The Cleveland Municipal Airport, known as Hardwick Field, is located at 405 Airport Rd NW, just off of North Lee Hwy.  The 3300’ runway facility services private single and double engine aircraft.  The facility includes a pilot lounge, outdoor aircraft tie down space, aircraft maintenance facilities, and 20 hangars that are leased to private individuals. 

 

     

 

 

The Cleveland Municipal Airport was a pre-existing airfield that was purchased from Mr. George Castings, Jr in the 1950’s.  Castings, a 1940 graduate of Bradley Central High School, had spent 3 years in the military with a tour in WWII flying P-47 fighter planes. After finishing his service he returned to Cleveland and began construction on a dirt airfield to be used as a training field for students.  In the 1950’s Casting’s sold the airstrip to the City of Cleveland for a price of $10,000.00.  At the time of initial purchase, the facility consisted of a 2000 foot long dirt airstrip, a 1,000 gallon underground fuel tank, and a six plane concrete hangar.  In 1959 the City extended the airstrip to 3,300 feet and covered it with asphalt.    

          In the late 1960’s Bobby Taylor, who served on the City Commission, recommended naming the air field after Mr. C.L. Hardwick.  Mr. Hardwick had served the City as police commissioner for several years and provided jobs for several hundred citizens at Hardwick Stove Company.   The airstrip has been known as Hardwick Field ever since. 

          The City of Cleveland has leased the airfield to several operators over the last 50 years.  Operators of the facility have included Cleveland Flying Services (1957), LeRoy Fields (1959), Dr. M.M. Ellis (1961), Carl Rymer (1963), Sky Services Incorporated (1971), So Col Aviation (1972), and J.C. Garrison (1972).  The current operator is A. Taylor Newman and his company Crystal Air.

Hardwick Field is currently a 61.5 acre site that includes a 3,300 foot paved landing strip and 21 total hangars.  The current operator of the facility is Mr. A. Taylor Newman and his company Crystal Air.

In 2005 the State of Tennessee Aeronautics Division approved a major resurfacing project for the airport runway.  Regardless of the Authority’s plans to pursue a new airport facility, the state advised that the present airport must be upgraded for safety reasons.  A $450,000 grant, with a $50,000 matching amount from the city, was approved and paving began in 2006.  This project was completed, with the final stage being the paint striping.

In 2006, the state approved a security grant for the installation of security cameras at the present site for the contracted amount of $24,075, which is a 90/10% state/city match. The state also approved another grant for the replacement of the rotating beacon and the windsock for a contracted amount of $9,900.   This is also a 90/10% matching grant.  These projects were both completed in the 2007 fiscal year.

          The Municipal Airport Authority is responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of the present facility.  The Authority is using the services of the Public Works, Landscaping Maintenance Division, for mowing, brush clearing, and herbicide treatment needs as well as maintaining the security fencing and electric gates. 

 

 

 

The Cleveland City Council on September 13, 2004, approved an ordinance creating and establishing a Municipal Airport Authority for the City of Cleveland, which consists of five commissioners.  The Authority was vested with all authority to control and regulate any and all operations of any Municipal Airport located in the corporate jurisdiction of the City of Cleveland.  The Authority comes under the “Sunshine Law” which means that notification for all meetings must be given to the public and the business of the Authority must be conducted in public.

The main objective of forming the new Authority was to better fulfill the aviation needs of the community.  This includes up-grading the present airport facility (Hardwick Field) or providing a new facility.  For many years, much time and energy has been spent trying to reach these goals. The greatest endeavor of the Municipal Airport Authority is to work with the state to examine every opportunity and means available to make aviation progress in Cleveland.

With this objective in mind, the Authority continues to work toward a new airport for Cleveland.  After much research by consultants, public meetings, discussion, and debate, the new South New Tasso site was selected and is presently being pursued. 

The master plan has been completed and the environmental assessment study is in progress.  A professional, certified appraiser was hired and property owners have been negotiating with Authority members for the sale of their property.  The Authority continues to work with state officials regarding funding for this project and endeavors to see a new airport in Cleveland, Bradley County.