SELKIRK — The presence of World War II and aviation history can still be felt at the South Albany Airport, whether looking out at the paved runway that was formerly a utilitarian grass strip or seeing the vintage airplane restorations in the hangars.
“The Town of Bethlehem holds a historic place in the development of aviation,” said Town Historian William Ketzer. “World War II was the catalyst for many economic developments in town, and the phenomenon of flight was no exception.”
In 1942, William Van Valkenburg bought property in Selkirk near Jericho Road. Its use as an airfield was approved in 1946, and by 1947, his goal for the property had come to fruition.
“He made it a public-use airport back then,” said South Albany Airport Owner and President Ted Zabinski.
In keeping with the spirit of the original vision, South Albany Airport remains a privately owned public-use airport, one of the few remaining since the World War II era.
“Unfortunately, there have been some airports that have closed. Many of the privately owned, public-use airports are no longer in existence. There are only a handful left in the state. It’s sad, but we manage to keep it going here. We want to keep this going for as long as we can,” said Zabinski.
“Many aren’t aware, however, that we had at least three other small airports in Bethlehem,” said Ketzer.
Local resident Shelly Edmondson owned an airport that served private owners and held flying lessons, located on Pictuay Road near Route 9W. The land is now owned by Bethlehem Industrial Park.
During that same time-frame, Ralph Mosher built a small airstrip called Tri-Village Airport after getting permission from the Town of New Scotland in 1947 and leasing property from the McBride family on New Scotland Road.
Sam Italiano and Dominic Chiore operated an airfield that was called the Normanskill Airport, positioned only two miles from Tri-Village. Italiano, who was also Van Valkenburg’s flight instructor, bought the South Albany Airport from him in 1959.
Italiano passed away in a car crash in 1971. Until 1978, his wife, Dorothy, owned the airport before deciding to sell the business to a group of local private enthusiasts and shareholders.
Now Ted and Kathy Zabinski own the South Albany Airport.
“Not many people can say they own an airport!” said Ted Zabinski. “And there’s a reason why — it’s a lot of work to maintain it. It keeps us busy for sure.”
The airport remains active with passionate local pilots and with the hosting of a flight school, Hewison Aviation. Beginning in 2014 at the South Albany Airport, with a second location opening in 2022 in Rome at Griffiss International Airport, Hewison Aviation’s airplanes are stored in the long hangars that stretch out into the property’s scenic fields.
Vice President and Secretary Kathy Zabinski said there are plans to expand with “even more hangers,” to match the growing need to accommodate the avid interest in flight.
“We’ve grown exponentially throughout the years,” said Operations Manager Maura Hewison. “Once we opened up after COVID-19, we really blew up. We went from signing up one student every two to three weeks to signing up eight students in one week. I look forward to seeing where it’s going to go.”
South Albany Airport has expanded even further to include a hangar and station for an aircraft that pilot Benjamin Davenport referred to as “a flying ICU.”
LifeNet helicopters, or air ambulances, have been stationed for eight years now at the South Albany Airport. Previously a civilian-trained pilot before joining LifeNet, Davenport has been stationed there for five years. The company is typically divided between military and civilian pilots.
The helicopter at the South Albany Airport is one of 11 LifeNet has located throughout the state, from Newburgh to Watertown to Cornell. They will fly to Boston, Rochester or Buffalo, bringing patients to the nearest appropriate airport.
“We’re pretty spread out, so we can get a wide footprint,” explained Davenport.
LifeNet helicopters are designed for intensive care throughout the transport and are qualified for a variety of medical procedures onboard, including neonatal care and transferring patients to the Westchester Medical Center Trauma and Burn Center.
“During the summer, we do two to three missions a day over a 24-hour period,” said Davenport.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Davenport described the experience as “surreal.”
“In April of 2020, we would fly down to JFK, which is usually a busy airspace,” he said. “But it wasn’t; it was extremely quiet. We would pick up COVID patients, bring them up here, then go back to get another one.”
In addition to housing the helicopter and LifeNet station at South Albany Airport, the airport is also used as a refueling stop for the other LifeNet helicopters in the state.
Whether a pilot is on a life-saving mission or learning how to fly for the first time, South Albany Airport has evolved to accommodate the changing times. Recently, the airport celebrated its 75th anniversary as a public-use airport. The airport held a Wings and Wheels event, with Zabinski commenting on the “really nice turnout” to support the airport.
The South Albany Airport has not been officially historically recognized yet, but the Zabinskis built their own sign to commemorate the property. They hope it will be formally recognized in the future.
“A lot of people have a lot of heart invested in this,” said Hewison. “They wanted to keep that small-town family feel to it, and they do a really good job at that.”
“Sometimes people that live right in this area don’t even know that the airport is here,” said Zabinski. “We’re a hidden gem here.”