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Airfield struggled since 9/11

Editor's note: This story was updated February 24 to correct an inaccurate description of a business. AOPA regrets the error.

Washington Executive Airport, also known as Hyde Field, never really recovered from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The final day for aircraft owners and businesses to clear out was November 30, under a bankruptcy court ruling.

The exodus followed two decades of uncertainty about the future of the airport, one of the Maryland Three where special security procedures have been in place since 2002. In early 2020, airport owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, after which it was clear to the Hyde Field community that a sale or closure of the airport was imminent.

The closure of Hyde Field leaves two general aviation airports in the Washington, D.C., flight restricted zone (FRZ): Potomac Airfield and College Park Airport. The proximity of these airports to the capital requires pilots to complete the Washington D.C. Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) course; apply for a personal identification number; and obtain a background check and provide fingerprints to a Maryland Three airport security representative.

The complicated arrival procedures at these airports deter many pilots from attempting to enter the FRZ for fear of violating the SFRA/FRZ boundaries, resulting in financial challenges brought on by lack of traffic.

The toll this has taken on Hyde Field is evident. Empty hangars are covered with overgrown foliage, and the airport's only runway, 5/23, is a discouraging sight with grass poking through the pavement.

Final word from the bankruptcy lawyer arrived in October that all tenants must vacate the premises within 30 days. The property was expected to sell for around $7.5 million as of mid-November, with plans to use the land for mixed-use redevelopment.

"I'm sad to see it happen," said Airport Manager Stan Fetter regarding the announcement. "In a lot of ways it's a waste of a public resource. The place is 15 minutes from MGM National Harbor, it's 10 minutes from [Joint Base] Andrews. Unless it's rush hour, you can be on Capitol Hill in 25 minutes."

Fetter also highlighted the loss of the airfield as an emergency response base. "You're losing a resource. I mean, there's a lot of stuff that goes away and people don't realize it," he said.

However, there is a reluctant relief that seems to accompany the sorrow. "We've been going through this a long time," Fetter said. "The good news is, if you want to call it that, is we have an actual wind up and end date."

Despite the yearslong buildup to a potential closure, tenants were caught off-guard by the news they had a month to clear out.

Clinton Aero Maintenance, Hyde Field's only maintenance shop, has been owned by Dan Fragassi since 1978.

As the November 30 closure date set by the bankruptcy court approached, Fragassi was working with just one other contractor to try and wrap up the projects in the shop. "I've got three [aircraft] that I can finish in pretty short order," Fragassi said. "The other two, they're going to have to be disassembled and moved."

After 40-plus years as the go-to shop on Hyde Field, Clinton Aero Maintenance has accumulated a significant volume of tools, machinery, and aircraft parts, all of which will need to be relocated—a near-impossible task to complete in 30 days according to Fragassi.

Fragassi's unique position as the only shop on the field has granted him some lenience from the new owners, who promised to work with him to make arrangements for the move, though it was not immediately clear what that would mean.

Perhaps the biggest concern surrounding the closure, especially with such short notice, was the fate of the aircraft based at the field. At the time of the announcement, around 30 aircraft were stored on the field, and owners were left with little time to evacuate—some with decades of accumulated property—and find tiedowns or join a waiting list for a hangar amid an ongoing, nationwide shortage of space.

Tiedowns were available at neighboring Virginia and Maryland airports, but aircraft owners interested in hangar space would need to seek out options farther away, join a waiting list, or wait for new infrastructure to be built.

One such aircraft owner on the field, Mark Buchner, spoke about the relocation challenges. "For me it wasn't a problem," he said. "I was there 18 years, but…a few people…have been here longer. Some of those hangars out there, you can't move the airplane out because it's packed full of stuff."

Currently, Buchner's aircraft is tied down at a nearby airport, he is having trouble finding a hangar that can shelter his Cessna 150 from the elements, along with storage for his belongings.

He's joined waitlists for hangars at nearby Maryland Airport, Stafford Regional Airport, and Shannon Airport, all of which have indicated their waitlists are at least a year long, while they work to build new hangars.

"Other than that, there's no place else to go," Buchner sighed.

AOPA Eastern Regional Manager Sean Collins echoed the concerns of tenants: "There simply are not enough hangars at other airports to accommodate those who are already in hangars and expected to be displaced," Collins said. "While the loss of Hyde is unfortunate, it highlights and exacerbates the industry's hangar needs as we head into the snow season."

On LGHL Instant Recap Pods, Land-Grant Holy Land writers break down Ohio State games just minutes after the action ends. They bring you the biggest stats, storylines, and moments of the game before the players make it back to the locker room.

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On today’s episode, Matt Tamanini and Justin Golba are breaking down No. 4 Ohio State’s 37-17 victory over the Maryland Terrapins who gave the Buckeyes all that they could handle in the first half of the game. Though the Buckeyes ended up covering the spread, the game was certainly in doubt well into the third quarter, but the OSU defense continued its lights-out play and the offense shook off a worrisome first half and an ineffective running game throughout to show glimpses of the Ohio State offenses of years past.

Kyle McCord had his best half as a Buckeye especially as he leaned on his high school teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. There are certainly plenty of questions to ask coming out of this game, but for Matt, those questions lay more at the feet of the coaches than the players.

Take a look at the photos from our viewers across the state as snow continues to fall this week. You may catch a pet or two or twenty enjoying the snow!

What has long been expected amongst Washington, D.C.-area pilots has now come to pass: As of November 30, airport operations at Washington Executive Airpark (W32), in Clinton, Maryland, have officially ceased.

Also known as Hyde Field, the privately owned, public-use airport closed last week following bankruptcy proceedings. The new owners, Ryan Homes, have taken over, and it did so with no intention of maintaining airport operations.

The bankruptcy had been brewing for some time, with a combination of factors contributing to the field’s slow erosion and shutdown.

“We’ve known about Hyde for a good 20 years now, so it’s not a surprise,” said Ashish Solanki, director of the office of regional aviation assistance for the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Aviation Administration, in an interview with FLYING. The end feels abrupt, regardless.

One of the ‘DC3’

The airport falls within the roughly 15-nm flight restricted zone (FRZ) surrounding the nation’s capital and based on the DCA VOR. When the terrorist attacks of 9/11 closed down airspace temporarily around Washington, three GA airports within the ring also closed for a period, at first only reopening to those pilots and aircraft owners based there. Now, pilots who go through a vetting process can obtain a code to use these airports, which also include Potomac Airfield (KVKX)—nearly adjacent to Hyde—and College Park Airport (KCGS).

While operations at College Park and Potomac remain rather vibrant, Hyde has suffered from a slow drain of investment and based airplanes. In recent years, the field’s private owners have operated under bankruptcy, with leases termed month to month, according to Solanki. Some owners sought hangar space elsewhere—but that’s at a premium in the D.C. region, as it is in most metro areas.

Less than a dozen aircraft remain today, likely with owners who are away or in the midst of maintenance. Though the new airport property owner has been public about the closure and discontinuance of operations, anecdotally it is working with individuals on the movement of aircraft from the field.

“We still have viable airports in the area, and that’s what we have been encouraging as outreach,” said Solanki. “There are tiedowns and open ramp space available—but hangar space is much tighter. We’re seeing interest but not much momentum on developing new hangar buildings.”

Potomac and Maryland Airport (2W5) in Indian Head lie nearest to Hyde, and both airport owners have expressed interest in constructing more hangars, according to Solanki, but there are challenges in financing as well as in permitting. There’s a longer time frame involved than the end of the year, obviously.

And, with relatively low hangar rents at the now-closed Hyde, tenants forced to move will likely encounter an increased monthly outlay once they do secure a hangar.

On Privately Owned Airports

FLYING asked Solanki about the unique relationship that exists between private owners of public-use airports, and the aviation community in Maryland. In general, whatever the owner wants to do with the airport in the future, “that’s fine, but for now you are a public-use airport—so there’s an expectation. Maintain the runway, lights, and basic services.”

Another Maryland airport inside the special flight rules area (SFRA) and under the Washington Class B also faces an uncertain closure time frame—Freeway Airport (W00), in Mitchellville. Its private owners have inherited the property from the original family members that built it—and they already have an exit plan secured with a land developer.

The plans are in place to move quickly to settlement once the developer is ready to pull the trigger, but they need to secure the permits for the development first, which may take another year or 18 months. Aircraft owners will need to determine the timing of their exodus soon, too.

Based in Maryland, Julie is an editor, aviation educator, and author. She holds an airline transport pilot certificate with Douglas DC-3 and CE510 (Citation Mustang) type ratings. She's a CFI/CFII since 1993, specializing in advanced aircraft and flight instructor development. Follow Julie on Twitter @julieinthesky.

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It’s no secret the Green Bay Packers have a gigantic hole at free safety entering Thursday’s draft. Even with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as a reliable starter for over four years, it’s been a while since the Packers had a true Swiss army knife at safety.

Luckily enough, this year’s safety class may be one of the deepest positional groups in the entire 2019 draft.

When Micah Hyde walked away in 2017, eventually signing with the Buffalo Bills, the Packers’ depth at safety not only took a considerable hit, it lost a true play maker in the secondary. Hyde made his first Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro in his first season in Buffalo.

It was a mistake to let Hyde sign elsewhere, but what if I told you there’s a similar, but more athletic, playmaking safety in this year’s draft? His name is Darnell Savage.

Savage was already named a franchise fit for the Packers by Pro Football Focus earlier this offseason, but the hype doesn’t stop there. Like Hyde, Savage has the ability to play anywhere in the secondary.

Safety, nickel, linebacker, corner it doesn’t matter I’m gonna make plays

— Darnell Savage Jr. (@darnellsavage_) April 15, 2019

The Packers already addressed the strong safety position earlier in free agency by signing Adrian Amos. Savage would be a perfect complement as a roaming free safety.

Savage has the ability to cover sideline-to-sideline in a single-high safety look (as showcased by his 4.36 40-time), can play in the slot as a nickel corner, add to the pass rush from the slot as an extra blitzer or can play outside cornerback covering an opponent’s No. 2 receiver.

According to PFF, Savage hasn’t allowed a touchdown as the primary coverage defender in two years. In fact, over that time span, opposing quarterbacks had a cumulative passer rating of 43.4.

The biggest knock on Savage during the pre-draft process has been his size. At 5-foot-11 and 198 pounds, he isn’t exactly the ideal size for a free safety. But, like Hyde (6-0, 197), Savage isn’t exclusively a safety.

During Hyde’s time with the Packers, he lined up at free safety, strong safety, right cornerback, left cornerback, slot cornerback, weak side linebacker and even returned punts.

Hyde recorded eight interceptions, 24 pass-breakups, two forced fumbles, four sacks, four quarterback hits and 234 total tackles (eight for loss). He also scored three touchdowns on punt returns and recovered six fumbles. Hyde was the definition of a do-it-all player for the Packers.

During Savage’s time at Maryland, he recorded 182 total tackles (nine for loss), eight interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), one sack, 13 pass-breakups and one fumble recovery. He also returned one punt for a touchdown.

The safeties currently on Green Bay’s roster include Amos, Raven Greene, Josh Jones, Tray Matthews and Jason Thompson. Of those, Amos, Greene and Jones are the favorites to make the final roster in September.

It’s likely the Packers could use the 30th overall selection on Savage – or any other safety, for that matter – fortifying the back-half of the secondary for the foreseeable future. Savage appears to be the right man for the job and could fill the Hyde-like role Green Bay has missed the past two seasons.