S. Darius and S. Girenas Airport
Encyclopedia
S. Darius and S. Girėnas Airport (S. Dariaus ir S. Girėno aerodromas) , also known as Aleksotas Airport (Aleksoto aerodromas), is a small airport
located in Aleksotas
, close to the Europa Avenue, only 3 kilometres away from the Kaunas
city centre in Lithuania
.
S. Darius and S. Girėnas Airport was an international airport
in Kaunas, established by German Army
in 1915, after it captured Kaunas Fortress
. It is the oldest functioning airport in Lithuania, making it also one of the oldest airports in Europe
. During the Interwar period
, the Deruluft
airlines opened regular connection Königsberg
-Kaunas-Smolensk
-Moscow
in May 1922. Later it was expanded to the route Berlin
-Danzig
-Königsberg-Kaunas-Smolensk-Moscow. There were flights on the route Warsaw
-Kaunas-Riga
-Helsinki
, also connections with Stockholm, and some more, in the 1930s. Lithuania ordered in England
two six-seat planes Percival Q 6
and the first air line of the Lithuanian civil aviation was opened on 5 September with flights from Kaunas to Palanga
. 216 regular flights by the route Kaunas-Palanga were made during the years 1938 and 1939, during which 764 passengers, 3,546 kg of luggage, and 3,476 kg of mail parcels were carried.
Aleksotas Airport was treated as one of the most dangerous airports in Europe due to the short landing strip in the 1980s. The airport was named after the Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius
and Stasys Girėnas
, who perished in a crash near the end of an attempted non-stop flight from New York to Lithuania in 1933.
Its historical importance makes it a natural host for the Lithuanian Aviation Museum
. Because of the lack of territory for further development, the commercial activities of the airport were moved to the new Kaunas International Airport
in 1988. S. Darius and S. Girėnas Airport is still used for tourism purposes and air sports
as well.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located in Aleksotas
Aleksotas
Aleksotas is an elderate in the southern section of the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, bordering the left bank of the Neman River . Its population in 2006 was 21,694....
, close to the Europa Avenue, only 3 kilometres away from the Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
city centre in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
S. Darius and S. Girėnas Airport was an international airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in Kaunas, established by German Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
in 1915, after it captured Kaunas Fortress
Kaunas Fortress
Kaunas Fortress is the remains of a fortress complex in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was constructed and renovated between 1882 and 1915 to protect the Russian Empire's western borders, and was designated a "first-class" fortress in 1887...
. It is the oldest functioning airport in Lithuania, making it also one of the oldest airports in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. During the Interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
, the Deruluft
Deruluft
Deruluft was a joint Soviet-German airline, established on 24 November 1921. Deruluft opened its first service to Moscow from Königsberg on 1 May 1922...
airlines opened regular connection Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
-Kaunas-Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
-Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in May 1922. Later it was expanded to the route Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
-Danzig
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
-Königsberg-Kaunas-Smolensk-Moscow. There were flights on the route Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
-Kaunas-Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
-Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, also connections with Stockholm, and some more, in the 1930s. Lithuania ordered in England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
two six-seat planes Percival Q 6
Percival Petrel
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Ellis, Ken. Wrecks & Relics. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-85780-235-7.* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . London: Orbis Publishing, 1985....
and the first air line of the Lithuanian civil aviation was opened on 5 September with flights from Kaunas to Palanga
Palanga
Palanga and beautiful sand dunes. Officially Palanga has the status of a city municipality and includes Šventoji, Nemirseta, Būtingė and other settlements, which are considered as part of the city of Palanga.-Legend:...
. 216 regular flights by the route Kaunas-Palanga were made during the years 1938 and 1939, during which 764 passengers, 3,546 kg of luggage, and 3,476 kg of mail parcels were carried.
Aleksotas Airport was treated as one of the most dangerous airports in Europe due to the short landing strip in the 1980s. The airport was named after the Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius
Steponas Darius
Steponas Darius was a Lithuanian-American pilot....
and Stasys Girėnas
Stasys Girenas
Stasys Girėnas was a Lithuanian-American pilot....
, who perished in a crash near the end of an attempted non-stop flight from New York to Lithuania in 1933.
Its historical importance makes it a natural host for the Lithuanian Aviation Museum
Lithuanian Aviation Museum
The Lithuanian Aviation Museum is located in Kaunas, Lithuania. The museum was officially opened in 1983. The permanent collection of the museum contains more than 18 000 displays of different fields of technology. The major part of the collection is dedicated to the history of aviation in Lithuania...
. Because of the lack of territory for further development, the commercial activities of the airport were moved to the new Kaunas International Airport
Kaunas Airport
Kaunas International Airport , which serves Kaunas, Lithuania is the second busiest civil airport in Lithuania after Vilnius airport and the fourth busiest in the Baltic states. Kaunas Airport is the fastest growing airport in the Baltic states in 2009 and 2010...
in 1988. S. Darius and S. Girėnas Airport is still used for tourism purposes and air sports
Air sports
The term Air sports covers a range of aerial activities such as:* Aerobatics* Ballooning* General aviation including Air racing* Gliding* Hang gliding* Human powered aircraft* Model aircraft* Parachuting* Paragliding...
as well.
See also
- Steponas DariusSteponas DariusSteponas Darius was a Lithuanian-American pilot....
and Stasys GirėnasStasys GirenasStasys Girėnas was a Lithuanian-American pilot....
. - TechnopolisTechnopolisTechnopolis can refer to:*Technopolis or Technology Park are synonyms for science park.*Technopolis Innovation Park Delft, a science park in Delft, the Netherlands....
, Science and Technologies Park in Aleksotas.