Daniel Schwartz Presents "Clipped Wings: The Story of Horace Williams Airport" | Author Talk
Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Venue: Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill
Price: Free
Category: Arts
UNC graduate and professional pilot Daniel Schwartz combines a detailed history of Horace Williams Airport with a personal memoir of his experiences there as a student pilot. Flyleaf will offer seating for up to 120 in-person guests, with priority access given to folks who purchase the book. Please indicate in the "Customer Comments" field (at checkout) if you’d like 1-2 seats held for you at the event! If you do not plan to attend the event but would like a copy of the book signed for pickup or shipping, please use the comments field at checkout to specify your personalization preference (to your name, to another name, or just the author's signature). On May 15, 2018, just days short of its ninetieth anniversary as an airfield, Horace Williams Airport in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was officially closed by its owner, the University of North Carolina. Since its beginning as a barnstorming airfield run by local airplane enthusiast Charley Martindale in the 1920s, the airport had served as a training field for World War II pilots, a dedicated transport facility for the University’s Medical School, and a conveniently located airport for local small aircraft pilots. While the University viewed the closure as a cost-saving measure, many in the community lamented the loss of a valuable community resource. Schwartz vividly describes the controversies and conflicts that arose with the university and the town of Chapel Hill as aircraft technology evolved from biplanes to jets and helicopters. While there were accidents and complaints about noise levels at the airport that was once described as the “illegitimate offspring” of the town and the university, many lives were saved by the airport’s medical transport capabilities. Schwartz includes interviews with many of the personalities associated with the airport over the years, and their reminiscences lend color and depth to the story of the “little airport that could.” Daniel Schwartz grew up in the Virginia suburbs of Washin
