H-e-e-e-r-e’s Vickie and Tiny Tim with Johnny Carson

 
The Spruce Goose today at the Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon

   

Charles Lincoln Van Doren turned 86 in February.Today, both 
both Van Doren and his wife, Gerry, are adjunct professors 
English at the University of Connecticut, Torrington branch. 

In 1968 Troh’s Nest was built on the east side of Scouter’s Mountain and was the 
third and last of Henry Troh’s Portland area airports. His home, pictured in the  
in the foreground, was used to run a successful charter business from the 
airport until his untimely passing at 57 from a brain tumor in 1968.

The airport was re-classified as public in 1977 and is known as Troh’s Memorial
Air Park / Happy Valley Airport Happy Valley, OR.

As of 2012, Happy Valley Airport is no longer depicted on Sectional Charts, but
continues to be listed in the FAA Airport/Facility Directory data as an active private airfield with 3 aircraft based on the field (2 single-engine, and 1 helicopter). The site
of Happy Valley Airport is located east of the intersection of Southeast Vrandenburg Road & Southeast Airport Road,

Aerial view looking south at the former Troh house, hangar, and runway at Happy Valley, 2011.

Henry “Hank” Troh is the 2012 Oregon
Aviation Hall of Fame Inductee

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.