Cherry Springs Airport
Encyclopedia
Cherry Springs Airport was a small general aviation
airport which operated between 1935 and 2007 in Potter County
in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. It was built as an emergency landing field during the Great Depression
on land that was part of the Susquehannock State Forest
, just north of Cherry Springs State Park
. It became a small airport with a sod
runway and was the site of a prominent murder in 1952. In 2006 the airport land was transferred to the state park to allow expansion of amateur astronomy
there, and it formally closed in 2007. The airport was located on Pennsylvania Route 44
in West Branch Township
, about 9 miles (14.5 km) southwest of the borough of Galeton, Pennsylvania
.
or hotel established in 1818 on the road which became Pennsylvania Route 44
. The hotel was named for a stand of Black Cherry trees. Susquehannock State Forest
, which the airport was formed from, traces its history back to 1901, when its first lands were purchased by the state of Pennsylvania
. The average cost for the major acquisitions was $2.50 per acre ($6.18 per ha), and in 2003 the state forest had an area of 265000 acres (107,241.8 ha), mostly in Potter County with small parts in Clinton
and McKean
counties.
The state park was founded in 1922 when the Pennsylvania Department of Forestry established the 6.5 miles (10.5 km) "Cherry Springs Scenic Drive" on Pennsylvania Route 44
. The land where the hotel was and which became Cherry Springs State Park
was purchased by the state in 1932. On May 27, 1933, Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC) Camp S-136-Pa was established at Cherry Springs and built many of the park facilities. CCC Camp S-88-Pa, based at nearby Lyman Run
in Potter County, also built some facilities in the park.
Besides the CCC camps active at Cherry Springs, it also was home to Camp Elliott, which was run by the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters (precursor to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
). The camp was named for state forester Harry Elliott, and was established to provide work for college students and other unemployed men. In 1935 they built the airport, originally called "Cherry Springs Intermediate Field", just north of the park. It was originally a 40 acres (16.2 ha) airfield, built for emergency landings.
In 1936 it had a sod
runway
of dimensions 2400 by, and a hangar. It was still listed as a "State Emergency" airport in 1938, but eventually became a small general aviation airport. The land belonged to the Bureau of Forestry, while the airport was privately managed. In 1948 the airport was managed by Alfred L. Sallade and offered 80 octane
fuel, flight training, sales, and taxi service.
On September 2, 1952, Sallade was arrested for shooting and killing Charles P. Van Pelt, and seriously wounding Erwin Bergdoll, both aged 19. Both victims were from socially prominent families, and were walking in the park near the airport office on September 1 when Sallade shot them with a shotgun. Sallade reported that he thought the victims were the people who had robbed his office twice in the recent past. Sallade was convicted of manslaughter
on December 13, and was sentenced to 4 to 8 years in a state prison in March 1953.
The airport was home to the Sallade Flying School in 1964 and 1990. In 2006 the airport manager was Al Sallade, Jr. and it was home to Sallade Flying Service. That same year the airport was only open from 9 AM to dusk between April and October, while it had only irregular hours of operation the rest of the year. For the year ending May 31, 2005, there were only two aircraft based at the airport and local aircraft accounted for 50 of the total 150 aircraft operations that year.
In the 1990s Cherry Springs State Park became popular with astronomers because of its dark skies, which make it one of the best places to stargaze in the eastern United States. The park was officially named a "Dark Sky Park" by the DCNR in 2000. Each year the park hosts two major star parties
which both attract several hundred astronomers for several nights: the Black Forest Star Party has been held each fall since 1999, and the Cherry Springs Star Party has been held each June since 2005. Public stargazing such as Stars-n-Parks programs have been held at the park since April, 2001.
The DCNR acquired the Cherry Springs Airport in 2006 "to expand the overall Dark Sky observation area and allow for increased programming opportunities" at the park, and it closed in 2007. As of 2009 all of the airport buildings have been razed. An amphitheater for public stargazing programs was built on the former runway, as well as raised earth berm
s planted with grass have been built to shield the stargazers from the headlights of passing cars. The skies at the park are so dark that the Milky Way
casts faint shadows under optimum conditions.
and tie downs available for aircraft storage, as well as wind direction indicator. The runway was marked with yellow cones and barrels. Hazards at the airport included a soft landing strip "during spring thaw", trees too close to the north side of the runway, and deer on the runway, especially at night.
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airport which operated between 1935 and 2007 in Potter County
Potter County, Pennsylvania
Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is in the Allegheny Plateau region. As of 2010, the population was 17,457. Its county seat is Coudersport. Potter County was named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It was built as an emergency landing field during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
on land that was part of the Susquehannock State Forest
Susquehannock State Forest
Susquehannock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #15. The main office is located in Coudersport in Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
, just north of Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Potter County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park was created from land within the Susquehannock State Forest, and is on Pennsylvania Route 44 in West Branch Township. Cherry Springs, named for a large stand of Black Cherry trees...
. It became a small airport with a sod
Sod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
runway and was the site of a prominent murder in 1952. In 2006 the airport land was transferred to the state park to allow expansion of amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
there, and it formally closed in 2007. The airport was located on Pennsylvania Route 44
Pennsylvania Route 44
Pennsylvania Route 44 is a -long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route is designated from Interstate 80 and Pennsylvania Route 42 in Buckhorn to the New York state line near New York State Route 417 in Ceres Township....
in West Branch Township
West Branch Township, Pennsylvania
West Branch Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 392 at the 2000 census. There are two Pennsylvania state parks in West Branch Township. Cherry Springs State Park is a popular destination for astronomical observation...
, about 9 miles (14.5 km) southwest of the borough of Galeton, Pennsylvania
Galeton, Pennsylvania
Galeton is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States, southeast of Bradford. Light industries such as knitting mills and a tannery have existed in Galeton. In 1900, 2,415 people lived in Galeton, and 4,027 people lived there in 1910...
.
History
The name Cherry Springs comes from a tavernTavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
or hotel established in 1818 on the road which became Pennsylvania Route 44
Pennsylvania Route 44
Pennsylvania Route 44 is a -long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route is designated from Interstate 80 and Pennsylvania Route 42 in Buckhorn to the New York state line near New York State Route 417 in Ceres Township....
. The hotel was named for a stand of Black Cherry trees. Susquehannock State Forest
Susquehannock State Forest
Susquehannock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #15. The main office is located in Coudersport in Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
, which the airport was formed from, traces its history back to 1901, when its first lands were purchased by the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The average cost for the major acquisitions was $2.50 per acre ($6.18 per ha), and in 2003 the state forest had an area of 265000 acres (107,241.8 ha), mostly in Potter County with small parts in Clinton
Clinton County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,914 people, 14,773 households, and 9,927 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 18,166 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
and McKean
McKean County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,936 people, 18,024 households, and 12,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 21,644 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
counties.
The state park was founded in 1922 when the Pennsylvania Department of Forestry established the 6.5 miles (10.5 km) "Cherry Springs Scenic Drive" on Pennsylvania Route 44
Pennsylvania Route 44
Pennsylvania Route 44 is a -long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route is designated from Interstate 80 and Pennsylvania Route 42 in Buckhorn to the New York state line near New York State Route 417 in Ceres Township....
. The land where the hotel was and which became Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Potter County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park was created from land within the Susquehannock State Forest, and is on Pennsylvania Route 44 in West Branch Township. Cherry Springs, named for a large stand of Black Cherry trees...
was purchased by the state in 1932. On May 27, 1933, Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
(CCC) Camp S-136-Pa was established at Cherry Springs and built many of the park facilities. CCC Camp S-88-Pa, based at nearby Lyman Run
Lyman Run State Park
Lyman Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Ulysses and West Branch Townships in Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Lyman Run Lake is a man-made lake within the park surrounded by a northern hardwood forest of mainly maple and cherry trees...
in Potter County, also built some facilities in the park.
Besides the CCC camps active at Cherry Springs, it also was home to Camp Elliott, which was run by the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters (precursor to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 117 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and...
). The camp was named for state forester Harry Elliott, and was established to provide work for college students and other unemployed men. In 1935 they built the airport, originally called "Cherry Springs Intermediate Field", just north of the park. It was originally a 40 acres (16.2 ha) airfield, built for emergency landings.
In 1936 it had a sod
Sod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
of dimensions 2400 by, and a hangar. It was still listed as a "State Emergency" airport in 1938, but eventually became a small general aviation airport. The land belonged to the Bureau of Forestry, while the airport was privately managed. In 1948 the airport was managed by Alfred L. Sallade and offered 80 octane
Octane rating
Octane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the anti-knock properties of a motor or aviation fuel. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating...
fuel, flight training, sales, and taxi service.
On September 2, 1952, Sallade was arrested for shooting and killing Charles P. Van Pelt, and seriously wounding Erwin Bergdoll, both aged 19. Both victims were from socially prominent families, and were walking in the park near the airport office on September 1 when Sallade shot them with a shotgun. Sallade reported that he thought the victims were the people who had robbed his office twice in the recent past. Sallade was convicted of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
on December 13, and was sentenced to 4 to 8 years in a state prison in March 1953.
The airport was home to the Sallade Flying School in 1964 and 1990. In 2006 the airport manager was Al Sallade, Jr. and it was home to Sallade Flying Service. That same year the airport was only open from 9 AM to dusk between April and October, while it had only irregular hours of operation the rest of the year. For the year ending May 31, 2005, there were only two aircraft based at the airport and local aircraft accounted for 50 of the total 150 aircraft operations that year.
In the 1990s Cherry Springs State Park became popular with astronomers because of its dark skies, which make it one of the best places to stargaze in the eastern United States. The park was officially named a "Dark Sky Park" by the DCNR in 2000. Each year the park hosts two major star parties
Star party
A star party is a gathering of amateur astronomers for the purpose of observing the sky. Local star parties may be one night affairs, but larger events can last up to a week or longer and attract hundreds or even thousands of participants. Many regional star parties are now held annually and are an...
which both attract several hundred astronomers for several nights: the Black Forest Star Party has been held each fall since 1999, and the Cherry Springs Star Party has been held each June since 2005. Public stargazing such as Stars-n-Parks programs have been held at the park since April, 2001.
The DCNR acquired the Cherry Springs Airport in 2006 "to expand the overall Dark Sky observation area and allow for increased programming opportunities" at the park, and it closed in 2007. As of 2009 all of the airport buildings have been razed. An amphitheater for public stargazing programs was built on the former runway, as well as raised earth berm
Berm
A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.- History :...
s planted with grass have been built to shield the stargazers from the headlights of passing cars. The skies at the park are so dark that the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
casts faint shadows under optimum conditions.
Facilities
In 1981 the airport had expanded from the original 40 acres (16.2 ha) to an area of 59 acres (23.9 ha). In 2006 the runway was turf and had dimensions of 3570 by. The airport had a hangarHangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
and tie downs available for aircraft storage, as well as wind direction indicator. The runway was marked with yellow cones and barrels. Hazards at the airport included a soft landing strip "during spring thaw", trees too close to the north side of the runway, and deer on the runway, especially at night.