Floyd Bennett Field

Journey deep into southeast Brooklyn for a tour of Floyd Bennett Field, NYC’s first municipal airport and one of world aviation history’s most notable sites. Opened in 1931 as a state-of-the-art facility, many of aviation’s earliest and best-known pioneers, such as Wiley Post, Jacqueline Cochran, Roscoe Turner, Amelia Earhart, and Howard Hughes once graced the airport’s runways. No longer used as a general aviation airfield, it’s now a part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, with a number of original structures still standing. Though many are empty and abandoned, they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and are among the largest collection and best representatives of Art Deco commercial aviation architecture in the United States. We will visit the recently-restored main passenger terminal, featuring paintings and panels from 1939, depicting modes of transportation from steam engines to dirigibles, along with a WNYC visiting-celebrity studio, passenger lounges and administrative rooms. We will also stop by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project, which features a large and impressive collection of vintage aircraft being restored and preserved by a core of volunteers. Afterwards, the runways and nearby green spaces offer a great location for a picnic.