Currently Ford Island is available for civilian aircraft weighing less than 4000lbs during daylight hours.  On a good year up to 100,000 takeoffs and landings take place here.  I did my very first solo flight here on August 8th, 1994.  I also had my very first incident here five years later! I will be very sorry to see this historic airfield retired.  Here are some pictures that will have to do until I can get some better ones.  Some can be enlarged by using them as links.  If you have any pictures at all of Ford Island please send them to my email address!  By the way, I did not take these pictures myself.......... they were given to me anonymously.

Remember photography is NOT permitted at Ford Island.

Ford Island from a left base to Runway 4

Ford Island turning down wind for Runway 4

The USS Missouri at Ford Island

This is a DA20 C1 Katana, it was the aircraft I was in when the nose wheel decided to depart after we landed.  The plane was temporarily based at Ford Island until repairs could be made.  The same plane also kept me there a half a day with a flat tire.  I was fortunate enough to be able to spend my time at the State Unicom tower instead of sitting in the pilot box.

This picture shows Sherry pointing to the gouges made in the runway by the nose wheel fork.  My student did a very good job with this landing, the gouge is in the center of the centerline!  By the way, it was a structural failure not attributed to THIS landing but the cumulative effect of many student pilot landings.  I am just glad we were able to retain control and no injuries or damage resulted from the failure aside from the nose gear fork being ground down a bit.  I think they actually used the same tire when they repaired the plane.

This last picture shows the gouge as it continues down the runway.  As you can see it stretches quite a way.  When we realized the nose gear was no longer with us we used  the soft field technique and taxied off to the side of the runway.  It was quite an experience, and to top it off, I even had to write a report to the FAA.

If you have comments, would like to add to this page, or have suggestions, email me at [email protected]

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