Trondheim Airport, Lade

Lade Airport (Lade flyplass, Lade flugplatz) was an air station and later civilian airport located at Lade in Trondheim, Norway. The facility was built during World War II in 1940, and was demolished in 1965.

The airport was also served by Trondheim flyklubb, NTH flyklubb, Trønderfly and Widerøe. After the demolish, the area has been converted to a sports venue (Lade Anlegget) and a range of industrial and commercial facilities, including the shopping center City Lade. Some of the hangars remain.

History


Civilian aviation in Trøndelag started in 1937, when Norwegian Air Lines (DNL) started seaplane services from Ilsvika and Jonsvannet in Trondheim. The first landing at Lade took place on 9 April 1940, during the German invasion of Norway, when the German pilot Feldwebel Nowak conducted an emergency landing with his Junkers Ju 52. He secured the area and later that day seven more aircraft landed in the fields. Trondheim became a strategically important city as it hosted both a shipyard and a submarine pen, Dora 1. Construction of an airfield at Lade started in 1940 to allow a detachment of fighter jets to protect the city from Allied attacks. In April 1940 the Wehrmacht demanded that 500 men be made available immediately to build the airport, and 2000 men within short time. If the local authorities were not able to manage this, the Germans threatened to lock down the city and shoot anyone attempting to leave. The runway was 1180 by; the surface was mostly concrete with parts made of wood.

The airport was bombed by the Royal Air Force's Beaufighters by the 248 and 235 Squadron in April 1942. As of 1943 Lade stationed the staff of IV/Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG5) with their twelve Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 aircraft and a detachment of 10/JG5 of five Bf 109G-6s. In 1944 and 1945 Lade was the base of staff for JG5 and IV/Zerstörergeschwader 26, as well as Messerschmitt Bf 110G from the latter. Transportgeschwader 5 had Ju 52s stationed at Lade during 1944.

DNL resumed services to Trondheim from 1945, at first using Trondheim Airport, Hommelvik, a water aerodrome. DNL merged to create Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in 1951. The next year SAS moved all its operations to Værnes. Vestlandske Luftfartsselskap continued to use Hommelvik for some more year. The municipal borders of Trondheim were expanded in 1952, and all of Lade became part of Trondheim. The airport was the only suitable industrial area within Trondheim and from the 1950s a discussion arose as to whether to use the land for industry or keep the airport. The debate was intensified in 1954 following Nidar moving its plant to Strindheim, then in the separate municipality of Strinda. Trondheim's concern became that they could lose tax income if industrial companies moved to Strinda and other neighboring municipalities.

Braathens SAFE started services from Trondheim to Oslo Airport, Fornebu on 9 May 1952, using de Havilland Heron aircraft. Regular services started on 18 August 1953, and continued until 1956, when Braathens SAFE moved its services to Værnes.

With the closing of the airport, several locals took initiative to establish another airport closer to Trondheim. Heimdal was proposed as a site which would be closer than Værnes, but nothing has ever come of the plans.