Ralph E. Koch Airport

The closure was a direct result of the death of its owner, founder, and primary user, Ralph E. Koch, in 1996. As a private-use airfield, its operation was tied to his personal and business interests. After his passing, there was no longer a need for the airfield, and the family reverted the land to its primary agricultural use.

The site is currently used for agriculture. Satellite imagery shows the land has been fully reclaimed as a farm field. The faint, ghostly outlines of the two former runways are still visible from the air, but they have been plowed over and are now planted with crops. There are no remaining airport infrastructure elements like hangars, lighting, or markings.

Ralph E. Koch Airport was a significant private airfield established sometime between 1963 and 1968. It was not a public airport and handled no commercial traffic. Its sole purpose was to serve the aviation needs of Ralph E. Koch, an industrialist who founded Koch Originals (later Koch Originals, Inc.), a successful decorative ironwork and furniture company based in nearby Evansville. The airport was located on his farm property and was well-equipped for a private strip, featuring two distinct turf runways arranged in an 'X' pattern to allow for takeoffs and landings in various wind conditions. Operations would have consisted of private business and personal flights.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airport. The land has been successfully converted back to productive farmland for over 20 years. Given that its existence was tied to a specific individual and it has been decommissioned for decades, the likelihood of it ever being re-established as an airfield is virtually zero.