The mission of the Friends of the Historic Carleton Airport is to support the preservation and maintenance of the Historic Carleton Airport (now known as Stanton Airfield). That includes the main building (hangar, maintenance shop, office, tower and apartment), the big red barn, and the runways and taxiways.
This amazing little airfield, 6 miles east of Northfield in Stanton, MN, was built by Carleton College, Northfield, MN in 1942 as a pilot training facility to support the WWII war effort.
Today, it is one of the few intact all-grass WWII era airfields remaining. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004, it retains its original buildings and two of the three original runways as well as housing a small museum containing many artifacts from its pilot training days.
As an active airfield, it still supports numerous aircraft (many dating to the 1940’s) aircraft maintenance and restoration, pilot training, the Minnesota Soaring Club and most recently, a new Civil Air Patrol unit.
The Friends are committed to continuing the legacy of this airfield, the spirit of “The Greatest Generation,” and authentic “stick and rudder” aviation. We hope that by preserving this historic airfield, it will serve to inspire the next generation of young women and men.