Visit to Chandler-Gila River Memorial Airport 5JAN15

[Reaper6]

Earlier last month I was passing by Chandler and stopped by to see what was left. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of time on the ground and didn’t get as many pictures as I should have, but here is what I saw. There were eight derelict airframes there; 1x Howard 500, 2x PV-2s, 1x DC-7, & 4x C-54s. There was no guard present at the field and the gate to the fenced off area around the hanger was open. The hanger was also open and had significant damage to the exterior siding. The interior looked like it was ransacked and vandals had hit the area pretty hard, broken glass, walls kicked in, and debris scattered about. The place definitely looked like it had been abandoned for at least a couple years. These are the specific aircraft that were there:
Howard 500 N130P
Douglas DC-7 N4889C
Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon N7086C Tanker 112
Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon N7251C
Douglas C-54 N44904
Douglas C-54 N44906
Douglas C-54 N44908
Douglas C-54 N44910

The fleet of ex-Biegert Aviation C-54 sprayers are still there, though it looks like they're missing more parts than previous internet posted photos indicate (i.e. engines & cargo doors).

[Reaper6]

N44904





N44906



N44908

[Reaper6]

DC-7 N4889C (note the damage to the hanger in the background)

[Reaper6]

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon, Tanker 112, N7086C.

Any information on the United States Airpower Museum? Who are they and do they own this aircraft and if so, what are their plans with it?

[Reaper6]

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon, N7251C

Looks like someone has removed the bomb bay doors on this Harpoon. Other pictures posted on the internet show this Harpoon still had the bomb bay doors fairly recently. Any idea where they went?

[cco23i]

Did you get tribal permission to go out there?

[sandiego89]

Thanks for posting. Tanker 112 looks to be in decent shape- except for the instrument panel...

[JohnB]

I was in the Phoenix-area last week. noticed the Forward fuselage of "African Queen" at Falcon Field.
Did that come from Chandler?

[Pooner]

Reaper6,

Consider yourself lucky in not having been caught on site without written Tribal consent or an escort with a Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) member of official capacity. The situation out there in the last few years has become tenuous at best, and even visitors to the field with the best of intentions or wishing to leave with nothing other than photographs have had less than positive experiences. There are members of the GRIC law enforcement community who view these as acts of criminal trespass on their property and deal with them quite aggressively - usually with immediate confiscation of vehicles, personal property and a trip to their jail facility in Sacaton.

I work for a neighboring municipality 15 minutes away, but the airframes might as well be on the other side of the world. They're that out of reach. I've tried unsuccessfully for the last several years to entertain various factions within GRIC to preserve some of these airplanes, but with no success or interest. I have the distinction (?) of removing the last airplane off of the field several years ago before the airfield fell into neglect and disrepair. There were issues of several large business deals gone astray with various members in and out of the GRIC community with some pretty nasty illegal activity thrown in to the mix, and time has not healed any of these wounds. It's still a large matter of discontent and bad feelings, and with no resolution in site.

All of the airframes are the property of GRIC. The Tribal community had posted notification of airfield closure and confiscation of any "left" items years ago. There is no interest in preservation of any of these airplanes. GRIC has not responded to offers from interested parties wanting to save or salvage these airplanes, though they've had many queries and offers from individuals, groups and museums. It's a shame, as vandalism and theft have taken a huge toll in the last few years on the survivors.

I was on site in February of last year with various members of GRIC and local municipal law enforcement. I'd noted the last things to have been removed from the PV-2D sitting on gear legs was the propeller blade sets. They'd been properly removed by someone who knew what he or she was going, as there was no evidence of scrapping, unlike the oil coolers that'd been removed the year prior with an axe.

I can't speak for the Douglas airframes, but of the twisted fates of the Lockheeds has proved interesting. Tanker 112 had been transferred from the museum you referenced to Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor. Staff in Hawaii struggled for several years to try to gain permission from GRIC to have it professionally disassembled and removed. In spite of their political horsepower as a museum to throw resources to go and get this done with a minimum of interruption, GRIC lawyers and Tribal officials would not permit them to do this.

Both the Howard 500 and D model PV-2 have reportedly been bought, sold and traded a number of times by former or successive owners, but the acquisitions off of tribal land have been a moot point. The position of GRIC over these airframes right now is that it's easier to do nothing, rather than to do something that would ultimately require someone be held accountable for a decision that is not in the interest of the current leadership.

That said, I thank you for your picture update. It's a sad situation out there that isn't going to be resolved anytime soon.

- Robert in PHX

PS JohnB: Yes, "Queen" was one of several airframes scrapped by owner International Air Response before they left field and subsequently donated to AZ Wing, CAF, several years ago.

[Warbird Kid]

So sad to hear the disposition of these aircraft! Someone needs to get the clearance to get in there and truck them all out. Put them in some storage yard that is less hostile and has less issues.

[GARY HILTON]

To those of us who are afflicted with the Lockheed syndrome, this ongoing saga has been very depressing....What Pooner has stated, is fact...Although the GRIC did inform the public that they were shutting down the airfield in whatever short time frame it was, the owners of the aircraft there, did have knowledge of the field closing and were informed that the aircraft would be impounded by the land owners....As I had witnessed myself, some owners thought they knew how to deal with the Indians, and knew how to handle the situation....and that's why they still sit as they are to this day....and boy, I'm still P.O.ed about that.
The D Model Harpoon would not be there now.
The Museum in Hawaii has title to the PV-2 tanker 112...It is for sale for $27,500...as quoted by the owner...since they have determined that it is not feasible to move the Harpoon to Hawaii....I wonder why???
The D model was sold / traded off in a deal to a businessman around Hesperia, Ca....another soul that believes there is going to be no problems getting his plane off the res. Good luck with that.
Sour grape you say? You be right.

p.s. If anyone does get tanker 112, I have the rudders for that aircraft....great shape, needs covered.

[Pooner]

Gary, I remain positively and thoroughly optimistic that you'll end up with that D model yet if you still wish it to be so. I would like to see that happen in our lifetimes.

We've always been fixated on the Lockheeds, but the poor C-54s out back there have some real history behind them as well.

I recall working out there on the field over the years how once or twice a year we'd get a tourist with a European accent, and they would make a mad dash out to rattlesnake acres on the west side of the field for a quiet visit with the "Big Dougs."

More than once the visitors would arrive with notebooks in hand to show serial numbers and military pedigrees of the birds out back. These folks were always happy to share data behind the bland "N" registration numbers painted on tails.

Several of the Skymasters that were on the field were Berlin Air Lift veterans, and one was an Admiral's airplane that'd participated in arctic and polar exploration work.

The Howard 500 was a big attraction, too. The original owner had reportedly refused an offer of $50,000 as-is, where-is for the airplane less than 12 months before the airfield was closed. He instead hired a crew to try ferry it out, but they fought variables that included deliberate damage and vandalism and the effort was abandoned. So close... and yet so far.

Pity, as all three of those Lockheeds could have been towed less than a half-mile north to the relative safe harbor of a farming operation where they could have been further broken down for truck transport. The suggestion was made several times. Instead, owners thought the GRIC could be manipulated and played to the outsider's whims and timetables. I'm still surprised some of these airplanes are offered up for sale or trade, given that they are now GRIC property. It would be pointless to litigate any ownership claims past or present on this hardware, as the only winners in the deal would be the lawyers. They'd at least get paid for their efforts.

It appears there are those who still think they have some sort of magic words that will sway Tribal staff, but I don't see this happening any time soon. My fear is that someone will finally decide the remaining airframes are an eyesore and not worth saving, and award a scrapping contract to a GRIC member to clean everything up and move it out in metal bins. By the time any of us hear about it - even those of us who live and work in the area - it will be too little, too late. I'd love to be proved wrong on this one, but that's what I see happening.

- Robert in PHX

[cptsmith]

I would love to see these aircraft saved. If I can get hold of the Chief, I have some beads and blankets I'm willing to trade for them.

[shrike]

I would love to see these aircraft saved. If I can get hold of the Chief, I have some beads and blankets I'm willing to trade for them.

I know it was meant in jest, but that's exactly the sort of crap that leads to airplanes being seized, cars impounded and multi-thousand dollar trespassing fines

[GARY HILTON]

Not only that, it is very politically incorrect....Oh Lord, I long for the days that a man could be a man, and not fear litigation for personal thought and opinion....That's why I did not say you could get scalped.