Historic Airfield Resources

[volkerboehme]

Hi all,

I found a number of sources on aviation history lately, particularly regarding mostly European aviation between the world wars. This has been posted over at Sim Outhouse already, but I'll re-post it here in case someone missed it. This list is a bit more organized, too.

International:
A list of international airfields of 1931: www.pennula.de/airport/index.htm
Mainly European airfields and those in their colonies or along the way there. Quite a few maps - or rather simple sketches, but better than a mere list anyway.

A list of Luftwaffe airfields, sorted by country, for several European countries. The project appears to bestill under construction, but as of now, it lists some 2,500 airfields on 1,500 pages. Still a long way to go, though - the author mentions that Russia will have about 12,000 entries. www.ww2.dk/lwairfields.html

'Forgotten Airfields' may have useful information as well: www.forgottenairfields.com/


Great Britain:
Here's a resource for British airfields that I found useful. I could identify some airfields that are built over by now, like Doncaster or Stoke-on-Trent: www.abct.org.uk/find-an-airfield/
Thanks to Ralf Roggeveen for pointing it out to me.


Germany:
I found a number of lists of ccommercial airfields here, by date:
1914 (complete): www.luftfahrt-bibliothek.de/datenarchiv/autotechnische-bibliothek-heinz-erblich-flugplatz-landeplatz-flughafen-flugfeld.pdf
1917 (partial): www.pennula.de/spezialthema-flugplatz-atlas-das-erste-deutsche-luftfahrthandbuch.htm
1926 (partial, some foreign fields as well): www.pennula.de/spezialthema-grosser-luftverkehrsatlas.htm
1928, updated to 1932 (complete): www.pennula.de/spezialthema-flughandbuch-fuer-das-deutsche-reich.htm
June 1939 (complete): www.andreaszapf.de/blog-fdl-media/Zivile-Flugplaetze-im-Deutschen-Reich-Stand-Juni-1939.pdf
1939 aviation map of Germany. Note how the borders have changed since 1937 and the 'no-fly-zones', particularly facing the French and Swiss border. Note also the night flying beacons still in place, while a Radio Range system was available for Lufthansa as well: www.pennula.de/spezialthema-olex-bp-flieger-navigationskarte-luftfahrtkarte.htm
German 'Notes for Airmen' (Nachrichten für Luftfahrer, NfL) are available for 1920, 1921 and 1927 here: www.luftfahrt-bibliothek.de/katalog.htm#8
The 1927 edition has all emergency landing fields listed in vol. 20 and all airports and commercial airfields in vol. 34.


Poland:
A Polish register of airfields: www.pennula.de/spezialthema-atlas-lotnisk-polskich-luftfahrthandbuch-polen.htm


France:
France happens to consider its 'Bulletin de la navigation aérienne' part of its national heritage and the whole set from 1920 to 1939 is available online: www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Le-bulletin-de-la-navigation.html
Note that part of Northern Africa was considered Mainland France at that time. Beyond France, it also covers French colonies and other commercial routes, like other European countries and the airmail route to South America.
An atlas of French airfields 1917-1947. Most airfields have some kind of map, sketch or pictures: atlas.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/
Bordeaux airport in the Age of the propeller 1910-1960: patrimoine-memoire.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/flb/06-08_Merignac-au-temps-des-helices-1910-1960/


Best regards,
Volker

[milspecsim]

Just FYI, here is abandoned fields in the USA. www.airfields-freeman.com/index.htm

[johnl]

Another UK resource is www.homepages.mcb.net/bones/UK_Airfield_Catalogue/uk.htm

More locally (for me) is: www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/ which includes links to "Dorset Airfields", "Devon Airfields", "Isle of Wight Aviation" and other useful sites.

[volkerboehme]

Hi,

thanks for the contribution.

I also found a 1:25k map resource for Germany (Bavaria is incomplete): www.deutschefotothek.de/cms/kartenforum-sachsen-messtischblaetter.xml
Maps an be downloaded at medium resolution and viewed at much higher resolution.

Best regards,
Volker

[Erik]

These are great resources. Thanks very much indeed.

Erik

[volkerboehme]

Hi,

some more links, by country:

Great Britain:
Sabre maps, including historic maps: www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/
Airfield Information Exchange. Sorted by County: www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/forum.php

Netherlands:
WW2 airfields: www.defensie.nl/onderwerpen/vliegvelden-tijdens-de-tweede-wereldoorlog

Best regards,
Volker