Augsburg-Haunstetten

48°19'33"N 010°54'00"E

Runway: n/a - 1,000x60meters - grass (CLOSED)
Runway: n/a - 650x50meters - grass (CLOSED)

Airfield Augsburg-Haunstetten (Flugplatz Augsburg-Haunstetten) was an airfield south of Augsburg in Bavaria, Germany.
The airfield was founded in November 1916 as a factory airfield for the 'Bayerische Rumpler-Werke'. The first Rumpler aircraft (a Rumpler C.1) took off from the airfield on 1 July 1917.
After World War I the airfield handled civilian air traffic, transporting passengers and mail domestically. The first aircraft arrived in March 1919, marking the beginning of Bavarian civilian air traffic.
Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Bavarian Aircraft Factories) obtained the old Rumpler plants in July 1926 and began producing Udet U12 aircraft. Under the supervision of one Willy Messerschmidt the plant produced civilian aircraft until 1934. After that the production of military aircraft became more and more important, until the company was renamed Messerschmidt. Because of the Messerschmidt plant the civilian airfield Augsburg was bombed several times by Allied air strikes during World War II.


Production of Bf-109 fighters at air field Augsburg-Haunstetten (Bundesarchiv via Wikipedia).


Reconnaissance photo of air field Augsburg-Haunstetten taken by a Spitfire from 30,000ft on 8 Aug 1944 (Photo RAF)
notice the presence of an oval shaped sportfield south of the Messerschmidt plant, it exists in all aerial shots and remains to this day.


Destroyed Messerschmit plant at air field Augsburg-Haunstetten in 1945


A US Army service member posing with a captured Bf-109 at air field Augsburg-Haunstetten

American forces seized the airfield near the end of World War II, and stayed there until May 1956. They allowed gliders back on the field in 1952 and motorised flight in 1955. In the late 1950s negotiations proved the airfield was hindering the expansion of Augsburg.
The Americans took their last 25 aircraft to Gersthofen-Gablingen in the fall of 1963 and returned the airfield to the German government. Much on the history of the US Army at the airfield can be read at Amerika-in-Augsburg.de. Their 25 year lease of the airfield ended in 1964 and so Augsburg became the rightful owner again. On 21 July 1968 the last aircraft left the airfield, which was by now known as the "old airfield". From 1972 onwards a large area of the former airfield was built over by the Augsburg University. Another part of the airfield became a residential area, which is known as the University quarter since 1979.


Tower of air field Augsburg-Haunstetten, ca. 1950


US Army U-1A Otter at air field Augsburg-Haunstetten, ca. 1950


US Army 18th Transport Company UH-34s arriving at air field Augsburg-Haunstetten in the early 1960s


US Army Cessna L-19 Bird Dog aircraft at air field Augsburg-Haunstetten


aerial view of air field Augsburg-Haunstetten, ca. 1960

The Messerschmidt plant remains at Augsburg-Haunstetten to this day, although it is no longer by that name. When Willy Messerschmidt took over the Rumpler-Werke, he renamed the company to Messerschmidt, and made fame by his line of fighters of World War II. After the War the company was forbidden (like the rest of Germany) to produce aircraft, so he switched to cars for a while. Messerschmidt ultimately became part of the Messerschmidt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) consortium who amongst others built the MBB Bo-105 helicopter. MBB also licence produced (parts of) the G-91 fighterbomber and the F-104G Starfighter at the plant. MBB later became part of DASA (Deutsche Aerospace) which became part of EADS, today called Airbus. The plant, although upgraded and rebuilt over the years, still exists and is still producing aircraft components.


All that remains of air field Augsburg-Haunstetten in june 2006 is in the red ovals.


Detailed view of the south side of the former air field Augsburg-Haunstetten


A smaller portion of the airfield also still existed on the north side of the former air field

The remains of the airfield could still be found in the area for decades. Parts of platforms and taxiways littered the University and commercial estates. The last concrete platforms and taxiways were removed in 2008-2009.


A small piece of a taxiway that still existed as late as 2008