Airport Stories - Berlin Tempelhof Airport

By popular demand, today I'll be casting my eye over the long and varied history of Berlin Tempelhof Airport, once the gateway to the German capital and a symbol of freedom against a backdrop of war and division.

The views and opinions expressed in this video are my personal appraisal and are not the views and opinions of any of these individuals or bodies who have kindly supplied me with footage and images.

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Thanks again, everyone, and enjoy! :D

References:
- Tempelhof Projekt GmbH (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references)

[nickh]

I remember arriving into Tempelhof in the late sixties. That enormous curved terminal seemed so imposing as we taxied towards it. The aircraft stopped and we disembarked UNDER COVER.
Wow, that was truly impressive.

[joebond]

My daughter and I went on a 2 hour guided tour of the airport this week, it is a fascinating structure, the scale of which is amazing. The site is well worth a visit if in Berlin.

[jakubb]

My grandma remembers this airport when her flight was hijacked. She was a flight attendant based in Gdansk, and it always seemed the Gdansk flights getting hijacked, she says after the 2nd hijacking she wasn't even suprised about it, as it was the easiest way to cross the iron curtain

[asasou]

I served at Tempelhof from 61 to 64. Thank you for this histoy.

[Chuckish]

It's also been used for the last couple of years as the site for the Berlin Formula E race weekend, with part of the track going under the overhang.

[studebaker]

Excellent video, very interesting, and the absence of any music enhances your wonderful narration. Thank you.

[mohabatkhanmalak]

I have not been to Tempelhof, but remember reading about it in newspapers, magazines and various articles in the 1970's -90's. The archetecture was a masterstroke of Ernst Sagebiel.

[dennishinds]

Was stationed in Berlin 1975 to 1978 Tempelhof was a very interesting building and wathching your video brought back fond memories thank you

[johnbecker]

I was stationed in the barracks there in 1982 before moving into an apartment in the Schonefeld district of Berlin. Such an incredible city. Wonderful people.

[mreddy]

Thank you for this history lesson. Very much appreciated.

[drstevenrey]

It's Sunday, and I can't stop binge watching this channel. Subed immediately. Great documentaries. Very nice.

[mgtowp.l.]

A Excellent Video.. Highly Recommended.. Thank You Very Much For Sharing..

[karrolsmulovic]

Was a lifetime wish to visit Tempelhof, my friends and I landed in their PA 28 Warrior a few weeks before it closed in 2008. Is my prized logbook entry. The apron was a huge parking lot covered in light aircraft. The interior of the building was amazing.

[carygrant]

I believe I may have been one of the last pilots to ever receive a corridor check before the corridors were abandoned with the re-unification. I have a great picture of our squadron’s C-20 sitting under the cover while we waited for Chancellor Kohl. We had no idea what was about to take place but evidently the leadership of Germany understood as we were kept busy flying both the Chancellor and President Weisacker into the city since they were forbidden from flying on a West German aircraft. Several years before this, I flew a C-141 into the airport and was amazed you could see people’s TV through the apartment windows on either side of the flight path as you approached the runways. It was a tight fit. I remember the base commander telling me there were lowers levels of the building that were flooded and no one knew what was down there. I was amazed and still awed by the size of the terminal.

[catallaxy]

Excellent video, thank you. I enjoyed using Tempelhof when I was living in Berlin because it was so central and convenient to get to with the subway. I remember thinking, every major city ought to have a Tempelhof like airport, right in the middle of the city.

[Tallandcharming]

Another great video, so informative thank you 😊

[johnglover]

Great video. I was station in Berlin from 1975 to 1977.I flew into the airport many times.Also, went to social events at the Silverwings.

[DanTheCaptain]

If I could go back in time, one of the aviation relating things I’d do (besides fly on Concorde and fly into Hong Kong Kai Tak), is fly in on a commercial flight into here because of how unique this place was!

[nigelcharlton-wright]

Thank you for the interesting upload. Glad to see this wonderful building is still around. I guess if it was in the UK it would have been torn down, like many other interesting building for more housing.

[hwbarnes]

I was stationed there 1961-1964 USAF.
Berlin Air Traffic Control Center.
Thanks for the history.