South Weymouth Naval Air Station
South Weymouth Naval Air Station dates back to before World War II where it was first used as a blimp field. Two blimp hangers were constructed, one of which was said to be the second-largest structure in the world at the time. The blimps were used during WWII for anti-submarine patrols off the Boston coast.
Post-WWII the airfield was slowly converted for use as a jet airbase for the Navy and Marines. First it housed surplus aircraft from WWII where the enormous hangers were perfect for storage. The Navy repurposed the base for aircraft training from the 1960s-1990s. Three runways were built with the longest being 7,000 feet. Fighters and cargo planes continued to operate here until the base was declared surplus and closed in 1997.
I autocrossed cars and did some performance driving events here in the late 1990s. Rumors formed quickly of redevelopment. It wasn't until the early 2010s that new townhouses were built and most of the old military structures were taken down.
The film Patriots Day was filmed on several makeshift sets here in 2015. The residential street where the climactic shooting scene was filmed still stands (barely). The runways are mostly intact along with the two control towers. The site is definitely in transition with more development sure to come.
Read MorePost-WWII the airfield was slowly converted for use as a jet airbase for the Navy and Marines. First it housed surplus aircraft from WWII where the enormous hangers were perfect for storage. The Navy repurposed the base for aircraft training from the 1960s-1990s. Three runways were built with the longest being 7,000 feet. Fighters and cargo planes continued to operate here until the base was declared surplus and closed in 1997.
I autocrossed cars and did some performance driving events here in the late 1990s. Rumors formed quickly of redevelopment. It wasn't until the early 2010s that new townhouses were built and most of the old military structures were taken down.
The film Patriots Day was filmed on several makeshift sets here in 2015. The residential street where the climactic shooting scene was filmed still stands (barely). The runways are mostly intact along with the two control towers. The site is definitely in transition with more development sure to come.
South Weymouth Naval Air Station
Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawk
South WeymouthNaval Air StationNASNavyabandonedairfieldgate guard
South Weymouth Naval Air Station
Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawk
South WeymouthNaval Air StationNASNavyabandonedairfieldgate guard