Flushing Airport
Encyclopedia
Flushing Airport is a decommissioned airfield in northern Queens
in New York City
. It is located in the neighborhood of College Point
, near Flushing
. The airfield was in operation from 1927 to 1984. It was originally called Speed's Airport and was one of the busiest airports in New York City before the emergence of the larger LaGuardia Airport
. In the early 1970s a skywriting
company operated there. In 1977, a Piper Twin Comanche crashed shortly after taking off, killing those on board. The incident, along with frequent flooding, led to the closing of this airport in 1984.
in New York in the late 1990s, the airport wetland has received frequent mosquito larvicide spraying. Though considered trespassing, dirt biking trails still see activity and the frozen swamps become an impromptu ice hockey surface by locals in the winter.
As of 2000, Flushing Airport still had its air corridor
reserved under FAA regulations. A company called Airships Unlimited has been lobbying to convert the abandoned airport into a "blimp
port," citing the fact that Goodyear blimp
s used this airport in the 1960s. The benefit of this plan would be to preserve the air corridor for Flushing Airport.
In 2004, the Bloomberg administration
proposed rezoning the area for commercial development as part of the already existing College Point Corporate Park. However, the plan has met significant protests from the local residents who fear such zoning would bring too much traffic to the area. The proposal has since been deferred.
As of September 2008, the access road is under reconstruction, to be reopened eventually as a regular public through-street. The north hangar was demolished on September 24. The remaining hangars were also demolished as of October 1.
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It is located in the neighborhood of College Point
College Point, Queens
College Point is a working-middle class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located north of Flushing on Flushing Bay and the East River and is part of the Queens Community Board 7. Willets Point Boulevard and the Whitestone Expressway are often the neighborhood's...
, near Flushing
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
. The airfield was in operation from 1927 to 1984. It was originally called Speed's Airport and was one of the busiest airports in New York City before the emergence of the larger LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
. In the early 1970s a skywriting
Skywriting
Skywriting is the process of using a small aircraft, able to expel special smoke during flight, to fly in certain patterns to create writing readable by someone on the ground...
company operated there. In 1977, a Piper Twin Comanche crashed shortly after taking off, killing those on board. The incident, along with frequent flooding, led to the closing of this airport in 1984.
Development
Currently the airport is weed-ridden wetland. Since the outbreak of West Nile virusWest Nile virus
West Nile virus is a virus of the family Flaviviridae. Part of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of viruses, it is found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is known to infect humans, horses, dogs, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, domestic...
in New York in the late 1990s, the airport wetland has received frequent mosquito larvicide spraying. Though considered trespassing, dirt biking trails still see activity and the frozen swamps become an impromptu ice hockey surface by locals in the winter.
As of 2000, Flushing Airport still had its air corridor
Air corridor
An air corridor is a designated region of airspace that an aircraft must remain in during its transit through a given region. Air corridors are typically imposed by military or diplomatic requirements...
reserved under FAA regulations. A company called Airships Unlimited has been lobbying to convert the abandoned airport into a "blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
port," citing the fact that Goodyear blimp
Goodyear Blimp
The Goodyear Blimp is the collective name for a fleet of blimps operated by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for advertising purposes and for use as a television camera platform for aerial views of sporting events...
s used this airport in the 1960s. The benefit of this plan would be to preserve the air corridor for Flushing Airport.
In 2004, the Bloomberg administration
Mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg has served as the current and 108th Mayor of New York City since January 1, 2002. He won reelection in 2005 and 2009.-Governing style and legacy:...
proposed rezoning the area for commercial development as part of the already existing College Point Corporate Park. However, the plan has met significant protests from the local residents who fear such zoning would bring too much traffic to the area. The proposal has since been deferred.
As of September 2008, the access road is under reconstruction, to be reopened eventually as a regular public through-street. The north hangar was demolished on September 24. The remaining hangars were also demolished as of October 1.