— Second in a series —
Air service to and from Cleveland will change drastically this fall with the start of operation at the city’s new aviation facility in the Tasso community.
The Cleveland Regional Jetport has long been a goal of the city and the local business and industrial community, because of the limitations at Hardwick Field on North Lee Highway.
The old airfield has served the community faithfully for more than half a century.
The 3,300-foot runway at Hardwick Field has long been a hindrance to larger airplanes used by local industries and businesses. The 5,500-foot runway at the new Jetport will serve the community’s air traffic well into the future.
The opening of the new air-service center this fall will signal the end to an era of more than 60 years of aviation endeavors at the city’s Hardwick Field on North Lee Highway. It will also mark more than 100 years since powered flight was first introduced to the community by daredevil biplane pilot Charles K. Hamilton in 1911.
The eventual future of the city’s Hardwick Field property has yet to be determined.
Hardwick Field was constructed in the early 1950s when World War II veteran George Castings Jr. built a dirt landing field to be used as a training facility for flight students. Castings had flown P-47 fighter planes in World War II.
In the late 1950s, Castings sold the training center and property to the city of Cleveland for $10,000. The facility, at that time, consisted of a 2,000-foot runway, a 1,000-gallon fuel tank and a six-plane concrete hangar.
In 1959, the city extended the airstrip to 3,300 feet and paved it with asphalt. This facility met the community’s needs until late in the 20th century when it was determined the runway was too short for many of the more-modern aircraft.
During its early years, the facility was called simply the Cleveland Airport.
In the late 1960s, late Cleveland businessman and City Commissioner Bobby Taylor, also a World War II veteran, recommended the airfield be named in honor of longtime entrepreneur and president of Cleveland Woolen Mills C.L. Hardwick. Hardwick was also a former police commissioner for the city.
Hardwick was an early Bradley County resident, having been born in 1827 at the Cherokee Agency (now Charleston). His grandfather had been an agent for the Cherokee Nation.
Cleveland’s Woolen Mill employed about 60 workers and was one of the area’s largest workplaces. Hardwick also owned a farm, a store and banks in Dalton, Ga., and Cedartown, Ga. He was also a big supporter of Centenary Female College in Cleveland.
The local airfield has carried Hardwick’s name for about 50 years.
The airport, still located on North Lee Highway, services single- and double-engine aircraft. The field has a pilot’s lounge, outdoor tie-down space, aircraft maintenance facilities and 20 hangars that are leased to private individuals. Most of these individuals will be transferring their leases to the new Jetport.
The city has leased the airport facility to several individuals and organizations over the years, leading up to current management by A. Taylor Newman and his Crystal Air company.
Other managers over the past 50 years include Cleveland Flying Service (1957), LeRoy Fields (1959), Dr. M.M. Ellis (1961), Carl Rymer (1963), Sky Services Incorporated (1971), So Col Aviation (1972) and J.C. Garrison from late 1972 until Crystal Air took over.
There have been a number of improvement projects at the airport in recent years. In 2005, the Tennessee Aeronautics Division approved a major resurfacing of the runway. Despite Cleveland Airport Authority’s pursuit of a new airport, the paving project was approved for safety reasons. The state approved a $450,000 grant with a $50,000 local match, and the project was completed in 2006.
In 2006, the state approved a $24,075 grant (with a 10 percent city match) for installation of security cameras. The state also approved a contract of $9,900 for replacement of the airport’s rotating beacon and windsock.
Cleveland’s Municipal Airport Authority has been responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of Hardwick Field, using the assistance of the city’s Public Works Department’s Landscaping Division for mowing, brush clearing and herbicide treatment. Public Works has also maintained security fencing and electric gates.
The Airport Authority was formed in 2004 to maintain and fulfill the aviation needs of the community. This has included managing and upgrading Hardwick Field, as well as striving for a new Cleveland airport for the future.
The new airport has been a seven-year process, with environmental assessment and all other steps finalized for the construction and opening of the new Cleveland Regional Jetport this fall.
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