Long's Airport Hangar Donated – Feb. 1973

Courtesy Bob Kovach

When pioneer aviator Bill Long passed away in February 1971, it set into motion a controversy as to what to do with the 120-acre property. Many area residents wanted the city to purchase the land for use as a park, civic center or International Lorain center site. In the end, however, the Clarkins Discount Stores won out with a generous offer for the land. The Lorain Clarkins store opened at that location in April 1973.

So what became of the former airport buildings on the property – specifically the hangar (shown above)?

The article below, which appeared in the Journal on Feb. 2, 1973 reveals that it was donated by Clarkins to the Experimental Aircraft Association of Lorain County, who hoped to move it out to the Lorain County Regional Airport on Russia Road.

So it is out there at the county airport today? I had to find out.

I called the airport, hoping (naively) that the person who answered the phone would matter-of-factly point out that yes, the old hangar was out there and still in use. 

But no such luck. It was suggested that I contact the Experimental Aircraft group directly – so I did.

Jim Griner, President of Chapter 127 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) was kind enough to quickly respond with an offer to investigate the matter by bringing it up at the next Chapter meeting out at the Lorain County Airport that weekend.

By the following Monday, he had my answer. "The hangar was given to EAA Chapter 255," he noted. "They took it down and sold the materials to provide funding for their Chapter."

My thanks to Jim Griner for his assistance. You can visit the EAA website by clicking here, and the Lorain County Chapter 127 website here, which provides information about attending their monthly meetings.