In 1944 an estimated crowd at 7,000 attended the opening day celebration (above)
of Henry Troh’s Skyport airport located at Southeast 156th, north of Division Street
in Portland.

Troh’s Air Taxi services included a G.I Bill flight school, Piper aircraft sales, aerial
photography, advertising with lighted aircraft and banner towing, ambulance and 
charter flights.

Blimps, such as the Mobilgas blimp seen above, were based at Troh’s when special events brought them to Portland. 

A photo of the last plane to depart Henry Troh’s Skyport, The construction
of a new retirement community forced the airport to close in June of 1959.

The earliest view of Troh’s Airport is this 1935 aerial view taken by Henry
Troh from his CK Bird biplane showing the unique octagonal hanger.

An early 1946 aerial view of Troh’s Airport, before it became the Division
Street Airport. It ceased operations by 1954.

Henry “Hank” Troh was a pioneer in Portland’s early days of civil aviation. From the
mid-1930’s until his death in 1968, Hank built & operated 3 separate airfields where
he made his living providing pilots with a full range of aviation services.

His first airport (above) was located at 181st and Division Street in Gresham on an
old dairy farm. Troh made the small landing facility for his CK Bird bi-plane. He grew
the airport business offering rides with the slogan ‘Time Flies, Why Don’t You?’.”

Henry Troh was recognized as the Guru of Flight by his students and friends, forging
the future of general aviation with his passion for flight.

“Henry Troh’s daughter, Viola Troh Gabel, has written a 350 page book detailing her
father’s aviation contributions entitled ‘Time Flies’.

Henry Troh

Possibly a late 1930s photo of Henry Troh’s 1931 CK Bird bi-plane in front
of the Airport barn / hangar. He was the first to land on the completed
surface of Portland International Airport with the plane.

Wes Lematta flying over the frame of his new Swan Island headquarters,
May 2, 1962.

A July 18, 1962 aerial view of the grand opening of Wes Lematta’s Columbia Helicopters’ Swan Island facility. The company was originally established at
Troutdale Airport in 1957.

Columbia Helicopters’ chairman and founder Wes Lematta
learned to fly after WW ll using the G.I Bill. He passed away
in 2009.

Wes Lematta providing flight instruction in a Columbia Helicopters Hughes 
269 in 1963

United Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania