Mercer Air Field, GA 3-10-08

[DaveG]

I drove by Mercer today near Calhoun, GA and took these pictures. The T-29 is still there as is the T-33 and the F-84. The H-34 is disappearing though. Not sure where it has (mostly) gone.

T-33 and T-29


T-29 Corrosion



A long view of the field


H-34 Tail





Inside H-34 Tail Cone


Rotors


some debris from the H-34



F-84







other posts in the past suggested that the F-84 was possibly going to be removed for static restoration. I wanted to climb up on the wing and peer inside the open cockpit but didn't have a HAZMAT suit to protect me from the bird doo doo.

Dave

Last edited by DaveG on Sun Jul 08, 2012 11:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Steve T]

Dave--

Thanks for posting those, sad though the sight is. I was last at Mercer Field 27 years ago (!) at which date they had on show, besides the F-84F and T-33, a different H-34, a Mace missile on a pole, an F-84G, an F-86L and an F8U Crusader. (The T-29 was not there then.) While we were there shooting pix, a lovely polished metal C-47 rumbled in and landed on the little grass strip; he'd no sooner parked than in rolled a thunderstorm...We'd seen the C-47 on static display at the NAS Atlanta airshow a day or two earlier. Hope better times await the remaining stuff there!

S.

[Steve T]

Dave--

Thanks for posting those, sad though the sight is. I was last at Mercer Field 27 years ago (!) at which date they had on show, besides the F-84F and T-33, a different H-34, a Mace missile on a pole, an F-84G, an F-86L and an F8U Crusader. (The T-29 was not there then.) While we were there shooting pix, a lovely polished metal C-47 rumbled in and landed on the little grass strip; he'd no sooner parked than in rolled a thunderstorm...We'd seen the C-47 on static display at the NAS Atlanta airshow a day or two earlier. Hope better times await the remaining stuff there!

S.

[BigGrey]

Here are some shots from Mercer Field in 1994.




I'm sure I have more, just have to find them.

Les

[Kyleb]

What is going on at Mercer is twofold. First, the aircraft have not been maintained, so the "owner" -i.e. Uncle Sam, is removing the aircraft that are government owned.

Second, the land is to become an exit ramp for I-75 North, which means the aircraft need to go anyway.

[BK]

I drove by Mercer today near Calhoun, GA and took these pictures. The T-29 is still there as is the T-33 and the F-84. The H-34 is disappearing though. Not sure where it has (mostly) gone.

Dave

Wasn't it posted here that someone in TX bought the H-34 and was in the process of trucking it away? As mentioned, I too have heard a new exit/ramp will take out the property.

BK

[retroaviation]

Soooo, this begs the question...how does one go about possibly purchasing the remaining aircraft that aren't government owned?

PLEASE don't tell me that any of this stuff is gonna be scrapped.

Gary

[Kyleb]

Soooo, this begs the question...how does one go about possibly purchasing the remaining aircraft that aren't government owned?

PLEASE don't tell me that any of this stuff is gonna be scrapped.

Gary

This ought to help. If memory serves, the helicopters and the Convair are the only private craft at the airfield.

From the web:

MERCER AIRFIELD AIRPORT is an airport in the city, CALHOUN in the state of GEORGIA located in GORDON county.

The airport is privately owned and is for private use only. This airport is operational.

Location ID:GA65

Owner:
E. L. MERCER

Owner Address:
P.O. BOX 368
CALHOUN, GA 30701

Phone:
706-629-7371

Manager:
E. L. MERCER

Manager Address:
P.O. BOX 368
CALHOUN, GA 30701

Manager Phone:
706-629-7371

Airport Elevation:
660 Feet (Surveyed)

[retroaviation]

Thanks Kyleb.

Gary

[BHawthorne]

Anyone have info on the F-84F? Is it on loan from the USAF Museum or is it in private hands? I might be interested in rescuing that fuselage. I just shot off an email to USAF National Museum for information on the fuselage and to see if it has an assigned accession number.

[John Dupre]

I think it would be great if any version of an F-84 could be restored to flying condition.

[viking73]

Must have missed this first time around. Sad to see those birds looking like that. I would have been afraid to see the inside of that F-84 cockpit...

Anyone know where the F-86 and F-8 went to?

[BHawthorne]

Must have missed this first time around. Sad to see those birds looking like that. I would have been afraid to see the inside of that F-84 cockpit...

Anyone know where the F-86 and F-8 went to?

No idea about the F-8 but the F-86 I recall reading was taken on as a static display project. I read about it in some forum about a year ago. I don't have the resources to get an F-84 to flying conidition but I can preserve and restore one to display. The F-84F fuselage section I own isn't whole. The cockpit is rather complete though. I figure between mine and that one I could make a complete display aircraft. That one looks like the cockpit is a mess, while my cockpit is complete. It's missing everything mine isn't and vice versa. I'll throw pics up on my F-84F fuselage in another thread.

Worse case I know a safe home for it and can get it cleaned up again for display. I'd love to inquire about the T-33 too but the F-84F is a big enough project to tackle as is. The logistics of moving that fuselage 900 miles from GA to KS is my main concern.

[viking73]

throw pics up on my F-84F fuselage in another thread.

Please do!! Sounds very interesting. How did you acquire the cockpit section?

[BigGrey]

These are shots from Mercer Field in 1993.



The canopy was intact at this time.




Les