Plymouth, US πΊπΈ Closed Airport
US-11457
-
755 ft
US-IN
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 41.306999Β° N, -86.4375Β° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: IN74
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The airport was permanently closed sometime between 1998 and 2002. The last known aerial photograph showing the runway as actively marked and operational is from 1998. By 2002, aerial imagery clearly shows large, painted 'X' symbols on the runway, the standard visual indication of a closed airfield.
The closure was for economic and business reasons, directly linked to the death of its founder and primary user, Homer J. Umbaugh, in 1996. The airport was a private field built to serve his business, the Umbaugh Pole Building Company. After his passing, the corporate need for a dedicated private airfield diminished, making the cost of maintenance and operation unsustainable. The valuable land was subsequently sold and repurposed for more profitable industrial development.
The site of the former airport has been completely redeveloped and is now the Umbaugh Industrial Park. The original paved runway is still clearly visible from satellite imagery but is no longer used for aviation. It has been repurposed as a private access road and a large-scale outdoor storage and staging area for a logistics company, often filled with truck trailers, construction materials, and other industrial equipment. The original hangar and other airport buildings have been integrated into the industrial complex, which houses various commercial tenants.
HJ Umbaugh Airport (originally identified by the FAA as 3IN3) was a significant private airfield established in the 1960s. It was built by and named for Homer J. Umbaugh, a prominent local entrepreneur. The airport's primary function was to support the corporate travel needs of the Umbaugh Pole Building Company, a major employer and influential business in the region. It featured a single paved north/south runway, approximately 3,000 feet in length, along with a hangar and other facilities. The airport was a key asset for the company's operations and a symbol of its success, handling private and corporate aircraft for decades. It was always a private field, requiring prior permission to land.
There are zero plans or prospects for reopening HJ Umbaugh Airport. The land has been permanently and fully converted to a non-aviation, industrial use. The critical infrastructure, including the runway, has been repurposed in a way that makes a return to aviation functionally impossible without demolishing the current industrial park. The general aviation needs of the Plymouth community are adequately served by the nearby Plymouth Municipal Airport (ICAO: KC65).
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