National Aviation Day

Today is National Aviation Day. We had hoped to go meet and interview pilots about their careers today, but sadly Anna was unable to slip away from her professional development event in Newark long enough to visit the airport. However, the universe was conspiring with us today. Unbeknownst to me, my trek to Rockaway Beach took me past the Floyd Bennett Field: Brooklyn's home of Naval Aviation. It piqued my interest; here is what I have learned.

Floyd Bennett Field was a national center of WWII naval aviation, deploying offensives both over the Atlantic against German U-Boats and to take part in some of the major battles of the war in the Pacific. During WWII Floyd Bennett Field was the busiest naval station in the country. Men and women built and delivered enormous quantities of planes to the field.

Today the field is no longer an active Naval base, but in the old hangers vintage planes are refurbished and the north end of the park has been converted into Aviator Sports and Events Center, providing fields and camps for families in southern Brooklyn.

Bibliography:

National Parks Services: Floyd Bennett Field, http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/120floyd/index.htm

Remember to say thank you to our nation's pilots.

Sarah