Berz-Macomb Airport

**boater4life** · February-22-15, 02:01 PM

Anyone remember that airport, it was located between 22 and 23 mile between Hayes and Romeo plank. I grew up not far from here and always remember seeing small planes going to and from the airport. I was just reading an article the other day about 2 men who survived a plane crash back in 1985 I think it was and it reminded me of the airport. Does anybody remember the airport or know why the airport closed in 2002? Or just have any memories of it?

**Gpwrangler** · February-22-15, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by boater4life

Anyone remember that airport, it was located between 22 and 23 mile between Hayes and Romeo plank. I grew up not far from here and always remember seeing small planes going to and from the airport. I was just reading an article the other day about 2 men who survived a plane crash back in 1985 I think it was and it reminded me of the airport. Does anybody remember the airport or know why the airport closed in 2002? Or just have any memories of it?

Anna Main, the owner, died and it was sold.

**Gpwrangler** · February-22-15, 03:09 PM

Oops, wrong airport. There were actually two airports called Berz, and one I think called Big Beaver or something like that.

**Ltdave** · February-22-15, 06:50 PM

my understanding is that the owner was old and their kids wanted the land for condos so when they got it, they developed it into condos. or mcmansions....

**Detroitnerd** · February-22-15, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by Ltdave

my understanding is that the owner was old and their kids wanted the land for condos so when they got it, they developed it into condos. or mcmansions....

I had a relative buy a house across the road from it about 2000 or so. Then a few years later it was gone and developed. I think it's a McMansion sprawlsub now. Woohoo! GROWTH!

**Elevator Fan** · February-22-15, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by Gpwrangler

Oops, wrong airport. There were actually two airports called Berz, and one I think called Big Beaver or something like that.

Anna Main owned Big Beaver Airport, on the southwest corner of Big Beaver and John R. It closed in 1997.

Berz Troy Airport survives as Oakland Troy Airport on the southeast corner of Maple and Coolidge. Prior to the construction of the Walmart shopping center and the Rockwell and Allen Bradley office buildings, the terminal was originally on Maple. They downsized the airport and moved the terminal, but it still operates.

**Hermod** · February-23-15, 05:24 AM

Somewhere on Stephenson Highway between 12 and 15 Mile, there was a factory and the owner had built an airstrip in front of it. He used to keep his plane at one end of the strip in good weather.

**mikeg19** · February-23-15, 06:50 AM

The Macomb airport site has been mostly developed, although nothing close to a "McMansion" in those subdivisions. All midsize housing, and I believe Pulte did a lot of the construction, so that should tell you something about the quality of those homes. The northeast corner of that land up on 23mile and Hayes was going to be developed into a large shopping center with a Kohl's as anchor before the crash happened, and all that site there today is utilities and half paved roadways to it.

**the rock** · February-23-15, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Elevator Fan

Anna Main owned Big Beaver Airport, on the southwest corner of Big Beaver and John R. It closed in 1997.

Berz Troy Airport survives as Oakland Troy Airport on the southeast corner of Maple and Coolidge. Prior to the construction of the Walmart shopping center and the Rockwell and Allen Bradley office buildings, the terminal was originally on Maple. They downsized the airport and moved the terminal, but it still operates.

Berz airport was initially located on E. Maple, about a mile or so East of the GT RR track overpass at Eaton Road. It was owned by Ted Berz Sr. I went thru the Bham school system with his sin Ted Jr. His Dad gave us a ride in an Aronca Champion when we were in the 4th grade. My first time up in the air, so many years ago, but I remember it well.

**1953** · February-23-15, 12:49 PM

I grew up right by Berz Macomb. Wish it was still there. The planes use to fly over my house and I'd listen to them as a boy, hoping they wouldn't crash into my house. The houses on that airport now stink.

1953

**rbdetsport** · February-23-15, 07:06 PM

I grew up [[and my parents still live) in the subdivision south of the former Berz-Macomb Airport between 21 and 22 Mile Roads, east of Hayes Road. I used to love the small planes flying overhead. I have vivid memories of summer nights, in both our original house and our new house in that subdivision, playing outside with friends and looking up at and hearing the occasional plane flying above. I was fortunate to have met the Berz family, as my dad flew small planes from the airport. My mom would bring us outside and point up to the plane and tell us that our dad was flying it. I was able to fly in a plane out of the airport the summer they closed [[my mom was against my dad taking my sister and I flying, so my dad was not the pilot). Shortly after the airport closed, I have an amazing memory of my dad and I racing our bikes down the runway. We were all very sad to see the airport go. The family sold the land for a lot of money and it is now half Pulte homes and half a different developer. I was pissed off to find out that none of the street names or anything in the subdivision would relate to the fact that there was formerly an airport in its place. It was also interesting to notice that for some time after the airport closed, there would be an occasional plane flying overhead, likely not knowing the airport had closed.