#stolport

[wtf-fun-factss]

Walt Disney World once had it's own airport with a singing runway (Lake Buena Vista STOLPort runway). Grooves in the tarmac were spaced so the lines played the opening notes of "When You Wish Upon a Star". The airport closed in 1972. – WTF Fun Facts Source: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/singing-runway-at-the-abandoned-disney-world-airport

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[disneydorks]

Disney Files Permit For Another Magic Kingdom-Area Project

Disney Files Permit For Another Magic Kingdom-Area Project

Disney filed another permit on Monday with the South Florida Water Management District seeking to use a 30-acre site south of the theme park for temporarily stockpiling fill. The project which is named in the documents as “Stolport Stockpile” plans to use the area for “temporary stockpiling of earthwork”.

The project is most likely named “Stolport Stockpile” because it sits just east of the old…

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[moosenotgoose]

This is the abandoned airport office and the runway at Powell STOLport in Powell, Tennessee.  What looks a little like a chimney on the building in this photo is actually an old grain silo some distance behind the building.   ”STOL” stands for Short TakeOff and Landing”, and the airport was probably named that because the runway wasn’t particularly long. You can see that in the second photo that shows the runway.  Shooting a landing at this airport would probably have had a lot of today’s pilots sweating bullets!   The airport was originally opened in 1951 when the landowners started flying and bought a little airplane.    They made a runway in what was their pasture.   Before long, their aviation-oriented friends started using the runway as well, and by 1957 the airport was listed for public use and it had a paved runway.  The single runway was numbered 5/23, and it was 50’ wide and 2,600’ long,   It had a couple of tall obstructions at one end (trees) and a highway at the other end….. hence the need for “STOL”  capable airplanes.  if you couldn’t get an airplane on or off the ground without using much runway, you didn’t need to fly it into this airport.   The airport provided transient storage facilities, hangars, aircraft tie-downs, charter services, and scenic airplane rides; as well as a place for local aviation enthusiasts to go for flying and fellowship.   The field elevation was 992’ MSL, and the STOLport covered approximately 30 acres.   The airport was designated as “9A2” by the FAA.   Today, the runway is in extremely poor condition, and is marked with white “X”es to indicate that it’s not to be used.   The hangers have all been torn down, and the only building remaining is this airport office.    We were told by some locals that Krogers has bought the place and they’re about to build a store there.   It looks like some of the preliminary dirt work has already begun (survey markers are in place).   

UPDATE July 5, 2014.    There are still no obvious changes at the Powell STOLport, with the exception of the addition of a new "Private Property" sign near the old airport office.    The office building and its driveway show signs of recent use.   

UPDATE:   April 1, 2015.   Sorry, but no April Fool's joke here.   As can be seen in the final photo, Kroger's has officially announced their new store that's about to be built on the site of the Powell STOLport.     The big sign's been put up, and there are survey markers all over the place.  The remains of the STOLport will soon be no more.  

UPDATE:   September 6, 2015.     The dirt work has begun at the Powell STOLport.    The process of construction is underway.  

UPDATE:  September 1, 2016.    The Kroger’s is now open, and the STOLport is now gone.   We’ll get some photos to post the next time we’re over that way.