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Remember When, Chattanooga? Lovell Field’s observation deck was an attraction

Contributed photo from EPB archives / This 1964 photo shows the flight observation deck at the Chattanooga Airport. The deck was a popular place to watch takeoffs and landings. People who remember the era say watching jets at the municipal airport was a popular pastime. Contributed photo from EPB archives / This 1964 photo shows the flight observation deck at the Chattanooga Airport. The deck was a popular place to watch takeoffs and landings. People who remember the era say watching jets at the municipal airport was a popular pastime.

By Mark Kennedy August 1, 2025 4 min read

Last month, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that the Chattanooga Airport is the fastest-growing “small hub” airport in the United States this summer. With a 30% increase in seat capacity, the airport has far outpaced the national 4% growth average, according to previous reporting.

Some older readers may remember a similar growth era in the 1960s, at the dawn of the jet age, when a trip to the municipal airport was considered a recreational activity. Last month, this series featured a photo of the Chattanooga Airport terminal in 1964 after a multimillion dollar facility upgrade.

After many readers left comments about the photo on social media, Sam Hall, curator of the website ChattanoogaHistory.com, was able to offer several additional photos of the airport from the mid-1960s. Those photos stirred ever more comments. Many recalled the airport’s then-outdoor observation deck, where anyone could watch airplanes arriving and departing.