Work on the new Cumberland Airport continued with new pavement, parking areas, and increased runway length. This undertaking, to be called the Cumberland Municipal Airport, would become the fourth to serve the Cumberland area, following the US Army Government Field, the Mexico Farms Airport (moved slightly from the Government Field site), and the new Cumberland Airport at Pinto. Of the previous three only the Mexico Farms grass field continues as an operational airport. But times were changing and the need for a newer airport able to accommodate increased activity and larger aircraft existed. This encouraged many armed services aircraft to visit which created new interest for the local citizens. Old pictures of aircraft visiting the newer airport include: P-51 fighters, a P-47 fighter, B-24 Liberator bombers, both Army and Navy types, B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, AT-6 Texans, a Cessna Bobcat AT-17, various Twin Beechcraft, a Navy Consolidated Catalina PBY amphibious flying boat, Navy Grumman Hellcat fighters and Avenger TBF torpedo bombers. Usually the aircraft were parked in a location so as to be visible to an interested and viewing public.
These photos, all taken at Cumberland, were WW II aircraft that landed at various times following the opening of the new airport. Top from left to right are a group of P-51’s, and Navy Hellcats. On the second row is a Consolidated Privateer (Navy’s version of the B-24) and a Consolidated PBY. On the bottom row is an Army Air Force Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, and a Navy Grumman Avenger.
Since the airport was close to the city and many of the surrounding towns, it was a quick drive to the airport. Six large concrete block type T hangars were erected on the southwest side of runway 24. Construction of a maintenance hangar and ramp area, a small terminal building, and a row of fifteen T-hangars (which still exist today) changed the landscape. That construction and other improvements continued well into 1946.
This view of the Cumberland Municipal Airport, taken about 1950, depicts the final runway layout. The longest one mile main runway was 06/24, with the other two being RW 10/28 and 01/19. Note the hangar complex in the lower right corner. Also, clearly depicted is the Western Maryland railroad tracks passing under the main runway and the ground fill necessary to cover the valley that previously existed.
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Wings Over Cumberland 