston-powered fighters out of Harbor Field.”

By the time of the 1956 Approach Plate (courtesy of Tom Beamer), 2 of Harbor Field's runways had been closed,

with Runways 9/27 & 14/32 as the only remaining open runways.

Harbor Field was depicted on the July 1956 Washington Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Tim Zukas) as having 4 paved runways, with the longest being 4,400'.

According to the MD Air National Guard's website, “In July 1957, the [104^th] squadron consolidated all its flying operations at the new Martin facility.”

A 1957 aerial view showed Harbor Field to still be operating, but the runways appeared to be in extremely rough condition.

Note also the former Curtiss-Caproni / General Aviation Manufacturing factory on the north side of the airport.

A closeup of the 1957 aerial view showing 4 SA-16s (the black aircraft), 4 C-46s of the MD ANG's 135^th Air Resupply Group,

and 1 smaller aircraft parked next to the National Guard hangar on the east side of Harbor Field.

According to Wayde Minami, “The smaller aircraft looks like a C-45, which the MD ANG flew as an administrative support aircraft from 1954-56.”

According to the book "Maryland Aloft", "In 1958, the city received $4.1 million for the airport,

which was transferred to the Maryland Port Authority for conversion into a marine terminal", still operating today as the Dundalk Marine Terminal.

The last photo which has been located showing Harbor Field still in operation was an 11/19/59 USGS aerial view.

Only 2 runways were still marked as active, with the other 2 marked with closed-runway “X” symbols, and a large number of cars or containers were being stored in the northwest portion of the airfield.

Several aircraft were still parked near the terminal, and the National Guard hangar on the east side.

Harbor Field, as depicted on the 1960 Washington Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

In 1960, John Hinson moved his flight school from Harbor Field to the South Ramp of Baltimore's new Friendship Airport (known today as BWI),

according to an article by Clayton Davis.

The 1960 Jeppensen Airway Manual (courtesy of Chris Kennedy) depicted Harbor Field in its very last gasp,

with only a 4,400' Runway 14/32 & a foreshortened 2,800' Runway 9/27.

According to the MD Air National Guard's website, “The field remained active until December 1960, when the 135^th also relocated to Martin.”

According to the book "Maryland Aloft", "On the last day of 1960, a ceremony marked the closing of Harbor Field."

Ray Stinchcomb reported, “Baltimore Aero Service disassembled their hangar at Harbor Field & reassembled it at Lee Airport in Edgewater, MD.

The large metal hangar at Lee. It was Baltimore Aero Service for many years, so that may be one of the last Harbor Field buildings.”

Harbor Field was labeled "Closed" on the 1961 Washington Local Aeronautical Chart (courtesy of Mike Keefe).

The last photo which has been located showing Harbor Field still largely intact was a 1961 aerial view (courtesy of Elliott Plack).

The runways of the former Harbor Field were still visible in a 1964 aerial view,

although many new buildings had been constructed over the site for the new marine terminal.

The National Guard hangar still bore the “Baltimore” lettering on its roof.

A 1966 aerial view showed that the former National Guard hangar had lost its “Baltimore” lettering at some point in the previous 2 years.

Jack Fromm recalled, “Harbor field... in 1965, I got my first summer job working at George Transfer & Rigging Company, which to my delight, was located in the old terminal building.

The job was boring but it was neat being able to do it in that old Art Deco building. While I was bored, I could daydream about learning to fly.”

A 1971 aerial view showed that the traces of the former Harbor Field runways had become almost invisible.

When the Dundalk Marine Terminal was built, the old flying boat terminal was incorporated into the new building plan.

It was reused as Shed 3B, housing equipment & offices for a stevedore company.

The control tower remained & was used for a variety of purposes over the years.

Most recently, the tower was the home of the port police at the terminal.

But the old building was in need of serious repair, and the police abandoned the building for more modern quarters in the late 1990s.

According to the book "Maryland Aloft", "A 1990 historic site survey reported on 4 major structures from the airport era which were still extant:

the Pan American terminal, the Air Station, Hangar #1, and the Air Guard Building.

The Maryland Historical Trust subsequently found these buildings to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places,

based on their innovative design features & their association with local transportation history.

In 2000, a historical context report prepared for the Maryland Port Administration further documented the 4 buildings."

A 2001 aerial view of the site of Harbor Field (now the Dundalk Marine Terminal).

A recent view of the former flying boat terminal at Harbor Field.

A 2002 photo by Paul Freeman of the former control tower of Harbor Field,

which remained standing (for the time being) atop its administration buildingat the Dundalk Marine Terminal.

The building was empty, with numerous broken windows.

A spokeswoman for the Port Administration said in 2002 it planned to demolish the tower building within the next year or so.

Indeed, that did come to pass, and another piece of Maryland's rich aviation history was destroyed without any recognition.

Mike Nowinski reported in 2003, "I work for Norfolk Southern RR

and my current work assignment takes me to Dundalk Marine Terminal every day.

It is with great sadness that I tell you that a few weeks ago,

the old tower & terminal building was torn down to make way for other uses of the area in the terminal.

Such a shame that no one even reported it in any of the newspapers that I am aware of."

A circa 2004 aerial view looking west at the former flying boat terminal building which remained along the west shore of the site of Harbor Field.

A 2005 aerial photo showed that the former control tower building had been completely removed,

replaced with a parking lot filled with more cars, leaving no trace of the historic building.

A 2005 aerial photo also showed that the 1939-vintage flying boat terminal building along the western shore had been removed.

Micheal Binder observed that this historic structure had been “replaced by the proverbial parking lot.”

A circa 2005 aerial view looking east at several former hangars which remain standing on the northeast side of the site of Harbor Field.

A circa 2007 aerial view looking north at the 1946 vintage MD Air Guard hangar which remains standing on the east side of the site of Harbor Field.

According to Wayde Minami, “When I was working at the MD Museum of Military History about 10 years ago [2008],

someone from the Dundalk Marine Terminal came in & dropped off the dedication plaque from what had formerly been the ANG hangar there.

It's probably still sitting in the storage room in the basement of the 5^th Regiment Armory in Baltimore.”

A January 2009 aerial view by Paul Freeman looking north at the site of Harbor Field.

A 2017 3-D aerial view looking north at the 1946 vintage MD Air Guard hangar which remains standing on the east side of the site of Harbor Field.

A 2021 aerial view of the site of Harbor Field (now the Dundalk Marine Terminal).

The site of Harbor Field is located west of the intersection of Broening Highway & Dundalk Avenue.

Thanks to Ray Stinchcomb for pointing out this field.