Neukuhren (Пионерский - Kuršiai)

54°56'46"N 020°14'38"E

Runway: flying field - 1000x900meters/...feet - grass

Air field Neukuhren (German: Fliegerhorst Neukuhren, Russian: аэродрома "Пионерский", Lithuanian: Kuršiai) was an airfield to the northwest of Königsberg, todays Kaliningrad.
The airfield opened in 1940 just south of the small German town Neukuhren. It was home to Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 10 and FFS (Flugzeugführerschule) A 125 (later A/B 125). One of the Flying School students was Erich Hartmann, who ultimately became a German ace with 352 aerial victories. Between April 1941 and January 1942 1. and 2. Staffel (squadron) of JG54 "Grünherz" were stationed at the airfield. In August 1942 FFS (Flugzeugführerschule) A/B 11 transferred to the airfield. JG1 was at the base from late January until early February 1945.


Fliegerhorst Neukuhren, presumably late 1930s (lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de).


German soldiers in front of a Junkers W.34 on a snow covered Neukuhren in February 1942 (forum.kenig.org).

Neukuhren fell to the Red Army's 103 Infantry Corps of the 3rd Belorussian Front in the afternoon of 14 April 1945. As part of the Russification of East-Prussia the town and its airfield were renamed Pionerskiy (Пионерский). The name was chosen in honour of a childrens health center that had been formed in the town earlier that year. The airfield was pressed into use by DOSAAF, the Soviet flight school and recreational flying organisation.  Gliders and aircraft such as Yak-18 and An-2 flew from the airfield. When the local head of the flight school died during an accident the flight school seized to exist in 1969.


DOSAAF glider at Neukuhren/Pionerskiy (forum.kenig.org).

It is not clear what happened to the airfield after that. From aerial photography of 2003, we can see that parts of the northwest side airfield had been built over with apartment buildings. Major portions of the airfield still existed, although it is unclear what their state was. Over the next 4 years construction had not changed. In 2011 photos shot on the ground emerged showing a very deteriorated airfield.


Former Luftwaffe hangar on the south side of Pionerskiy in 2011


The abandoned platform on the south side of Pionerskiy in 2011


This derelict Sukhoi Su-17 was photographed on the southwest side of Pionerskiy in 2011 (forum.kenig.org).


Remains of the taxi tracks of Pionerskiy in 2011 (forum.kenig.org).