WesternBlazer
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33
UAB Football
#countdowntokickoff: 33
John Whitcomb's 33 completions vs. Prairie View A&M in 94 is a school record. Will it be broken in 17? #theReturn.
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07-31-2017 07:59 PM |
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blazerjay
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07-31-2017 10:04 PM |
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BAMANBLAZERFAN
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RE: 33
I believe the Messer Airport was the one in Central Park. When I taught at CPES in the 60s, the runways and tarmacs were - perhaps are still - there. The other airfield was Roberts Field where I-59-20 runs below the old Glenn High School campus. When Charles Lindbergh visited B'ham with the "Spirit of St Louis" after his famous flight that was where he landed.
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07-31-2017 11:01 PM |
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blazerjay
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RE: 33
From my research, there appears to have been 3 other airports besides the current location.
• The earliest was Dixie Field which was built as the city's primary airfield in 1919. The 1200' x 2000' North-South airfield was located along 6th Ave West, just east of Elmwood Cemetary on the current site of the Loveman Village Housing Project. It included a 4-way landing field, a pilot school and a mechanic school. In 1920, it became the southern headquarters for the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, complete with a sales and service department. The field ceases operations in 1925 when the Messer flying school transferred operations to Messer Field.
• Roberts Field was constructed as Birmingham's new municipal airport in 1922, west of downtown and north of Dixie Field. The 90 acre field with a 3200' unpaved southeast to northwest runway was bounded by Village Creek and the railroad on the north and 13th Street (Ensley) on the south. The field was dedicated to Birmingham's Arthur Roberts who killed in action over France in WWI. The Navy Zepplin ZR-1 "Shenandoah" visited Roberts field in 1924. Charles Lindberg landed here in 1927 for a 2 day stop on his promotional tour.
Airmail service and the first commercial passenger service to Atlanta, New Orleans & Mobile on St Tammany & Gulf Coast Airways commenced in 1928. Delta Air Service began service in Birmingham in 1929 offering service to Atlanta, Jackson and Dallas. However, Roberts Field was deemed to be inadequate for American Airways to land it Ford Tri-motors, leading to the development of the current airport in 1931 to consolidate all commercial service at one location. Roberts Field continued as a military airport until ceasing operations around 1950 and is now the site of Consolidated Pipe and Supply's pipe-coating shop.
• Messer Field (later known as Central Park Field) was founded in 1926 in the Central Park community. By 1929, the air field with its 1700' unpaved runway was listed as a commercial airport serving American Airways. In 1935, the airport was renamed Central Park Field and remained in operation until around 1950. It was located just west of the Alabama state fairgrounds, bounded by Avenue O (east); 57th Street-Ensley (north); Pineview Road (south). The site is now occupied by a neighborhood.
(This post was last modified: 08-01-2017 11:50 AM by blazerjay.)
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08-01-2017 11:42 AM |
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BAMANBLAZERFAN
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RE: 33
Since we have mentioned the airport, one story I have heard:
The land for the present airport was some of the richest farm land in Jones Valley.. When the authorities bought the land for use as an airport, the Italian immigrant owners used some of the money to go into the grocery business. Their family name was Bruno.
In the fall of 1930, Glenn Messer helped my father build a biplane at Messer Field. My dad flew the plane toward Fairfield Highlands where he decided to try a stunt. At 2,500 ft he put the plane into a flat spin and crashed. He was taken to what later would be called Lloyd Nolen Hospital where he was put back together and 17 days later woke up. His first words to his dad were "Well dad, What do you think of aviation?" His dad, owner of American Casting Co. (later Jackson industries) was not amused.
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08-02-2017 12:45 AM |
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RunnerBall
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RE: 33
I'm from the WAC board. I was just browsing and somehow ended up here. Anyway, I have huge interest in aviation. This site may be helpful. Best wishes to your respective schools here this coming Fall.
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/AL/Airf...ingham.htm
Currently mobile....away from the house or on the 'throne.'
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08-02-2017 02:38 AM |
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