Chaumont - La Vendue (CLOSED)

48°04'29"N 005°08'57"E

Runway: ../.. - 1190x...m - grass

Chaumont - La Vendue airfield (french: Aérodrome Chaumont-La Vendue, ICAO: LFSY) was a small airfield south of Chaumont, 225 kilometers east-southeast of Paris.
The airfield was built after the foundation of the Aéroclub de la Haute-Marne on 19 August 1929. At the time, the club operated one sinlge Farman (F-AMUA) with a 100hp engine. For training purposes, the club obtained a second aircraft, a Hanriot H412 (F-AJPX) in 1935. During World War 2, much of the airfield and the materials of the club were requisitioned by the Germans.

On 25 January 1946, the aeroclub made a restart at La Vendue with a Stampe biplane (F-BCKS) and a C800, but the club soon moved to the airfield at Semoutiers. That excursion lasted only brief however, as Semoutiers was soon transferred to the United States Air Forces in Europe, forcing the aeroclub to return to La Vendue in the early 1950s. 


This photo shows the airfield (llittle more than a grass field with a single hangar) in September 1949 (IGN, via Géoportail).


After a brief excursion to Semoutiers by the Aéroclub, the airfield at La Vendue was upgraded as their new home. In this March 1956 photo, new runway markers can be seen where two runways were laid out. In addition to the hangar that was at the airfield already, some new buildings were erected (IGN, via Géoportail).


This 15 October 1963 photo shows the airfield had not seen much change, except for the lengthened north-south runway (IGN, via Géoportail).


By 1968 the first signs of Chaumonts built up area having reached the edges of the airfield could be seen (IGN, via Géoportail).

As late as the summer of 1971, the airfield still had the use of two runways. Four aircraft (including a dual engine type) can be seen in front of the hangars (IGN, via Géoportail).


By 1974, the airfield had lost the use of the secondary runway and construction was taking place on top of it. All the runway markers remained, though, including the '+' signs (instead of the more common 'X' that indicated this runway to be closed (IGN, via Géoportail).


In May 1978 the old runway markers of the secondary runway were still visible, but the airfield did not seem to have suffered from the loss of that runway, as can be seen from the aircraft operating from it in this photo (IGN, via Géoportail).


In 1985, the airfield had received a proper platform for its aircraft (IGN, via Géoportail).


By 1992, it was clear that the days of the airfield were numbered. New construction on the west side of the airfield had begun to encircle the hangars and the runway (IGN, via Géoportail).

 
Approach map of the airfield in 1995, its final year in operation (via Olivier)

The aeroclub remained here until 1995, when the airfield was closed, forcing all civilian aviation to the civilian side of Semoutiers. Although parts of the airfield were still recognisable in 2001 aerial photography, I could not find any photos of the airfield today (2013).


In 1995 the airfield was permanently closed, as can be seen in this June 1995 photo. Three large 'X'-markings indicated the runway as closed. Little time was wasted in annexing the airfield, splitting the runway in two (IGN, via Géoportail).


In this 2001 photo, the airfield had clearly disappeared. Not everything was gone though. The old hangar still remained, as did the platform. The runway was unrecognisable though (IGN, via Géoportail).