Hilltop Airport

The specific reason for closure is not officially documented. However, like many small general aviation airports of that era, the closure was likely due to a combination of economic factors, such as rising operational costs, declining traffic, and the increasing value of the land for residential development. The owner may have retired or decided to sell the property.

The site is now private property. A large single-family home and several outbuildings have been constructed on the northern end of the former airport grounds, directly over the previous runway threshold area. The outline of the grass runway is still clearly visible from satellite imagery as a long, manicured clearing, but it is now used as part of the residential lawn and for recreational purposes. It is no longer a functional or registered airfield.

Hilltop Airport was a small, privately owned, public-use airport that served the general aviation community in the Buffalo Southtowns area. Established between 1954-1956 by Robert Ehmke, it featured a single unpaved turf runway, initially 2,200 feet long and later extended to 2,600 feet. The airport was home to Ehmke Flight Service, which offered flight training and other aviation services. It was a community hub for local pilots and hosted events such as the 'Erie County Flying Farmer Field Day' in 1957. Operations primarily consisted of light single-engine aircraft for recreational flying, flight instruction, and personal transport.

None. The land has been converted to private residential use with permanent structures built on the former airport property. There are no known plans or prospects for the site to ever be reopened as an airport.