Portland International Airport is owned and operated by the:
Portland International Airport is owned and operated by the:
Built: 1960
Location: 7505 NE Airport Way at Portland International Airport
Background: Due to the rapid expansion of Portland International Airport and the Army Air Base in the 1940s and 50s, Flightcraft was forced to move its operations at the airport six times between 1948 and 1958. In 1960, Flightcraft secured a 30-year lease along what is now NE Airport Way and began construction on its new headquarters. Flightcraft’s new headquarters included the “A” Hangar, three T-hangars, and another hangar that was moved from a previous location. The new headquarters reportedly cost $250,000 to complete and could handle more than 100 private planes.
The Flightcraft “A” Hangar was a two and one-half story, wood framed, and glue-laminated (glulam) timber structure constructed in 1960 to house Flightcraft’s Fixed Base Operator (FBO) facilities including a private aircraft distributorship, terminal, parts and service facilities, and offices. The glulam arches facing north and south and the italicized Flightcraft logo framed within the arches became a familiar landmark to those approaching the Portland International Airport. Although the hangar was remodeled in the 1980s and 1990s, overall, Flightcraft’s “A” Hangar retained historical integrity. The hangar’s center aircraft bay was used for aircraft maintenance and as a private aircraft showroom. The hangar’s two-story wings provided space for sales and business offices, a parts department, workshops, and a terminal for passengers and pilots. Flightcraft ceased using the facility for maintenance after constructing new, larger facilities that could accommodate modern airplanes in 2002. The old hangar was then used for aircraft storage and office space. The Fightcraft “A” Hangar was demolished in 2020.
Architectural significance: Flightcraft is a Pacific Northwest-based private aviation business that was founded by Silas King, a local aviation enthusiast, in 1948. As one of just a few FBO’s at the Portland International Airport, the company provided hangar space for private aircraft, offered airplane maintenance services, and was the northwest distributor for Beechcraft airplanes. The hangar was designed by Portland architect Raymond O. Marks and built by Teeples & Thatcher, a Portland commercial contracting company. James G. Pierson, a Registered Engineer, created the plans for the center span, which was made from glulam lumber sourced locally from Weyerhaeuser mills. Structural engineer, James G. Pierson, likely knew architect Marks from their associations both working for the USACE in Portland prior to World War II (U.S. Bureau of Census 1940). During World War II, Pierson worked as an engineer in the shipyards, and began his own firm, first known as Pierson and Tidball in 1945. Marks and Pierson teamed up on this project in the late 1950s. Pierson worked on many projects in Oregon, one of his most notable projects was Salishan Lodge near Lincoln City. Pierson died at the age of 57 in 1968 (Oregonian 1968).
Glulam structures and the arch form became popular for large open spaces after their first introduction in the U.S. in 1934 in an experimental building in Wisconsin (Bucher 2012:71-76). First patented in Germany by Otto Karl Freidrich Hetzer in 1901, German engineer Max Hanisch introduced the structure to the United States. Improvements to glulam timber continued including water-resistant adhesives which allowed the engineered timbers to be exposed to the exterior elements. Glulam arched buildings gained attention for their strength, ability to span large open spaces, and fire-resistance. Many were incorporated into World War II building designs (Linville 2007). Glulam arches became an important engineering feature in churches, school facilities, warehouses, and aircraft hangars for their aesthetics and utility (Watters 1950:273).
The opening of “A” Hangar in 1961 was celebrated with an aviation trade fair featuring large historic airplanes, giving Flightcraft the chance to showcase its brand-new, 180-foot-long airplane hangar, with its modern design and vast interior space. Flightcraft’s “A” Hangar was built to accommodate aircraft the size of the DC-7, one of the last large piston engine airplanes to be produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company. By the 1970’s Flightcraft’s sales and services spread across Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Northern Idaho.
Flightcraft “A” Hangar aerial view, looking southwest, ca. 1973.
Flightcraft facilities in 1962. Photo courtesy of Oregon Historical Society.
1963 aerial view of Flightcraft’s facilities looking westward towards the Portland International Airport terminal.
1963 aerial view of Flightcraft’s facilities showing the “A” Hangar, the three rectilinear t-hangars, and the relocated hangar in the foreground.
Flightcraft “A” Hangar overview showing its east and north façades, the view is towards the southwest.
Elevations of Flightcraft “A” Hangar showing the service wings, and early entrance design that was revised before construction.
Aerial view of the two military hangars at the western edge of the field; both of which were home to Flightcraft in the late 1940s.
Aerial view of Portland International Airport ca. 1960. “A” Hangar lower right.
1961, photo courtesy of The Oregonian.
