MARYLAND’S FIELD OF FIRSTS

By Barbara Aiken

There is so much interesting history in Maryland. Did you know that the College Park Airport in Prince George’s County is the oldest, continuously operating airport in the world? Yes, the world.

Orville and Wilbur Wright, pioneers of aviation, launched their first successful flight on Dec. 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. It was five years later that the U.S. government took an interest in their success. The Army asked Wilbur Wright to train two military officers to fly for the government. The Wright Military Flyer was developed and approved by the government according to their specifications. The first flight took place at Ft. Meyer in Virginia.

A larger air field was necessary for training, so the College Park Airport was created in 1909 by the United States Army. At that time, 160 acres were leased by the government in College Park, Maryland. Today, this public airport is owned and operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Now reduced in size to 70 acres, this aviation gem has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1977.

This small airport is also known as the “Field of Firsts.” The very first female air passenger in the United States was Sarah (Sadie) Van Deman (1880-1967), wife of Army Captain Ralph Henry Van Deman, and friend of the Wrights. Mrs. Van Deman took off from College Park in 1909 with Wilbur Wright as the pilot for a four minute flight. She must have marveled at the experience. It is said that when she had her feet back on earth she exclaimed that the experience was “delicious.”

West Point graduate, Lieutenant Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold (1886-1950) was one of the first flight instructors for the Army at College Park Airport. It is said that the nickname “Hap” was foisted upon him by fellow classmates at West Point. Acting for the Army in July 1911 he set an altitude record at College Park of 3,260 feet. In June 1912 he exceeded that record and reached an altitude of 6,540 feet. He went on to teach flyers at the Signal Corps aviation school at College Park. It is interesting to note that General Arnold, promoted to four-star in 1943, started his military career in the Army and in 1949 was appointed the first general of the Air Force as a five-star, by the United States Congress. The U.S. Air Force was founded in 1947.

Prior to Amelia Earhart’s fame of 1932, Bernetta Adams Miller (1884-1972), in October 1912, was the first woman to demonstrate a flight to government officials in a military monoplane. She was the fifth woman to be granted a pilot’s license in the United States.

In 1924, Emile and Henry Berliner, father and son, launched the first controlled helicopter flight from the College Park Airport. A controlled flight is one that allows maneuverability of a helicopter back and forth, up and down and sideways and can maintain hover ability. The Berliner helicopter 1924 Model C is on display at the College Park Aviation Museum.

Originally opened in 1981, the College Park Aviation Museum, located at 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive in College Park, Maryland, is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The collection displays antique and reproduction aircraft. There is a 90-seat auditorium, an appointment-only library, a gift shop, and a replica of the original 1909 College Park Airport hangar. Also, there is a main hangar displaying aircraft and exhibits. The museum has picnic facilities, too.

Living in College Park when my son was young, we enjoyed many a dinner at the now closed 94^th Aero Squadron, which was located next to the air field. It was quite a thrill to sit by the picture windows and enjoy a meal while small planes took off and landed. Today, there is no restaurant at the airport.

If you get a chance, visit this fascinating airport and museum and picture the history that evolved there. A fun time for youth and elders, the College Park Airport and Aviation Museum provide an interesting look into one of Maryland’s many historic and interesting finds.

To learn more, visit College Park Airport, https://collegeparkairport.aero/;
College Park Aviation Museum, https://www.pgparks.com/facilities/college-park-aviation-museum; and https://www.fieldoffirsts.com/.

Barbara enjoys history and is particularly interested in the history of Maryland. She can be reached at: [email protected].