Brookhaven Town crews are set to begin demolishing the historic Lufker Airport in East Moriches on Thursday — a move that signals the end of a quiet but storied chapter in local aviation history.
The modest 2,300-foot grass runway — nestled between Montauk Highway and CR 51 — has welcomed amateur pilots and aviation buffs for generations.
But its future now lies in preservation — not propulsion.
Brookhaven officials said the demolition is part of a $5.28 million land acquisition project aimed at permanently converting the 15-acre site into open space. The project, funded 75% by the town and 25% by Suffolk County, includes a $75,000 demolition cost.
Officials call the move a key step in the town’s ongoing efforts to curb overdevelopment and protect what’s left of its green pockets.
“Transforming this site into permanent open space reflects our commitment to land preservation, environmental stewardship, and community well-being,” Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico said. “This decision honors the past while securing a more sustainable and accessible future.”
Once a local hub for hobbyist pilots and flight training, Lufker Airport’s place in aviation lore stretches far beyond Brookhaven. Aviation historians note that the airfield — and nearby Frog Chapman’s grass strip, now the site of East Moriches Elementary School — were frequented by a who’s who of 20th-century flight figures.
Juan Trippe, founder of Pan American World Airways, reportedly flew out of East Moriches as a young man. Actor and pilot Cliff Robertson, a longtime Hamptons resident, also used the strip.
Located at 115 Montauk Highway, the land had been a farm used for growing cabbages and melons up until the 1940s.
In the 1990s, John F. Kennedy Jr. was known to fly into Lufker to avoid paparazzi at busier airports in the Hamptons. Former New York Gov. George Pataki once touched down there in a state helicopter.
Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig, who represents the area, said the project is an example of productive government collaboration.
“By partnering with Suffolk County, this important community landmark will forever be preserved as open space,” she said.
Top image: GLI file photo.
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