Airfield Archaeology 101

[Hal B]

Airfield Archaeology 101;
or a couple of WIX'ers (and a few others) go for a hike in the woods...

With the help of a few of the Operations folks, some of us HFM types got a tour of the forgotten WWII stuff located on the west side of KBLI.

First we got a look at one of several remaining hardstands, some of which are getting pretty overgrown

This one was listed as Hardstand #14 on the drawing, still in pretty good shape...

Then it was off to attempt to find any remaining structures in the Bomb Dump Area. Turns out that nobody has been in there for years and the whole area is turning into a jungle...


65 years ago, this was the road leading around the perimeter of the Ordnance area...
Now, it's just a narrow track covered by salmonberry and brush 5 ft. tall. After a couple hours of thrashing through the jungle, being bitten by hoards of mosquitos (as bad as any I've seen in Alaska) we gave up on finding any thing of importance and headed back to the van.


Fellow WIX'er Crewdog Steve just happy the ordeal is almost over!

Several of us plan on heading back in there this winter after the underbrush has died down to give it another shot. We may be able to find something then.

Just trying to document the history of the airfield before nature reclaims it or progress destroys it...

Last edited by Hal B on Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[The Inspector]

It's neat that KBLI Adminstrators and Whatcom County haven't destroyed all traces of the old base unlike Snohomish County and the Komissars running KPAE and who are working overtime to eradicate every trace of history on the field.
Last year they tore down and ground up (including several thousand bf of 1X12 true dim. straight grained, 65 year old Fir boards used as sheathing under the asbestos shingles) the old central warehouse and are putting the finishing touches on KORRY Switch Mfg.s new plant that eradicated all the old South base housing, soon to go will be the old BX building and probably the rec hall/YMCA and the old base chapel.

[Second Air Force]

Thanks for documenting the remaining parts of the WWII facility, Hal. We've been doing that for some time in Nebraska and Kansas (and a bit in Oklahoma and Texas). Like The Inspector stated, most operators of former WWII facilities are all too happy to destroy the remains nowadays. I go back to my infamous examples at Pratt and Great Bend. Hangars and a Machine Shop are being razed because they've become a "liability" and of no apparent historical value to the powers-that-be. Unfortunately the restoration of a building large enough to house a B-29 is beyond the means of mere mortals.

Thanks for the neat report.
Scott

[Clifford Bossie]

I too enjoy trapsing around older airports and looking for the relics of bygone eras. In this part of the country it is somewhat easier as the vegetation does not usually consume the evidence. On of my favorite spots is what remains of the Deming Army Air Field.



If you watch closely in the begining parts of the latest Indiana Jones movie there are quite a few shots of the hangars at DMN.

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/DAAF/DAAF.htm

[Hal B]

It's neat that KBLI Adminstrators and Whatcom County haven't destroyed all traces of the old base unlike Snohomish County and the Komissars running KPAE and who are working overtime to eradicate every trace of history on the field.

Well, most of it's been gone for years; things like closing two runways and building the TERMINAL on the end of one and hangers on the other. The AAF tower and most of the cantonment buildings were torn down in the fifties. Basically just about anything historical on the east side of the field is gone, lost to development and what remains on the west side is being quickly reclaimed by nature. The new airport Admin. has, however, hired an archaeologist to document what is left which is a step in the right direction...

[Tinker51]

You know, I used to fly in and out of BLI at least twice a day for about a year when I flew for the commuters and I never noticed the two closed crossing runways until just now looking at it on google earth.

[jdvoss]

Great discovery of the hardstand at KBLI!! But, where is KBLI ???

[sdennison]

http://www.airnav.com/airports/

[daveymac82c]

Bellingham, Washington.

just across "the line" from me!

-David

[Clifford Bossie]

At some of the training fileds I have visited there are still many foundations, pilings, etc. left from when the bases were active. Was this the case at BLI, or were those remnants now in the "jungle"?

[Airplanejunkie]

For those who haven't seen it, the website Abandoned and Little Known Airfields http://www.airfields-freeman.com/ makes for some really interesting browsing.

[Ryan Keough]

It's interesting... I was just looking at KBLI on Microsoft (Bing) Maps yesterday and happened to notice the remaining hardstands... is this the one on the Northwestern corner of the airport?

I love poking around at airports that have abandoned portions and just plain abandoned airports. I really love Paul Freeman's Abandoned and Little Known Airfields site... http://www.airfields-freeman.com for scoping out these places...

I helped contribute to one of his entries in New York - Woodward Field in Le Roy, NY... the airport that JELL-O built

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_Rochester.html#woodward

[Hal B]

It's interesting... I was just looking at KBLI on Microsoft (Bing) Maps yesterday and happened to notice the remaining hardstands... is this the one on the Northwestern corner of the airport?

The one pictured is actually on the SW corner, between RWY 16-34 and the bay. Think it was listed as #2 (I just checked with SWMBO and it's really #14) on the Corps of Engineers drawing we have. Have to double check that...

To answer another question, so far the only building foundations that have been found are for a latrine (naturally) in the woods just east of the south end of Runway 16-34. Foundations were what we were looking for in the bomb dump area, but we'll have to wait until the vegetation dies down before going back.

Last edited by Hal B on Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Hal B]

Bellingham, Washington.

just across "the line" from me!

-David

So when you going to come visit?

The HFM is now open Thurs., Fri. and Sat. afternoons for the immediate future.

[groundpounder]

next time you go bring a little roundup with you !!