Molokai

Kalaupapa Airport

  • The Territorial Aeronautical Commission considered in December 1929 that if the baseball field at Kalaupapa was cleared of stones and the take-off lengthened about 250 or 300 feet, it would give the Territory a good emergency landing field on the island.  The work on the field would be done by patient labor, not to exceed $500.  There was almost a constant wind at the upper end of the field.  However, it was decided that no steps would be taken to acquire the field until a letter came from the superintendent of the Leper Settlement. In January 1930, the Board of Health agreed to pay half of the cost of developing the field.
  • Kalaupapa Airport Air Traffic Statistics

Molokai Airport (Hoolehua Airport)

  • On July 15, 1927, aviators Emory Bronte and Ernest Smith made history when they crashed their Travelair monoplane City of Oakland into kiawe trees on the southeast coast of Molokai.  It was the first successful trans-Pacific flight by civilians.  The pair was expected to land at Wheeler Field on Oahu, but ran out of fuel over Molokai causing them to crash land.  Neither was hurt although their plane was totaled. The men were in the air 24 hours before they ran out of gas.
  • Governor’s Executive Orders Molokai Airport
  • Molokai Airport Air Traffic Statistics

Pukoo Airport

  • In 1947, the Territorial Superintendent of Public Works proposed constructing a Class I airport at Pukoo, Molokai.

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