Oak Grove Airport (closed) (Fort Worth,Texas)

USA / Texas / Cross Timber / Fort Worth,Texas
 historical layer / disappeared object  Add category
Oak Grove Airport was built & operated by aviation pioneer Maurice Hunter "Pappy" Spinks. He was a renowned aerobatic competitor & aviation manufacturer. The devoted airman even lived in a house on the Oak Grove Airport property. Spinks was a patron of the Aerobatic Club of America. He was described by fellow aerobatic pilots as a "rough edged old millionaire", who had made a fortune during the Vietnam War as a vendor for nearby Bell Helicopter, by manufacturing the skids for their Huey helicopters. The precise date of construction of Oak Grove is unknown. It was apparently opened between 1962-63, as it was not yet depicted at all on the 1955 USGS topo map, nor listed among active airfields in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory. The earliest depiction of Oak Grove Airport which has been located was in the 1963 TX Airport Directory. It depicted the field as consisting of a single 2,000' turf Runway 17/35. The operator was listed as Oak Grove Flying School. Two hangars & an office were shown west of the runway, along with several large buildings along the north side labeled "Commercial Buildings (ALSCO Inc.)". These were presumably the manufacturing facilities which produced the Huey helicopter skids. The 1970 TX Airport Directory depicted Oak Grove as having a 3,050' asphalt Runway 17/35. By the time of the 1978 DFW Sectional Chart (courtesy of Ray Brindle), the runway had been lengthened to 3,500'. Forth Worth area private pilot Rich Wolf reported that "Oak Grove faded away after Pappy Spinks died." Unfortunately, the fate of this airport was sealed by local politics in the late 1970s. In an unusual geographic arrangement, there came to be a total of 3 general aviation airports clustered in close proximity, as Sycamore Strip & Luck Field were situated within 5 miles to the northwest of Oak Grove. As nearby Fort Worth grew rapidly in the 1970s, local government leaders decided that expanded general aviation facilities were needed. Instead of expanding the existing airport,the property adjacent to Oak Grove to the west was chosen as the site for the new airport in 1981. Spinks Airport was constructed adjacent to Oak Grove to the west in 1988. At least the history of the site was acknowledged by naming the new airport after "Pappy" Spinks. The concrete runway still exists, in very good condition. Portions of the runway are used to store trailer homes. Some of the hangars on the southwestern portion of the airfield are still used by aircraft operating from Spinks Airport (a taxiway connects them to the Spinks runway). But the majority of the hangars & other aviation infrastructure at Oak Grove Airport are separated from Spinks by a high fence. It is almost as if the local politicians didn't want to be reminded that all of that aviation infrastructure was already there. Very strange. Oak Grove Airport is located south of East Rendon Crowley Road, a half mile east of Interstate 35.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   32°34'28"N   97°18'8"W

Comments

  • I learned to fly @ Oak Grove through Alpine Aviation. Got my ticket in August 1984. Fun times.
  • i received pvt, comm, inst, inst at oak grove 1963-65. fun times in j-3
  • Fred Gordon, Al Ordsen, Tommy Johnson, Jim Hill, Kathy Tarkington, Dody McFarlin and of course Pappy. What a time it was in the early '70s. We would work on Pappy's collection during the day and go out and fly them in the evening. Then sit around the hanger with the likes of Charlie Hilliard, Buddy Head, Gene and Tom. All the greats of the day would stop by. Scholl, Frank Price, Herendean, Leo L. I feel very lucky to have been a small part in a great place. Oak Grove
  • All those names bring back memories from when I instructed there '65-'72. (Gave some lessons to you, B. Nabors.) The National Aerobatics held there were a real hoot. As Greg says - it was a privilege to have rubbed elbows with some of the giants and some of the characters. It was sad to see the slow deterioration during the years I was flying with American and would pass over on west arrivals to DFW.
  • I learnt to fly the Bell G3 Helicopter at Oak Grove, in 1983, I was taught in part by an ex Korean pilot, who showed me a one foot 360 turn. Amazing pilot, learnt a lot. Jon Mander-Jones
  • Gary W.Green, Oak Grove was in operation and had significant development at least as early as 1962. I learned to fly at Russell Field, directly north about 5 or 6 miles, and landed many times at Oak Grove. It was paved with a light layer of asphalt by the summer of 1963. Pappy was around most of the time and had developed the "Spinks Special" a competitive areobatic there in '63--'64. Don't remember the exact year but a Cher 140 landed on top of a Ces 150 while they were both still in the air on a short final to OG. They landed and two instructors and two students walked away. Those were still the good ol' days.
  • Hello, I am Scott Spinks i am one of Pappy's two sons. I would like to thank everyone who posted such wonderful memories of him and oak grove airport. I remember some of the people you mentioned in the posts such as Jim hill , Fred Gordon , buddy head and several others . I was born in 1972 and adopted by pappy and his wife Fairy right after my birth she was known to most as billy. I grew up at the south end of the airport and i spent many of hours running around the airport as well. It makes me sad today to see what is left of such a wonderful airport and to remember what once was a meeting place for so many aviation greats . I miss my days of running around the airport and watching the aerobatics and watching the national guard Huey fly around before they moved. My first plane ride was in the cub and i still remember it today. Some of you may remember the Spinks Acromaster which now is in a museum in Texas. We have lost many of the people you all have mentioned above such as Buddy head ,Fred Gordon, and many others. Mom passed away in 2001 at the wonderful age of 96. I will post her obituary as well on here at the end. Again thank you everyone for reminding me of the wonderful memories and the very special people that graced such a historic aviation airport . FAIRY "BILL" SPINKS 1904-2001 Funeral services for Fairy "Bill" Spinks, 96, of Burleson will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, March 8 at Laurel Land Memorial Chapel in Fort Worth. Burial will follow at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Fort Worth. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Mrs. Spinks died Monday, March 5, 2001, at her home. She was a homemaker. She was born December 2, 1904, in Snyder, Texas. Mrs. Spinks was preceded in death by her husband, M.H. "Pappy" Spinks, Sr.; daughter, Patsy Jean Hunt; and son, M. Hunter Spinks, Jr. She is survived by son, Scott Spinks of San Diego, California; grandson, Carter Hunt and wife, Dorothy, of Burleson; granddaughter, Shelley Hunt Blain of Burleson; six great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. The family has requested that memorials be made to the American Heart Association. Laurel Land Funeral Home of Fort Worth is in charge of arrangements.
  • I live a stones throw east of Oak Grove Airport. Have lived here since 1976. We always loved to watch the aerobatics. Does anyone happen to remember when Pappy allowed the Iranian, helicopter pilots to come to the USA and be trained at Oak Grove? Bell Helicopter had sold helicopters to Iran. There were protestors along FM1187 all hours of the day and night. If I remember correctly, Iran had been banned from entering the USA. Thinking, Jimmy Carter was president back then.
  • Hi Scott, I wanted to let you know your paternal grandfather James E. (Jim) Hunt passed away July 23 2018. A memorial will be tomorrow 8/12/18 from 2 to 5 PM at Colonial Country Club's Westview Room. I wanted you to know and hope you are well. Carter
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This article was last modified 9 years ago