Andras Field history

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Andras Field was opened in 1943 as Machmaning Fliegerhorst and served as a reserve airbase for the Luftwaffe. In 1944 it was extended and was used until the last months of the war as a training base. It saw some amazing aircraft in those years as the jet and rocket fighters were tested there but as soon as the war ended everybody seemed to have lost interest. For three decades the airport was kept operational by the Luftwaffe but in 1976 it was finally put out of its misery and closed. The most exciting thing to happen to it between 1976 and 2004 was the fact that it was the location of one of the first sightings of wild wolves in Germany. That's how empty it was.

In 2004 however a local group of entrepreneurs saw the increase in small aviation and went looking for a location to start the first European Airpark. They noticed how in many European countries boating enthusiast would buy properties that were built around their hobby. In the US the same was happening with aviation. People would build a house ON an airfield and would have a hangar on their own property (just like a car garage) so they would just get in, taxi to the runway and take-off. The airfield would have all the servicing facilities and would have a good restaurant, small hotel etc. If you like a place where people with money would feel at home.

Machmaning Fliegerhorst was perfect for this with the location in the center of Europe (an hour to Milan, an hour to Paris etc) and the Andras Field GmbH was founded. In 2006 the building work started and in 2009 the airport was opened. Initial growth was not as fast as expected and at this moment there are still a lot of old military buildings on the field. Over time these will be replaced with modern structures. However the strange mix between old and new seems to be a bit like Andras Field itself. A modern organization with old fashioned neighborly people that all share the same love of aviation.

[CPDST 2]

Hi Mathjis,

Are those little boxes Air raid shelters or just dog kennels?

Cheers,

Craig Tatley

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Hi Mathjis,

Are those little boxes Air raid shelters or just dog kennels?

Cheers,

Craig Tatley

Munition storage units. They used those to keep a small supply close to the aircraft. But heck if the Russians would come in fast I assume they'll do a shelters as well!