Houlton

Submitted by Michael Carey

Houlton is a small international airport, defined as having customs services. It is one of a few places where one can make an international jump if winds come from the east, exiting over New Brunswick and landing in the US. I was active there in summers from 1973 to 1984. It had a 15.000 ft runway, a leftover from WWII. There was a former POW camp nearby but long dismantled. A large hangar had an indoor packing area with 3 tables and tension plates- this was the era of rounds and the PC Mk I was king. Jump plane was a Cessna 172. The area between runways was cleared and open, making a large landing area. There was a small community of jumpers. A number of jumpers came from Loring, a now closed USAF bomber base 65 miles north.

Many of the more advanced came from Millenocket, where there was a small airport with a C172 that operated as a jump plane. It was a more enclosed area. Tree landings were common, and a large lake was nearby.