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College Park Airport

January 01, 1970

College Park Airport (IATA: CGS, ICAO: KCGS, FAA LID: CGS) is a public airport located in the City of College Park, in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is the world's oldest continuously operated airport.[2] The airport is located south of Paint Branch and Lake Artemesia, east of U.S. Route 1 and the College Park Metro/MARC station and west of Kenilworth Avenue.

College Park Airport
College Park airport operations building with the Aviation museum on the right.
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorMaryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission
LocationCollege Park, Maryland
Opened1909; 115 years ago (1909)
Elevation AMSL48 ft / 14.6 m
Coordinates38°58′50.1″N 76°55′20.3″W / 38.980583°N 76.922306°W / 38.980583; -76.922306
Websitecollegeparkairport.aero
Map
CGS
Location of airport in Maryland
CGS
CGS (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
15/33 2,980 908.3 Asphalt
College Park Airport
Nearest cityCollege Park, Maryland
Built1908
NRHP reference No.77001522[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 23, 1977
A pilot flying a Curtiss aircraft at College Park in 1912
Sign showing the historical timeline of the College Park airport

History edit

College Park Airport was established in August 1909 by the United States Army Signal Corps to serve as a training location for Wilbur Wright to instruct two military officers to fly in the government's first airplane. Leased on August 25, the first airplane, a Wright Type A biplane, was uncrated and assembled on October 7. Civilian aircraft began flying from College Park Airport as early as December 1911, making it the world's oldest continuously operated airport.[3] In 1977, the airport was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[1][4]

College Park Airport is home to many "firsts" in aviation, and is particularly significant for the well-known aviators and aviation inventors who played a part in this field's long history. In 1909 Wilbur Wright taught Lieutenants Frederic Humphreys and Frank Lahm. Humphreys became the first military pilot to solo in a government airplane. The same year on October 27, Mrs. Ralph Henry Van Deman was flown by Wilbur Wright to become the first woman to fly in a powered aircraft in the United States.[5]

Civilian aviation began at College Park with Rex Smith, an inventor and patent attorney, who operated the Rex Smith Aeroplane Company. Paul Peck and Tony Jannus were associates of his.

In April 1910, the Aero Club of America chapters from Washington and Baltimore chose the College Park Airport for the next James Gordon Bennett Race. $11,000 was raised locally of the $100,000 prize. Belmont Park in New York was chosen instead for the October meet.[6]

The Christmas Aeroplane Company of Washington, D.C., built its first aircraft, the "Red Bird II" at College Park Airport with a claimed flight on 15 October 1911. The "Red Bird III" was built in the spring of 1912, with a contract from the U.S. Postal service to deliver Air Mail.[7]

In 1911, the nation's first military aviation school was opened at College Park, with newly trained pilots then-Lt. Henry H. Arnold and Lt. Thomas DeWitt Milling as Wright pilot instructors and Capt. Paul W. Beck as the Curtiss instructor. William Starling Burgess also brought a licensed Wright Model B named the Burgess Model F.[8] The military aviation school saw numerous aviation firsts. Shortly following the cancellation of an international air meet at the airport in the fall of 1912, all aviators on the field participated in a demonstration for the International Congress of Hygiene participants.[9]

On October 7, 1912, Bernetta Adams Miller became the first woman to demonstrate a flight in a military aircraft.

In 1915 Cecil Peoli, one of the world's first professional aviators, died testing his 12-cylinder Rausenburger-powered biplane at College Park in preparation for New York and St. Louis cross country flights.[10]

In 1918, after a three-month trial with the War Department beginning May 15, the Post Office Department inaugurated the first Postal Airmail Service from College Park, serving Philadelphia and New York City (Belmont Park). Flights from College Park continued until 1921. The compass rose and original airmail hangar remain at the modern airport as a witness to this history. The airport code "CGS" originally referred to the airport's purpose in the 1930s as an airmail station (CGS = ColleGe Station).

In 1920, Emile and Henry Berliner (father and son) brought their theories of vertical flight to the field and in 1924 made the first controlled helicopter flight.

From 1927 until 1933, the Bureau of Standards developed and tested the first radio navigational aids for use in "blind" or bad weather flying. This was the forerunner of the modern Instrument Landing System used today by aircraft.

In 1937 the Engineering & Research Corporation (ERCO), based across the street (Good Luck Rd, now Campus Drive) in nearby Riverdale, Maryland, used the airport to test fly the early model of the Ercoupe, an airplane designed to be spin-proof.

George Brinckerhoff took over management of the Airfield and ran it from 1927 until 1959, hosting numerous airshows and teaching hundreds of pilots to fly during his tenure.[11]

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) purchased the Airport in 1973 and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. A small museum was established in 1981 drawing 400–500 visitors on a weekend. Today it is run as both a historic site and operating airport whose history is depicted in the 27,000 sq ft (2,500 m2) College Park Aviation Museum.

Since the 9/11 attacks, and owing to the airport's proximity to the national capital, the operations of the airport have been severely restricted by the Transportation Security Administration in the interest of national security, but civilian pilots are still free to use the airport after going through a one-time background check procedure.

In 2015, Southern Management Corporation proposed a 233-foot (71 m), 13-story hotel on University of Maryland property in the approach path of the airport. The project was approved by the county but exceeded a 198-foot (60 m) tall FAA limit for a building at location in the flight path, prompting a redesign as a 10-story hotel.[12][13][14] Ground was broken for the hotel later in 2015 and opened in 2017.[15]

In 2022, Tailwind Air announced plans to begin a scheduled flight service from College Park to Skyport Marina, on Manhattan's East Side, on board a Cessna Grand Caravan. Service was set to begin on September 13,[16] but service was delayed due to security concerns from the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration.[17]

Facilities edit

Airport facilities edit

 
Planes parked at the College Park airport with the runway on the background.

College Park Airport covers 70 acres (28 ha) and has one runway:

  • Runway 15/33: 2,980 by 60 feet (908 m × 18 m), Surface: Asphalt

The road to the airport is named in honor of Corporal Frank S. Scott, who was the first US enlisted man to die in a military aircraft, an accident which occurred at this airfield.

College Park Aviation Museum edit

 
The outside of the College Park Aviation museum.
 
Aircraft on exhibit inside of the College Park Aviation museum.

The College Park Aviation Museum first opened to the public in 1981, and houses antique and reproduction aircraft associated with the history of College Park Airport. The current museum building opened on September 12, 1998.[18] It includes a 90-seat auditorium, a non-circulating appointment-only library, gift shop, museum offices, and a replica of the original 1909 College Park Airport hangar, in addition to a main hangar with aircraft and exhibits on display.[19] Artifacts and hands-on activities highlight the aviators, aircraft builders and airplanes that operated at the airport. Aircraft on display are:

The museum offers rotating exhibits, special events, lectures, workshops and programs for the public, schools and groups. There are also an extensive library and archives which hold materials relating to the airport's history, early aviation history, especially relating to Maryland, and general aeronautics including related children's books.[30] The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.[31] It is owned and operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.[32]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ Grier, Peter (2009). "The College Park Century". AIR FORCE Magazine. 92 (September): 86. Retrieved 18 Sep 2009.
  3. ^ Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms (2017-08-29). "College Park Airport (U.S. National Park Service)". National Park Service. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  4. ^ Aleshire, William A.; Sellers, Robert F. (August 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: College Park Airport" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  5. ^ Nick Komos (August 1989). "Only Yesterday". Air Progress: 60.
  6. ^ Tom D. Crouch. "Aero Club of Washington: Aviation in the Nation's Capital, 1909-1914": 44. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ Parramore, Thomas C. (2002). First to Fly: North Carolina & the Beginnings of Aviation.
  8. ^ "Army Aviation School Is One Month Old Today". The Washington Post. July 23, 1911.
  9. ^ "No Aviation Meet Here: Col. Scriven, of Signal Corps, Says Plans Have Been Abandoned". The Washington Post. September 18, 1912.
  10. ^ Aerial Age. April 19, 1915. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ Eugune L. Meyer (21 September 1995). "'Field of Firsts' Lands a Museum: Wright Brothers, Aviation School Enrich History of College Park Airport". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ Lazo, Luz (February 5, 2015). "A proposed luxury hotel in College Park was considered a possible hazard for air traffic". The Washington Post.
  13. ^ Joe Zimmermann (February 4, 2015). "UMD construction projects could limit historic College Park Airport use". The Diamondback.
  14. ^ "Saving Airports". AOPA Pilot: 96. February 2015.
  15. ^ Roscoe, Jack (2017-09-07). "The Hotel at the University of Maryland opens Friday after two years of construction - The Diamondback". The Diamondback. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  16. ^ ""Tailwind Air Announces First-Ever Seaplane Service from Washington, D.C., area to Manhattan's East River"". PoPville. August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  17. ^ Duncan, Ian (September 12, 2022). "Federal security concerns delay planned seaplane flights to College Park". The Washington Post.
  18. ^ Horton Edsall, Margaret (August 28, 1998). "Air fair, Paca plant sale among September treats". The Capital (Annapolis, Maryland). p. 23.
  19. ^ . Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  20. ^ "1924 BERLINER HELICOPTER NO. 5". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  21. ^ "1912 BLÈRIOT XI REPRODUCTION". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  22. ^ "1941 BOEING A75N1/PT-17 "STEARMAN"". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  23. ^ "1916 CURTISS JN-4D "JENNY" MILITARY TRACTOR". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  24. ^ "1911 CURTISS MODEL D REPRODUCTION". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  25. ^ "1946 ERCOUPE 415D". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  26. ^ "1932 MONOCOUPE 110". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  27. ^ "1936 TAYLOR J-2 "CUB"". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  28. ^ "1939 TAYLORCRAFT BL-65". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  29. ^ "1910 WRIGHT MODEL B REPRODUCTION". College Park Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  30. ^ . Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  31. ^ "College Park Aviation Museum". USAF.com. Retrieved Jul 15, 2011.
  32. ^ Meyer, Eugene L. (September 20, 1998). "Explore aviation in its infancy at historic airport". The Washington Post. The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware). p. J3.

External links edit

  • College Park Airport Main Website
  • College Park Aviation Museum
  • Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
  • College Park Airport in the early 1930s (with photos) 2012-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
  • Resources for this airport:
    • FAA airport information for CGS
    • AirNav airport information for KCGS
    • ASN accident history for CGS
    • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
    • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
    • SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures
  • College Park Airport, Prince George's County, Inventory No.: PG:66-4, including aerial photo in 1937, at Maryland Historical Trust website

January 01, 1970
college, park, airport, iata, icao, kcgs, public, airport, located, city, college, park, prince, george, county, maryland, united, states, world, oldest, continuously, operated, airport, airport, located, south, paint, branch, lake, artemesia, east, route, col. College Park Airport IATA CGS ICAO KCGS FAA LID CGS is a public airport located in the City of College Park in Prince George s County Maryland United States It is the world s oldest continuously operated airport 2 The airport is located south of Paint Branch and Lake Artemesia east of U S Route 1 and the College Park Metro MARC station and west of Kenilworth Avenue College Park AirportCollege Park airport operations building with the Aviation museum on the right IATA CGSICAO KCGSFAA LID CGSSummaryAirport typePublicOperatorMaryland National Capital Park amp Planning CommissionLocationCollege Park MarylandOpened1909 115 years ago 1909 Elevation AMSL48 ft 14 6 mCoordinates38 58 50 1 N 76 55 20 3 W 38 980583 N 76 922306 W 38 980583 76 922306Websitecollegeparkairport wbr aeroMapCGSLocation of airport in MarylandShow map of MarylandCGSCGS the United States Show map of the United StatesRunwaysDirection Length Surface ft m 15 33 2 980 908 3 AsphaltCollege Park AirportU S National Register of Historic PlacesNearest cityCollege Park MarylandBuilt1908NRHP reference No 77001522 1 Added to NRHPSeptember 23 1977 A pilot flying a Curtiss aircraft at College Park in 1912 Sign showing the historical timeline of the College Park airport Contents 1 History 2 Facilities 2 1 Airport facilities 2 2 College Park Aviation Museum 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory editCollege Park Airport was established in August 1909 by the United States Army Signal Corps to serve as a training location for Wilbur Wright to instruct two military officers to fly in the government s first airplane Leased on August 25 the first airplane a Wright Type A biplane was uncrated and assembled on October 7 Civilian aircraft began flying from College Park Airport as early as December 1911 making it the world s oldest continuously operated airport 3 In 1977 the airport was added to the National Register of Historic Places 1 4 College Park Airport is home to many firsts in aviation and is particularly significant for the well known aviators and aviation inventors who played a part in this field s long history In 1909 Wilbur Wright taught Lieutenants Frederic Humphreys and Frank Lahm Humphreys became the first military pilot to solo in a government airplane The same year on October 27 Mrs Ralph Henry Van Deman was flown by Wilbur Wright to become the first woman to fly in a powered aircraft in the United States 5 Civilian aviation began at College Park with Rex Smith an inventor and patent attorney who operated the Rex Smith Aeroplane Company Paul Peck and Tony Jannus were associates of his In April 1910 the Aero Club of America chapters from Washington and Baltimore chose the College Park Airport for the next James Gordon Bennett Race 11 000 was raised locally of the 100 000 prize Belmont Park in New York was chosen instead for the October meet 6 The Christmas Aeroplane Company of Washington D C built its first aircraft the Red Bird II at College Park Airport with a claimed flight on 15 October 1911 The Red Bird III was built in the spring of 1912 with a contract from the U S Postal service to deliver Air Mail 7 In 1911 the nation s first military aviation school was opened at College Park with newly trained pilots then Lt Henry H Arnold and Lt Thomas DeWitt Milling as Wright pilot instructors and Capt Paul W Beck as the Curtiss instructor William Starling Burgess also brought a licensed Wright Model B named the Burgess Model F 8 The military aviation school saw numerous aviation firsts Shortly following the cancellation of an international air meet at the airport in the fall of 1912 all aviators on the field participated in a demonstration for the International Congress of Hygiene participants 9 On October 7 1912 Bernetta Adams Miller became the first woman to demonstrate a flight in a military aircraft In 1915 Cecil Peoli one of the world s first professional aviators died testing his 12 cylinder Rausenburger powered biplane at College Park in preparation for New York and St Louis cross country flights 10 In 1918 after a three month trial with the War Department beginning May 15 the Post Office Department inaugurated the first Postal Airmail Service from College Park serving Philadelphia and New York City Belmont Park Flights from College Park continued until 1921 The compass rose and original airmail hangar remain at the modern airport as a witness to this history The airport code CGS originally referred to the airport s purpose in the 1930s as an airmail station CGS ColleGe Station In 1920 Emile and Henry Berliner father and son brought their theories of vertical flight to the field and in 1924 made the first controlled helicopter flight From 1927 until 1933 the Bureau of Standards developed and tested the first radio navigational aids for use in blind or bad weather flying This was the forerunner of the modern Instrument Landing System used today by aircraft In 1937 the Engineering amp Research Corporation ERCO based across the street Good Luck Rd now Campus Drive in nearby Riverdale Maryland used the airport to test fly the early model of the Ercoupe an airplane designed to be spin proof George Brinckerhoff took over management of the Airfield and ran it from 1927 until 1959 hosting numerous airshows and teaching hundreds of pilots to fly during his tenure 11 The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission M NCPPC purchased the Airport in 1973 and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 A small museum was established in 1981 drawing 400 500 visitors on a weekend Today it is run as both a historic site and operating airport whose history is depicted in the 27 000 sq ft 2 500 m2 College Park Aviation Museum Since the 9 11 attacks and owing to the airport s proximity to the national capital the operations of the airport have been severely restricted by the Transportation Security Administration in the interest of national security but civilian pilots are still free to use the airport after going through a one time background check procedure In 2015 Southern Management Corporation proposed a 233 foot 71 m 13 story hotel on University of Maryland property in the approach path of the airport The project was approved by the county but exceeded a 198 foot 60 m tall FAA limit for a building at location in the flight path prompting a redesign as a 10 story hotel 12 13 14 Ground was broken for the hotel later in 2015 and opened in 2017 15 In 2022 Tailwind Air announced plans to begin a scheduled flight service from College Park to Skyport Marina on Manhattan s East Side on board a Cessna Grand Caravan Service was set to begin on September 13 16 but service was delayed due to security concerns from the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration 17 Facilities editAirport facilities edit nbsp Planes parked at the College Park airport with the runway on the background College Park Airport covers 70 acres 28 ha and has one runway Runway 15 33 2 980 by 60 feet 908 m 18 m Surface Asphalt The road to the airport is named in honor of Corporal Frank S Scott who was the first US enlisted man to die in a military aircraft an accident which occurred at this airfield College Park Aviation Museum edit nbsp The outside of the College Park Aviation museum nbsp Aircraft on exhibit inside of the College Park Aviation museum The College Park Aviation Museum first opened to the public in 1981 and houses antique and reproduction aircraft associated with the history of College Park Airport The current museum building opened on September 12 1998 18 It includes a 90 seat auditorium a non circulating appointment only library gift shop museum offices and a replica of the original 1909 College Park Airport hangar in addition to a main hangar with aircraft and exhibits on display 19 Artifacts and hands on activities highlight the aviators aircraft builders and airplanes that operated at the airport Aircraft on display are Berliner Helicopter No 5 20 Bleriot XI replica 21 Boeing Stearman Model 75 22 Curtiss JN 4D 23 Curtiss Model D replica 24 ERCO 415D Ercoupe 25 Monocoupe 110 26 Taylor J 2 27 Taylorcraft BL 65 28 Wright Model B replica 29 The museum offers rotating exhibits special events lectures workshops and programs for the public schools and groups There are also an extensive library and archives which hold materials relating to the airport s history early aviation history especially relating to Maryland and general aeronautics including related children s books 30 The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution 31 It is owned and operated by the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission 32 See also editList of airports in MarylandReferences edit a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service April 15 2008 Grier Peter 2009 The College Park Century AIR FORCE Magazine 92 September 86 Retrieved 18 Sep 2009 Aviation From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms 2017 08 29 College Park Airport U S National Park Service National Park Service Retrieved 2020 07 17 Aleshire William A Sellers Robert F August 1976 National Register of Historic Places Registration College Park Airport PDF Maryland Historical Trust Retrieved August 1 2015 Nick Komos August 1989 Only Yesterday Air Progress 60 Tom D Crouch Aero Club of Washington Aviation in the Nation s Capital 1909 1914 44 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Parramore Thomas C 2002 First to Fly North Carolina amp the Beginnings of Aviation Army Aviation School Is One Month Old Today The Washington Post July 23 1911 No Aviation Meet Here Col Scriven of Signal Corps Says Plans Have Been Abandoned The Washington Post September 18 1912 Aerial Age April 19 1915 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Missing or empty title help Eugune L Meyer 21 September 1995 Field of Firsts Lands a Museum Wright Brothers Aviation School Enrich History of College Park Airport The Washington Post Lazo Luz February 5 2015 A proposed luxury hotel in College Park was considered a possible hazard for air traffic The Washington Post Joe Zimmermann February 4 2015 UMD construction projects could limit historic College Park Airport use The Diamondback Saving Airports AOPA Pilot 96 February 2015 Roscoe Jack 2017 09 07 The Hotel at the University of Maryland opens Friday after two years of construction The Diamondback The Diamondback Retrieved 2020 07 17 Tailwind Air Announces First Ever Seaplane Service from Washington D C area to Manhattan s East River PoPville August 18 2022 Retrieved August 28 2022 Duncan Ian September 12 2022 Federal security concerns delay planned seaplane flights to College Park The Washington Post Horton Edsall Margaret August 28 1998 Air fair Paca plant sale among September treats The Capital Annapolis Maryland p 23 Recent History Archived from the original on February 15 2015 Retrieved February 15 2015 1924 BERLINER HELICOPTER NO 5 College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 1912 BLERIOT XI REPRODUCTION College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 1941 BOEING A75N1 PT 17 STEARMAN College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 1916 CURTISS JN 4D JENNY MILITARY TRACTOR College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 1911 CURTISS MODEL D REPRODUCTION College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 1946 ERCOUPE 415D College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 1932 MONOCOUPE 110 College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 1936 TAYLOR J 2 CUB College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 1939 TAYLORCRAFT BL 65 College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 1910 WRIGHT MODEL B REPRODUCTION College Park Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 April 2020 Library Archived from the original on 15 February 2015 Retrieved 15 February 2015 College Park Aviation Museum USAF com Retrieved Jul 15 2011 Meyer Eugene L September 20 1998 Explore aviation in its infancy at historic airport The Washington Post The News Journal Wilmington Delaware p J3 External links editCollege Park Airport Main Website M NCPPC College Park Airport College Park Aviation Museum Aviation From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary College Park Airport in the early 1930s with photos Archived 2012 08 20 at the Wayback Machine Resources for this airport FAA airport information for CGS AirNav airport information for KCGS ASN accident history for CGS FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker NOAA NWS weather observations current past three days SkyVector aeronautical chart Terminal Procedures College Park Airport Prince George s County Inventory No PG 66 4 including aerial photo in 1937 at Maryland Historical Trust website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title College Park Airport amp oldid 1218241657, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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