In 1941, the United States Government leased the airport from the town of Bar Harbor and constructed new runways and facilities to support naval operations. The completed airport consisted of three runways, blimp mooring facilities, and a seaplane ramp and parking apron. During World War II, the airport supported six OS2U Kingfisher aircraft that were used for scout observation and offshore patrols for German shipping, usually submarines. In the later years of the war, the airport was also used for the training of British and Canadian pilots in basic carrier operating procedures.
At the end of WWII, the US government terminated the lease and essentially gave the airport back to the Town of Bar Harbor. The Town of Bar Harbor continued to own and operate the airport until March 20, 1962, when the town council and the Hancock County Commissioners agreed to transfer ownership of the Airport to Hancock County with oversight and authority by the Hancock County Commissioners just as it exists today.
Dream Realized-Dream Lost, Hancock County Bar Harbor Airport 1934-1984 (By Nathaniel R. Fenton)
©2024 The Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport
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