Tanner–Hiller Airport
Tanner–Hiller Airport, in Barre, Massachusetts, was a single runway public airport last operated by the G&C Group of Acton, MA. The airport closed on September 18, 2024. In its later years, the airport averaged 30 flights per week, and had approximately 25 aircraft and hang gliders based on the field. During the summer months the airport was home to hang gliding operations and ultralight activity. The airport sat adjacent to the Ware River in the town of New Braintree. The property has begun a process of being converted into Menameset Habitat, a wildlife management area, and a 2-mile section of the Mass Central Rail Trail.
History
The airport runway was constructed over the Central Massachusetts Railroad former right of way, a section abandoned in 1941. The airport began operations in 1946, and is named after its historical owners, Fred and Catherine Hiller, and Leonard Tanner. The airport was originally opened by the Hillers. After Fred died, Catherine continued to develop a flight school business at the airport, both as an instructor and as an FAA examiner. In its heyday, the airport was home to many activities and businesses. Camping, swimming, a fine restaurant, and aircraft maintenance were once part of daily operations. A series of different owners passed through between 1973 and 1980, until it was purchased by Leonard Tanner. A notable aircraft that once called the airport home was the prototype of the Lockheed YO-3A quiet observation aircraft, a type later used during the Vietnam War. It was restored in a hangar at the airport before moving on. Leonard Tanner died in 1998 and his estate continued to operate the airport.The airport deteriorated in its final years, something that was particularly apparent in the poor condition of the runway. By November 2015, no services such as fuel were provided.
In May 2017, after many years of being offered for sale, the airport was purchased for a reported US$1.1 million by G&C Group of Acton, MA, a subsidiary of a large flight school in China. The final decision to sell was accelerated by the departure of the airport's long time manager, Burchard Aviation, who also operated an aircraft maintenance shop in one of the dilapidated hangars. The airport closed on September 18, 2024, after acquisition by the East Quabbin Land Trust, a Hardwick based land trust, in partnership with Mass Audubon.
As of 2025, the property has begun a process of being converted into Menameset Habitat, a grassland bird sanctuary and wildlife management area, by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Additionally, the former airport runway and connecting Airport Road are in the process of being converted into a 2-mile section of the Mass Central Rail Trail. Converting the property into a wildlife refuge also enabled the Ware River restoration & Wheelwright dam removal project to proceed, to restore natural riverine processes and reconnect 130 miles of high-quality freshwater habitat in the Ware River Watershed. Removal of the dam is one of the largest and most significant dam removals in Massachusetts. The project began in 2025 and is expected to complete in 2026.