General
Until 1945, Erlangen was a landing ground. After 1945 the area was used by the US Army as Ferris Barracks, which included an airfield for light aircraft and helicopters.
Over the years, flight operations were more and more reduced. During the 1960s, the field could be used without limitations. Since mid of the 1970s, landing of fixed-wing aircraft was subject to prior permission. But there were still scheduled operation hours. From the early 1980s, Erlangen was completely closed for fixed-wing aircraft. There were no scheduled operation hours and the airfield was unattended. Helicopters had a marked landing spot on the runway. From the mid 1980s, the runway was closed and helicopters were to land on the parking lot 20 m east of the flag pole.
With the withdrawal of the US troops in the mid 1990s, Ferris Barracks and the helipad were finally closed. Today, parts of the area belong to the Röthelheimpark industrial estate. The runway is completely renaturated. Individual buildings from the barracks can still be found.