Airport and Aviation photos from
The Portal to Texas History (unless otherwise noted)
Austin's First Municipal Airport
From
Austin Treasures - Online Exhibits from the Austin History Center
More info on the above photo:
Quote:
Austin's first Municipal Airport was dedicated on October 14, 1930. The selection of the site for the facility was a much simpler process in the 1920s than it is today. After searching all of Travis County, the site selection committee, composed of Chamber of Commerce Manager Walter Long and civic leaders Max Bickler and Julian Baldwin, settled on a 190-acre cotton field. Its major attraction was proximity to the already established Austin Air Service. After receiving federal approval, City Council voted to purchase the recommended site. Council sentiment, however, favored the purchase of only 80 of the 190 available acres. Councilmember Dave Reed, perhaps more enthusiastic about the future of aviation than his colleagues, persuaded the Council to approve purchase of the entire 190 acres. An additional 150 acres on which the City held an option was included later.
"At that time the field had gravel runways and was equipped with a gasoline pump and a small office building on the northeast side. The agreement called for twenty-four hour service on the field. The major employee was Reagan B. Dickard, who was a pilot. Burck Smith was the other employee…The salaries ran on a monthly basis. The only profit was an occasional sale of a tank of gasoline. After a year's time and a $2,000 loss I resigned as manager." John D. Miller, First Airport Manager, quoted in Wings Over Austin.
|
Aerial View from a 1938 Directory
From
Abandoned & Little Known Airfields
(The Abandoned & Little Known Airfields site has a lot of good info & numerous photos on Mueller and other airports in the Austin area, including a University Airport that was apparently owned by U.T.)
According to the above site, Braniff began the first passenger service in Austin on January 1, 1936.
Photo of a Braniff DC-4, the 1st DC-4 in Austin, Texas - 1946
extra-large photo
This next photo doesn't specifically say it was taken in Austin, but the holding partner for the photo is the Austin Public Library. I'm posting it anyway, 'cause I think it's hilarious. Check out the little boy in shorts on the left. That little outfit and pose is just too much. I was that same kid about 12 years later, only my outfit would have been a turtleneck, bell bottoms, a medallion, and one of those fringe leather suede vests.
Kids Boarding Plane. Kids wait with pilot, flight crew to board Trans-Texas Airlines - 1956
extra-large photo
According to the Abandoned & Little Known Airfield site, in 1956 the city extended Mueller's runway to 7,629' to accomodate jet traffic. The original site was expanded to 711 acres by acquiring adjoining land.
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport Terminal Under Construction
From
Abandoned & Little Known Airfields
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. Lester Palmer at dedication ceremony for new terminal - 1961
(From
airportjournals.com
extra-large photo
The original "new terminal" only had a covered walkway (the airside pier) out to the planes from the central building with it's distinctive scalloped roof front. It was that way until the early 1970's.
Gate 2 - Robert Mueller Municipal Airport - 1961
extra-large photo
Customers wait in line at ticket counter at Mueller Airport - 1965
extra-large photo
Shot of customers, employees from behind the check-in counter at Mueller Airport - 1965
extra-large photo
Passengers and crew wave goodbye on the tarmac before departure at Mueller Airport - 1965
extra-large photo
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport - early 1960's
From
austinpostcard.com
Control Tower - Robert Mueller Municipal Airport - early 1960's
From
austinpostcard.com
While President Johnson was in office, Braniff ran 1 daily nonstop from Austin to Washington Dulles on a 727.
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport - early 1970's
From
austinpostcard.com
In the early 1970's a second level was added over the airside pier and connected to the main terminal. A new sloping ramp was built connecting the main terminal with 6 upper-level gate holdrooms, all equipped with jetway loading bridges. God I remember walking up that sloping ramp to the gates when it was raining outside and seeing buckets everywhere and water stains on the ceiling towards the end. And the bluebonnets that hung upside down from the ceiling at the entrance to the ramp - does anyone remember those?
A 5-gate 'rotunda' was added to the end of the passenger pier in the early 1980s to accommodate the extra airlines that came in after dregulation in 1978.
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport - 1980's
From
Abandoned & Little Known Airfields
In the mid-1980s, the city of Austin abandoned plans to construct a new terminal & parallel runway and instead began searching for a site to build a replacement airport. In the meantime, they approved a 'stopgap' bond package to allow for improvements at Mueller. Southwest, which had become the airport's largest carrier, opened its own 'unit terminal' in 1988. Known as the East Terminal, it featured 4 jetway-equipped gates & a single large departure lounge, constructed above new ticket counters & operations offices. The arrival & departure roadways were also widened & redesigned.
Aerial View - late 1990's
From
Abandoned & Little Known Airfields
Aerial View in 2000 after Mueller's closure
From
Abandoned & Little Known Airfields
