D-51 GROSSE ISLE
Now home to many upscale homes and estates, Grosse Isle was once occupied by large farms and a horse ranch. The southern tip of the island is still home to the Grosse Isle airport but at one time it was the Grosse Isle Naval Air Station (built in 1927) complete with a sea-plane hanger, dirigible hanger and mast, heli-pad, and of course 3 missile silos. The silos were located on the eastern side of the air base. The base relied on the IFC Radar Arrays a few miles west in Newport. In the early 2000's the remains of the silo array were completely removed as the airport expanded and now nothing hinting at this one time missile base exists.
As per the maps, the general location of the silos are the field just south of Quarry Lake.
One historic fact to note is that Grosse Isle was used in conjunction with the octagonal airstrip at Newport as training site for pilots to practice landing and take-off from short runways identical to what they would find when flying off of aircraft carriers at sea during World War 2. As an Air Force pilot, former US President George W. Bush Sr. was stationed here and learned carrier flight tactics at this base.
In the aerial photographs take notice of the triangular runways with the circular pad in the middle. Compare this to images of the octagonal pad at Newport.
As per the maps, the general location of the silos are the field just south of Quarry Lake.
One historic fact to note is that Grosse Isle was used in conjunction with the octagonal airstrip at Newport as training site for pilots to practice landing and take-off from short runways identical to what they would find when flying off of aircraft carriers at sea during World War 2. As an Air Force pilot, former US President George W. Bush Sr. was stationed here and learned carrier flight tactics at this base.
In the aerial photographs take notice of the triangular runways with the circular pad in the middle. Compare this to images of the octagonal pad at Newport.
