Sorry Blu but I think that was before my time and I am 42! Lol!

Loved the hanger. Especially when they decorated with those multi-colored triangular flags you see at car dealerships.

Oh yes, the old Navy hanger.....Fond memories!!! 🙂 It was very unique in its very own way. When you got off the plane, you had to walk thru a loooooong stretch of (kinda) enclosed walkway. It had a roof with galvanized sheet roof used for the walls to then enter the hanger! Had a bar downstairs and a restaurant (Sparky's?) upstairs. Dark and kinda dingy, but unique! The runway was considered one of the 10 worst and as Blu said, Short! We had one landing that we hit so hard the dishes flew out of the cabinets on the plane and the upper compartments popped up!!! Never forget that one!
The politics on getting the currant airport completed was HUGE and it took something like 10 YEARS to complete if I am recalling right. Alot of that time simply politics!
I won't argue with Connie that some things could somehow be improved upon.....problem is, we have too many planes arriving all at the same time!!! Thats called scheduling! Could use a bigger, better bathroom in the luggage area too! Wonder who thought that one out!
Let me see, I moved here in "82" and remember it being the old hanger for quite some time. Can't remember exactly what year the new airport opened up! Anyone know? "86"ish?

Memories of the old hanger - I loved walking into it - seemed full of excitement - hustle and bustle - Sherri, I'm pretty sure the old hanger was there when I arrived in 1987 - I seem to remember later that year or the next that a portion of the new airport was built. . .

C Urchin,
I too, loved it! I wish I had a picture....will look and see tho a lot of my photo albums are packed up due to not having a REAL house and have been packed for up for 9 years. Kept just a few out. Will ck! 🙂

Want to share that the old AA belt was just torn out and replaced with a new one! So far, so good! The old belt had been in place since the new airport was built and they will be doing the same for the other belt!

Sherri,

A pic would be great, I will dig through my old photos too and see if I can find one. My dad gave me a bunch of slides in boxes recently that I need to look through - these are all from the early 70s' of the islands. Hadn't really thought about them but Now - I'm on a mission to go through these!

Good luck hunting for the airport pic - For someone reason I thought that ya'll were almost done with the building of your house and were moving out of the little one (which by the way, I wish I had on my property). Of course, I have no one to borrow water from (maybe the next door neighbors would share). Yeah, right! LOL.

I

C,

Water? Who needs water..?

Drink rum and bathe in the bay...don't you know?

C Urchin,
Moovin' on Island time! We are just now ready to dig the footings and then get them poured right away as to not have to keep digging them out every time it rains! Let me see......not sure exactly when we will begin that part of our dig! Should hopefully be someday soon! 🙂
Like Blu's idea for water, BUT Blu, the house would never get built!!!!

Old airport pics. anyone?

Sherri,

She wants a shack...not a big house.
You can leave your shack to her after your big house is ready to move in......soon?

SO, the list is...

Drink rum
Bathe in the Bay
Live in a Shack

I googled old pictures of St. Thomas Airport and I couldn't find anything. I'll do some more homework tomorrow and see what i can find. There has to be something out there on that internet.

Blu and Sherri -

drink rum
Bathe in the Bay
Live in a Shack

Sounds like my kind of life! Of course, work might have some comments on my smell . . . 😀

The old airport was named the "Harry S. Truman Airport" until (I think) the mid-80's. Not sure of the exact time but I believe the new airport opened in 1990 or 1991???

There was also a really popular barber in the old airport & a mini-flap when he didn't get reinstalled in the new airport but I think he moved downtown someplace.

Tip re: bathrooms. Yes, the bathrooms located in the baggage claim are way small. Upon arrival, after getting your complimentary rum punch, don't follow the crowd around to the left to the baggage claim; go to your right, past the airline ticket counters to the bathrooms down the way...Much more pleasant