Reporter reasearching Mercer Airfield, Calhoun Ga.

[AndyJohns]

Hey guys, sorry to invade the forums but this seems like a great information source for anything to do with vintage planes.

My name is Andy Johns and I am a reporter at the Times Free Press in Chattanooga, Tenn. I am working on a story for Sunday's paper about what's left of Mercer's Airfield in Northwest Georgia.

I've seen several posts on the Mercer's here and I've contacted a few of the users on those threads. One of those guys suggested I do a fresh post to call for anyone who knows anything about the airstrip and museum.

Here's what I know so far (correct me if you know otherwise):

The strip was owned by E.L. Mercer and Mercer Marine. Most of the buildings were built in the late 1960s and 1970s. I've been told Mr. Mercer passed last May and his daughter Bonnie now owns the property. I left a message for her earlier today.

It's on 46 acres that the tax man values at $955,000. At it's peak the museum had about 20 planes. One of those (an F-86 Saber?) is at the museum in Warner Robins. Anyone know where the other planes have gone?

Two planes are still there: A Navy T-29 Convair and an Army? F-84 but are in bad disrepair.

Feel free to give me a call at 423-757-6324, email me at ajohns@timesfreepress.com or post info below.

Thanks for your time. I'll make sure to post a link to the finished article.

-aj

[mrhenniger]

Hi Andy,

Here is a page on my website which should provide you with a starting point...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Mercer Air Museum - F-84, T-29, T-33

The idea is to follow the links to the airframes to find out where they have come from or where they have gone. I haven't put much effort into the research of the Mercer planes, so there isn't much depth there. I will see what I can dig up today and tomorrow and add it to the airframe dossiers as I go.

Feel free to PM me to get my email address. As for anyone else with pictures or info which may help Andy you can use the editor in each of the airframe dossier to add data or the upload tool to add photos.

Mike

[ALOHADAVE]

photos of Mercer Air Field 1-29-2011
sad looking 1950s Convair T29 in process of being scrapped
F-84 "open cockpit"
http://public.fotki.com/stargazer444/ai ... air-field/

[Nathan]

And the day glo/high res schemes are rare.

[ripcord]

There used to be a F-8A Crusader there that was sent to another musuem to be restored. Unfortunately the second museum had to just scrap it as the cost of repairing the damage suffered at Mercer was too great. I appreciate Mr. Mercer's intentions, but at some point he should have let the Navy and Air Force know he was in over his head.

[RareBear]

I have been visiting Mercer on and off since the mid-1980's, when I lived in Marietta, GA. I recall in about 1985-6 we were there and my son got stung by a bunch of wasps living in the Crusader. I remember seeing a Bonanza there also in the late 1980's which was supposed to belong to Mr. Mercer. The Mercer's business was hauling large boats and other assorted marine apparatus, and it apparently was quite lucrative. I'm not sure about the number of aircraft, but I can recall seeing 8-10 there at one time. There were 5-6 jets lined up parallel to I-75, with the T-29, a DC-3, and a couple of helicopters down at the hangar end. There were at different times a couple of GA aircraft there, also, the Bonanza and at least one other I can't recall the make of. I can only remember one time when I was there that there was anyone at the field. There was one guy working in front of the hangar, but he wasn't very talkative. I may have some photos around somewhere - I'll look.

Walt

[Kyleb]

I have been visiting Mercer on and off since the mid-1980's, when I lived in Marietta, GA. There were 5-6 jets lined up parallel to I-75, with the T-29, a DC-3, and a couple of helicopters down at the hangar end. There were at different times a couple of GA aircraft there, also, the Bonanza and at least one other I can't recall the make of.
Walt

There were a couple of Blue Canoes (Cessna 310's) there for a while. At one time there were 2 DC-3's. There was also a Navion that lived in the hangar. Personally, I'd like to get inside the hangar. I bet there is an interesting collection in there.

Are you a T-33 guy? One time I was over at Mercer, I had a conversation with a fellow from out of town who was eating his lunch sitting on the wing of the T-33... He said he always dropped by when he was in the area. IIRC, he had T-33 experience.

[RareBear]

Sorry, Kyleb, that wasn"t me.

Walt

[Rauhbatz]

Back in 1999 we stopped there on the way to the Chattanooga Aquairium. I have a pic of my daughter and I in front of an F-86D with Georgia ANG markings. The F-8 was still there as well as an S-55 helo (the rust was so bad it looked like the vintage orange Revell kit). There was also a Mace/Matador (?) missile mounted on a pole.

BTW, I did peek inside the hangar. There was a really nice J-3 on floats but not much else...

Had to be good fun towing all those birds in there....now that we live in Ohio I miss Mercer as an waypoint during those long lonely drives up I-75 from ATL to see the relatives...

[gale_dono]

I'll probably be passing by GA65 on the way down to Titusville this August, so if there's anything left by then I'll do my best to get photos.

[viking73]

photos of Mercer Air Field 1-29-2011
sad looking 1950s Convair T29 in process of being scrapped
F-84 "open cockpit"
http://public.fotki.com/stargazer444/ai ... air-field/

Thanks for the (sad) photos.

Wish someone could at least save the cockpit section of the T-29

-Derek