Gateway to Flight

Gateway to Flight Gateway National Recreation Area National Park Service Department of the Interior Historic Airfield Opened in 1931, Floyd Bennett Field was New York City's first municipal airport. It was never a commercial success. But with its long concrete runways and unobstructed approaches over Jamaica Bay, Floyd Bennett Field in the 1930s made an ideal airport for record-breaking flights. Crowds gathered regularly around the Administration Building and along the runways to cheer pioneering aviators. Here in 1933 Wiley Post took off in a small plane to become the first pilot to fly solo around the world. With frequent visits by famous pilots such as Roscoe Turner and Amelia Earhart, this became one of the most important airfields of its time and helped usher in the aviation era. Submitted by @lampbane