P-63 in barn story

[Versatile]

Another approach to finding the location of the dirt strip just across the river from Memphis would be to talk to someone who was associated with the airport on the Memphis side where the Cobra was stored before going to the Arkansas side. The problem is: which airfield was it? There were probably quite a few airports around Memphis at that time. One, of course, was the Shelby County School of Aeronautics, with the B-26s, P-43s, A-20s, and so many more airframes. Another would be Wilson Field, where the owner had rows of junked out airframes. Sadly, they were all buried at the airfield when it was shut down. An interesting occurance at Wilson is that the plane Amelia Earhart flew, before the one she was lost in, crashed at Wilson several years after her disappearance. Another field was Memphis Flying Service, a very busy field that catered to veterans. Certainly, some folks associated with these abandoned fields are still around, and probably know exactly where that dirt strip was located across the river.

On the Arkansas side, it looks pretty dense with foliage and woods just across the river from Memphis. I doubt an old run-down Texaco, probably family-owned, on a small, remote country road would be listed on a Texaco map. Texaco may have only listed company-owned stations, which were most likely in the larger populated areas. But this is just speculation on my part.

Anyone checked this out?

Another would be Wilson Field, where the owner had rows of junked out airframes. Sadly, they were all buried at the airfield when it was shut

[Versatile]

How long would the strip have had to been?

[Punisher05]

I hate to try and throw avgas on the fire here guys, but as someone who moved to Arkansas almost 4 years ago...the state is littered with small towns that have just about disappeared. This weekend I was muzzleloading in a town that had been booming in the 60s, but now was just a few farms with a deserted Main Street (and no Wal Mart for 100 miles, before anybody gets snarky).

And regarding the encroachment of nature...I grew up in SE LA, where just not mowing your lawn for a few weeks would have your house taken over by greenery. Here its worse--not bayous, but strong trees and underbrush that could hide almost anything. I'd say its possible for an airstrip to disappear here, given enough time.


-Brandon

[Versatile]

I hate to try and throw avgas on the fire here guys, but as someone who moved to Arkansas almost 4 years ago...the state is littered with small towns that have just about disappeared. This weekend I was muzzleloading in a town that had been booming in the 60s, but now was just a few farms with a deserted Main Street (and no Wal Mart for 100 miles, before anybody gets snarky).

And regarding the encroachment of nature...I grew up in SE LA, where just not mowing your lawn for a few weeks would have your house taken over by greenery. Here its worse--not bayous, but strong trees and underbrush that could hide almost anything. I'd say its possible for an airstrip to disappear here, given enough time.


-Brandon

Shouldn't be hard at all. The word will get out and a farmer will tow it out by the road so it can be found. SIMPLE! LOL

[gary1954]

I hate to try and throw avgas on the fire here guys, but as someone who moved to Arkansas almost 4 years ago...the state is littered with small towns that have just about disappeared. This weekend I was muzzleloading in a town that had been booming in the 60s, but now was just a few farms with a deserted Main Street (and no Wal Mart for 100 miles, before anybody gets snarky).

And regarding the encroachment of nature...I grew up in SE LA, where just not mowing your lawn for a few weeks would have your house taken over by greenery. Here its worse--not bayous, but strong trees and underbrush that could hide almost anything. I'd say its possible for an airstrip to disappear here, given enough time.


-Brandon

Shouldn't be hard at all. The word will get out and a farmer will tow it out by the road so it can be found. SIMPLE! LOL

There was a old fella that lived near Ft. Rucker, Alabama years ago that had a pretty good size property in acreage. He would put an old car or truck on it that the pilots would see, then visit and buy. He replaced the one sold with another over and over and over again.

Source: gary1954

[old iron]

Here its worse--not bayous, but strong trees and underbrush that could hide almost anything.

Yea, the kudzo down there is the terrestrial equivalent of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes. Nature gives us so much then takes it all away.

[george]

Versatile, I'm afraid Walcot is much farther away, being a satellite of Walnut Ridge.
The 3 airfields I mentioned are all housing developments now, plus I don't think Wilson's junked planes were military, except for maybe some trainers. Sadly, there is no road from the airstrip to tow the Cobra out to another road, as you suggested.

Brandon, I think you are correct about the general area where the Cobra is as being even less populated now than in the 60's. The odds of that old Texaco, or even a small town around the area still existing, are probably slim. Strong trees and kudzu make for an undetectable hiding place for the strip and barn. Kudzu can bring down wooden buildings after completely covering them. Then it would go after the Cobra; thats why I had mentioned what condition it would be in after all those years in the barn. The undergrowth and kudzu could hide the barn and dirt strip quickly if not deterred.

[T J Johansen]

And as I mentioned in an earlier thread. Just how many WIX'ers have "by coincidence" happened to pass by that part of AR with cash in hand and maps by their side since this first hit the net in 2009?

T J

[airnutz]

And as I mentioned in an earlier thread. Just how many WIX'ers have "by coincidence" happened to pass by that part of AR with cash in hand and maps by their side since this first hit the net in 2009?

T J

Probably not many, but how many live nearby and could affford the time to start researching the history a bit at a time on little vacations. It doesn't cost much to "hunt", relative to how much it costs to "catch". Motel bill money, bar tabs for VFW Vets, donuts at the resthome looking for local aviation history and old airplanes in barns. I lived in that area in the mid 90's for about 6 years...if I'd have heard that story it would've been one of my haunts!!!

You could pose as a guy interested in gathering the stories of old timers connected to "abandoned and little known airfields"...but Naw!!!!...Who would waste their time on something like that?

[Versatile]

Here its worse--not bayous, but strong trees and underbrush that could hide almost anything.

Yea, the kudzo down there is the terrestrial equivalent of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes. Nature gives us so much then takes it all away.

Then add in a bunch of floods from the creek named Mississippi! That is Woford,Younkin and Robbie Jones Country. Seems they would have heard of it.