Mercer Field Calhoun, GA

[Pathfinder]

While heading to Louisville on Friday I caught a glimpse of a plane "in the woods" off of I-75 north of Atlanta. Spent Saturday shooting skeet, so was primed for the drive-by at 85 mph in the opposite direction while returning on Sunday...



Google search says this is a Convair T-29. It was all I could see from the road. Either the outboard port wing or the aft fuselage was falling off.

Sad

[Kyleb]

The T-29's outboard wings and aft fuselage were cut off a year and a half ago (approx). There has been zero activity since then. The swept wing F-84 is still there.

My understanding is that the elder Mr. Mercer has passed. I don't know the status of his estate.

The field isn't NOTAM'ed closed, but hasn't been used in several years, having a large billboard adjacent to the runway. Also, I'm not sure of the ownership of the land - the DOT has (or will be) purchasing some or all of the land for an interstate exit.

[WallyB]

Here it is in 2009 before the attack of the chainsaws

[ripcord]

Mercer Field was a great idea gone bad.

[Kyleb]

Mercer Field was a great idea gone bad.

I take a glass half full view:

There was nothing bad about it. Several airframes exist today which would have gone to the scrappers decades ago if not for the intervention of the Mercers...

[WishICouldSaveEmAll]

I have not been past the field for a few years. Does anyone know if the T-33 is still there?

[Kyleb]

The T-33 is gone and has been for a year or three. I don't know where it went.

[Nathan]

I never understood why some just go out and cut up an airplane and then just leave it there.

[WishICouldSaveEmAll]

Hmmm, just today I received a WIXmail request from a reporter in Chattanooga that saw my original post and wants to talk to me about the history of Mercer air field and a/c. Not that I am an expert (I first saw the field in '91, then every few years since...) but I will give him a call... did anyone else get contacted?

I saw another recent post that said the -84 was still there. It was pretty rough when I saw it last, but still together... any change? Maybe it can still be saved... if we just knew who to talk to.

Anyone know how to dismantle an -84?

I also have a bunch of photos of the Convair, -33 and -84 from May and June 2009, my last visit. If anyone is interested I can upload them... just let me know where and how you would like receive them.

Unfortunately, all my 35mm photos from previous visits did not survive my last move and even the negs were unsalvageable... just memories, now, like Mercer's departed a/c that only left shadows and some oil.

[TonyM]

Here it is in 2009 before the attack of the chainsaws

I saw this Convair airplane there in 1983; I have photos somewhere but no way to scan them.

There were also two C-47 airplanes there at that time. That is why we stopped to look, we wanted to see the C-47s.

I'll see if I can dig up my photos of this Convair.

TM

[WishICouldSaveEmAll]

My first visit was in '91 (documented by the now lost 35mm photos...) and I recall one DC-3, a Mace (I think) missile on a pylon near the trees, at least one helo (yellow), a Crusader with no engine, and at least one or two other a/c besides the F-84. I do not recall the T-33 or Convair, but that doesn't mean they weren't there...
...darn the loss of my photos (and my memory!).

News flash! I just found my old pocket notebook from 2008! Sometime in Jan/Feb I went by the field and inventoried the a/c: T-29, T-33, F-84 and parts of a yellow helo with the number N50768 on it (the 5 could have been an S, it was very faded). No photos, as I recall my camera was dead that day. There was also a civil floatplane in the main hangar (N501Z) though I could not tell the make it looked the size and shape of a Cub.

[WishICouldSaveEmAll]

Just re-read the pervious post from Kyleb about the DOT purchasing the land for a ramp. If there is an active plan to do this the DOT should have information on who owns (or is handling the sale) of the land, which could give us some leads as to who is responsible for clearing the land of "obstructions and abandoned personal property".

Anyone local to the area that could make inquiries?

If (by some chance) we end up with a contact and the ability to salvage the a/c, do we have the knowledge and resources to do anything? ("We" being me and anyone else interested). Could be quite a project - get the press involved, local business interest, etc.

[Kyleb]

Just re-read the pervious post from Kyleb about the DOT purchasing the land for a ramp. If there is an active plan to do this the DOT should have information on who owns (or is handling the sale) of the land, which could give us some leads as to who is responsible for clearing the land of "obstructions and abandoned personal property".

Anyone local to the area that could make inquiries?

If (by some chance) we end up with a contact and the ability to salvage the a/c, do we have the knowledge and resources to do anything? ("We" being me and anyone else interested). Could be quite a project - get the press involved, local business interest, etc.

Several comments:

1) The F-84 is almost certainly the property of the USAF Museum, so salvaging it will be an exercise in paperwork and red tape. In the end, it'll probably either go to a museum or be scrapped.

2) My understanding is the estate is being handled locally. Find the attorney who's handling it and you can find out what they are planning to do with the T-29 and any other items. I doubt anything is "abandoned". The location is in Gordon County, so a call to the Clerk of Superior court (I think) would be the starting point to find the executor or trustees for the estate, who is who you'd need to go through to buy or salvage anything.

3) I imagine the only things of value would be the R-2800 cores, any leftover treasures in the hangar, and maybe the cockpit of the T-29 if you've got the time and money to restore it, and a place to display it...

[WishICouldSaveEmAll]

Kyleb - thanks for the advice and suggestions... I figured any salvage effort would be a lot of work with questionable results, but I may still take some time, do some inquiries and see what I can find out.

I also think I will talk to that Chattanooga reporter who contacted me and see why he is interested in the field and a/c history, and if he wants to get involved. He may have more time and research resources than I do!

Regarding the F-84, from my experience with military a/c and aviation museums in Oregon, at least the USAF is more cooperative at donating or releasing derelict a/c than the USN!

[TonyM]

I found my 1983 photos of the airplanes on this field. I will post them soon.
TM