GERMANY - Tempelhof

[listopad]

( I tried to post this topic earlier, previewed , submitted .. but nothing, so if it appears twice please delete one of them.)

I took these photos from a Hercules during circuits and bumps from RAF Gatow in 1972. Poor quality I'm afraid, taken with an old E German made SLR. Anyway, I signed a petition a couple of months ago re Tempelhof and received an email back yesterday. It is going to be redeveloped!! see extract:

Invitation to a Demonstration on October 30th
The mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit is about to celebrate his "success" in closing
Tempelhof down with 800 selected guests on October 30th in the main hall of the
airport.
Therefore we invite everybody for a protest event with a "light chain" at the
Airlift Memorial (Platz der Luftbrücke). We want to draw the worlds attention to
this action of shame for Berlin and Germany. We will collect signatures for the
ongoing referendums and publish a list of Mr. Wowereits event sponsors.
Date: Thursday, Oktober,30th 2008, and 31th
Location: Platz der Luftbrücke (Airlift Memorial)
Begin: 6:00 pm
End: 12:00 pm (Midnight)
Initiator: be-4-tempelhof.de action group
please have torches with you
The event is officially registered to the authority.

I changed one of the photos to B/W gives better detail.






And the plane that made it possible, about to go on another flight.

[kebecker]

Just saw this on the Beebs web site Tempelhof has been closed, surely one of the most iconic airfields in the world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7701232.stm

[olympusman]

A very interesting airport with a huge history has gone

Flew twice from there and even got ones a private visit of the WWII bunker... impressive but of course, didn't have my camera that day !

[kebecker]

Sorry Listo, I went straight to the pictures and dint see the meat of your post.

2/10 must pay more attention

[norwichpaul]

Listopad, your mission over the weekend is to download Paint.net and use it to enhance those pics you have.

http://www.getpaint.net/

[Ray]

Shortly after Templehof closed I was invited to have a private look around. I could hardly refuse. I have a number of photos which may be of interest. Here are a few:
IMG_1281.jpgIMG_1286.jpgIMG_1287.jpg

[canberra]

Being a little bit cynical I wonder if it closed because it was built by the NAZIs and the Mayor is trying to show his distaste for that era? Like wise Gatow another NAZI era airfield closed and only Tegel left which is IIRC a post war airfield.

[Ray]

Canberra - I think that the main reason for Templehof`s closure is the fact that the airfield (as distinct from the terminal building) is too small for modern day commercial jet traffic and its location does not lend itself to expansion (a bit like Croydon ! ). No doubt there will be plans in the offing for more profitable development.
I understand that Tegel is shortly to be run down, with International traffic being moved to Schonefeld.
Nevertheless Templehof has a fascinating history notwithstanding its major role in the Berlin Airlift.

[canberra]

I find it odd that a city (and a capital) of the size of Berlin will soon only have one airport.

[Davet49]

My understanding re the closure of both Tempelhof and Tegel was that it was related to finance. Berlin city could not afford to build the recently U-bahn link between the main station and the Brandenburg Gate and had to do a deal with the Brandenburg Metropolitan region to raise the cash. The basis of the deal was that Berlin would receive the money in exchange for which they had to close both the airports and transfer the traffic to Berlin Schonenfeld which is not in the city. Hence all the revenue for landing fees etc. would go to Brandenburg and not Berlin. Berlin gained the capital but lost the long term revenue; Brandenburg provided the funding and gained the on going revenue.
A few years back my good lady and I were lucky enough to fly our small plane (AA5B, G-PORK) into both Schonenfeld and Tempelhof airports on separate occasions. Both were very memorable experiences; Schonenfeld because of the runway lighting which pulses almost as if luring you to land; and Tempelhof because of the approach over the blocks of flats and the departure requiring a tight turn to avoid the TV tower.