Aviation

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Aircraft Builders
Howard Gardner Klein (Firm) manufactured aircraft in Wheeling (when?) [|Smithsonian Directory of Airplanes]

Kyle Smith Aircraft Co - West Virginia Airplane Co (apparently post WWI) built Kyle Smith C.3 Pusher Biplane, Kyle Smith 1917 Tractor Sport, Kyle Smith 1918/19 Pusher [|Smithsonian Directory of Airplanes]

Fokker Tri-Motors Were Made Nearby!
//Old Fokker Field in April 2008//

Thomas James's well-illustrated site //[|The Fokker Aircraft Legacy in West Virginia]// tells the story. Perhaps the most famous plane builder in the world at that time established a factory in Glendale (south of Wheeling) in 1928 and produced 58 passenger planes before closing in 1931, a victim of the stock market crash and the crash of one of their planes carrying football hero Knute Rockne. The Glendale Fokker Field (airport) is still [|listed] as active and curves around a gentle bend on the shore of the Ohio River. The factory buildings are still there - its worth a little side history tour when going to Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Moundsville!

[|Google Map view]

Wheeling Ohio County Airport
//1940s postcard//

I chuckle when I see signs in downtown Wheeling pointing the way to the Wheeling Airport. I've finally visited and recommend others do the same. At least two famous presidential activities happened there, and other presidents, most recently President George Bush, landed there to visit Wheeling. According to [|AirNav.com] it has a respectable 5,000 ft long runway. Of course, Pittsburgh's longest is 11,500 ft, but if the President can land here that's long enough! The airport code is HLG - I don't know why its not WLG.

The Wheeling Airport serves only corporate and other private aircraft, but is worth a visit because it has changed little since its 1946 founding. It has a compact museum of aviation items relating to the airport, including the chairs John and Jackie Kennedy sat in when he came here campaigning for president in 1960. And there is a sign for the small room where Eisenhower met with Nixon to tell him that he would remain the VP for Ike's second term; too bad Ike didn't follow his feelings and find another VP.

[|Airport history] [|Google Map view of airport]

Ohio Valley Aviation History
Tom James [|writes] about the Fokker factory, Lindberg visit and other aviation history of the area.