“According to an 11/22/30 Charlotte Observer article, Eagle Airport was established on 7/2/30 by the Eagle Aircraft Company. The earliest airfield directory entry which has been located for Eagle Airport was in The Airport Directory Company’s 1933 Airports Directory It described Eagle Airport as a commercial field located ½ mile north of Rocky Mount. The airfield was said to consist of a 4-acre rectangular sand & sod field, measuring 1,400′ by 1,200′. The 1934 Department of Commerce Airfield Directory listed Eagle Airport as a municipal airport, located “One mile north of Rocky Mount, just north of Tar River on west side of Highway #40.” The airfield was described as consisting of a rectangular sand & clay field, measuring 3,600′ north/south by 1,400′ east west. Hangars & buildings were said to be located along the southeast side.” [Source: Paul Freeman]
“The airport was evidently renamed Rocky Mount Municipal Airport at some point between 1934-36, as that is how it was labeled on a hangar pictured in the 1936 book “Emergency Relief in North Carolina”
Additional photos are from the 1937 and 1941 Air Directory Company’s Air Directories. The field was described as having a 3,600′ x 1,800′ sand & sod landing area. A single hangar was depicted on the east side of the field. The directory contained an advertisement for the Rocky Mount Flying Service. [Source: Paul Freeman]
The 1960 Jeppesen Airway Manual depicted Rocky Mount Municipal as having 2 paved runways (4,005′ Runway 15/33 & 3,785′ Runway 3/21), as well as a taxiway leading to a ramp on the southeast side of the field with a single building (a hangar?).
Rocky Mount Municipal Airport was described in the 1962 AOPA Airport Directory as having 2 paved runways, and the operator was listed as Rocky Mount Air Service. The Aerodromes table on the 1965 Norfolk Sectional Chart described Rocky Mount Municipal as having 2 asphalt runways, with the longest being 4,005′. [Source: Paul Freeman]
"I flew a Cessna 210 from Opa Locka up to RMT in 1967 & I landed on Runway 21. The next night, [I departed] off of Runway 3. The only buildings even then were the FBO right on US 301." [Source: Paul Freeman]
“Living in Nash County most of my life, my family made frequent trips to Rocky Mount in the 1960s through 1980s. I remember cropdusters & private aircraft flying out of there. I recall being on the airfield & seeing the cropdusters parked at hangars that backed up to a convenience store / gas station property adjoining Centura Highway which was Hardees Boulevard at that time.” [Source: Paul Freeman]
“On 5/11/68 I flew into Rocky Mount Municipal Airport aboard a Piedmont Airlines Martin 404. I was surprised that the airline was flying into a small field like this, which looked like a place I would fly the old Supercruiser I used back then. I noticed as the plane made it's turning taxi to the take-off runway (33 I think) I could see the Hardees headquarters building across the road. Also the stewardess, Kathy, asked if she could sit beside me, which she did the rest of the way to Raleigh-Durham. There was only 1 or 2 other passengers on the plane.” [Source: Paul Freeman]
The 1968 Flight Guide depicted Rocky Mount Municipal as having 2 paved runways: 4,000′ Runway 15/33 & 3,785′ Runway 3/21, as well as a taxiway leading to a ramp on the southeast side of the field with a single building (a hangar?). [Source: Paul Freeman]
In 1970, commercial air service moved from Rocky Mount Municipal Airport (RMT) to the newly constructed Rocky Mount Wilson Regional Airport (RWI). The new airport, located on the county line between three counties (Edgcombe, Nash, and Wilson Counties) was governed the newly established Rocky Mount Wilson Airport Authority.
Piedmont Airlines served RMT from 1961 to 1970 and RWI from 1970 to 1980. CCAir, operating as US Airways Express, later provided scheduled service to RWI, but traffic fell after the arrival of Southwest Airlines at nearby Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in 1999, which made flights from RDU relatively inexpensive. The US Airways Express service was suspended in March 2001 and replaced with shuttle bus service to RDU. [Sources: Wikipedia and Aviation View Magazine]
The last photos which have been located showing Rocky Mount Municipal Airport still in operation was a series of 1980 photos by Mike Massimini. [Source: Paul Freeman]
Past the Tri-Pacer you can see the cinderblock structure added on to the original hangar. There were offices as well. At the very left you can see the edge of the building Hardee's used as its headquarters. I worked for Air Care, Inc. at the time this airport was closed.
Mike continued, “This FBO had operations at both RMT & RWI, but all aircraft maintenance & administrative offices were at RMT. I flew Aztecs, a Seminole, a Bonanza, and a couple of Arrows while I was there, as well as the usual CFI stuff.
I last flew out of RMT on 9/16/80. The transition had been in progress for about a month & was completed a few days later. All operations at RMT ended, and the airport was officially closed. The crosswind Runway 15/33 had already been closed long before I started working there in March of 1980; departing [Runway] 15 would set you up for a buzz job of Hardee’s corporate headquarters which was across the street (Church Street / US 301) back then.
Nevertheless, we’d occasionally land on [Runway] 15 during periods of strong (favorable) winds. The fence northwest of the airport had a car-sized gap & unimproved access to this runway. Those of us living in this direction could take this short cut & drive down the closed runway to the FBO (looking both ways as we crossed [Runway] 3/21, of course). Not advisable in this day & age.” [Source: Paul Freeman]
The old KRMT airport in Rocky Mount... That was the airport for my hometown as I was growing up. The FBO at the airport from at least the early 1970s until the airport was closed was known as Air Care, Inc. There was also a crop duster operation there named Air-Ag, Inc. which was affiliated with the Air Care operation. [Source: Paul Freeman]
Ken continued, “These 2 operations moved to the new KRWI airport when it opened, but remained at the old municipal airport until it closed. The hangar from a 1930s photo remained in use until the airport was closed & remained the largest single building at the airport. However, a few smaller facilities were constructed.
All of the additional buildings were aligned along the eastern side of Runway 03/21 so that it would have access to Business 321 highway. Interestingly, during this time, the headquarters of Hardees was located across 321 from the airport. My dad worked there as a restaurant manager.
The additional airport buildings were 2 single-story facilities that served as the FBO management building and pilot briefing room & lounge for the Air Care & Air-Ag operations. The Air Care FBO office was next to the large hangar in [the] 1930s photo, and was across a small parking lot off 321 about 75 yards southwest of that hangar.
Another single-story structure was located about 200 yards northeast of the large hangar and served as the headquarters building for the Air-Ag operation. The Piper Pawnee & Cessna aircraft were parked on the grass next to this one office. General aviation parking was in an open apron located on the west side of the large hangar & extending SW to the FBO building.
From RMT is where I took my very first airplane ride on my 16th birthday back on 6/7/79. It was in a Piper 4-seat model, likely Archer or Cherokee.” [Source: Paul Freeman]
Most of the information in the above timeline was sourced from Paul Freeman’s website on Abandoned and Little Known Airports. Mr. Freeman’s efforts and his website are self-funded. If you’ve enjoyed reading about the history of RMT and RWI, please consider visiting his site and making a donation.
