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| College Park Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: CGS – ICAO: KCGS | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission | ||
| Location | College Park, Maryland | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 48 ft / 14.6 m | ||
| Coordinates | Coordinates: | ||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 15/33 | 2,607 | 795 | Asphalt |
| College Park Airport | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Nearest city: | College Park, Maryland |
| Built/Founded: | 1908 |
| Architect: | Unknown |
| Architectural style(s): | No Style Listed |
| Added to NRHP: | September 23, 1977 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 77001522 |
| Governing body: | Local |
College Park Airport (IATA: CGS, ICAO: KCGS) is a public airport located 1 mile (2 km) east of College Park, in Prince Georges County, Maryland, USA.
College Park Airport was established in 1909 after Wilbur Wright came to the field to train two military officers to fly in the government's first aeroplane. It is the world's oldest continuously operated airport. In 1977, the airport was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[1]
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 aeroplane.
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 1911, the nation's first military aviation school was opened at College Park, with newly trained pilots then-Lt. Hap Arnold and Lt. Tommy Milling as Wright pilot instructors and Capt. Paul Beck as the Curtiss instructor. The military aviation school saw numerous aviation firsts.
In 1918, after a three-month trial with the War Department, the Post Office Department inaugurated the first Postal Airmail Service from College Park, serving Philadelphia and New York (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.
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.
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. 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.
College Park Aviation Museum
The College Park Aviation Museum houses antique and reproduction aircraft associated with the history of College Park Airport. Artifacts, hands-on activities and artifacts highlight the aviators, aircraft builders and airplanes that operated at the airport. The museum offers changing exhibits, special events, lectures, workshops and programs for the public, schools and groups. Opened in 1998, the museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
Facilities
College Park Airport covers 70 acres and has one runway:
- Runway 15/33: 2,607 x 60 ft (795 x 18 m), Surface: Asphalt
External links
- College 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)
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KCGS
- ASN accident history for CGS
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KCGS
- College Park Airport, Prince George's County, Inventory No.: PG:66-4, including aerial photo in 1937, at Maryland Historical Trust website
- M-NCPPC Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County); College Park Airport, entry 66-004, p. 38
| This article about a Registered Historic Place in Maryland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
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