Charlie Hammonds Seaplane Base

Owner's death. The facility was a private commercial operation intrinsically linked to its owner and founder. With his passing, the associated business, Hammonds Flying Service, ceased its aviation activities, leading to the permanent closure of the seaplane base.

The site is no longer an aviation facility. The property, located at 2510 W Main St on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, has been repurposed. It is now owned and operated by Crosby Tugs, LLC, a large marine transportation and services company. The original hangar and the ramp leading into the waterway are still present but are now used to support marine vessel operations.

Charlie Hammonds Seaplane Base was a key piece of transportation infrastructure for the oil and gas industry in southern Louisiana. Operated by local aviation pioneer Charlie Hammonds, the base served as a hub for seaplanes, primarily models like the De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. These aircraft were essential for transporting personnel, urgent supplies, and equipment to remote inland oil wells, drilling barges, and production facilities located in the swamps, marshes, and waterways of the region that were inaccessible by road. The base played a significant role in the logistical chain that supported the area's dominant energy economy for several decades.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the site as a seaplane base. The property has been fully repurposed by a marine services company, and the original founder and operator is deceased. The prospect of it returning to aviation use is considered nonexistent.