Flugplatz Giessen

50°35'30"N 008°43'38"E

Runway: 08/26 - ...meter - grass

Airfield Giessen (German: Flugplatz Gießen or Giessen Army Air Field) was an annex to the north of the US Army depot on Gießens first airfield.
Around 1954 the airfield housed three aviation units, 18th Engineer Battalion (C) with one pilot and three engineers, the 594th Artillery Battalion with two pilots and some engineers sharing three L-19 aircraft, and the 5th Engineer Battalion (C) which had one pilot and three enlisted mechanics and a Bell H-13 helicopter.
There was a small civilian sports airfield located nortwest of the west end of the 1100ft (about 350meters) PSP landing strip, flying only gliders which were launched from a large ground winch.
The mission of the Engineers was to demolish bridges and tunnels in the event of a Soviet attack, their expected casualty rate was 95%.
The flying unit was responsible for flying staff personnel around the different locations of the Battallions
Navigation was difficult as it was done at low level by landmarks, railroads and roads as altitudes were limited to 3000 ft above sea level.
All airspace above 3000 ft was restricted and rigidly enforced, meaning that if you were flying over the Taunus Mountains at 2950 ft you would be buzzed by an F-86 that was checking you out.


Gießen AAF ca. 1955 (via USArmyGermany.com)

Today the military and civilian part of the airfield are merged into one. The former US Army facilities still exist today.


L-19 sitting at Gießen AAF ca. 1955 (via: source)