Columbia Field Curtiss Field | |
|---|---|
| Summary | |
| Serves | Valley Stream, New York |
| Built | 1929 |
| In use | Rogers Field 1928-1929, Curtiss Field (public) 1929-1933, Columbia Field (private) 1933-1947. |
| Occupants | Advance Aircraft Corporation, Curtiss-Wright, Grumman, Columbia Aircraft Corporation, Commonwealth Aircraft |
| Coordinates | 40°40′00″N 73°43′00″W / 40.66667°N 73.71667°W |
| Map | |
  Columbia Field Columbia Field, New York  Columbia Field Columbia Field (Long Island) | |
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Columbia Field, originally Curtiss Field, is a former airfield near Valley Stream within the Town of Hempstead on Long Island, New York. Between 1929 and 1933 it was a public airfield named Curtiss Field after the Curtiss-Wright aircraft corporation that owned it. The public airfield closed after 1933, but aircraft continued to be manufactured there primarily by Columbia Aircraft Corporation, which gave the private airfield its name.
During its five years of operation, Curtiss Field was one of the busiest airports on Long Island. The airfield was popular with many of the famous pilots of the early days of aviation including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and Frank Hawks. Several important long-distance aviation records or events were marked at the airfield. In 1929 the women's aviation group the Ninety Nines was founded at the airfield, and large airshows were often held there.
After 1933 the airfield was the site of aviation manufacturing by Columbia Aircraft and Grumman. During World War II Columbia manufactured the Grumman-designed J-2F6 Duck, a single-engine amphibious biplane, under contract. The airfield was finally abandoned in 1947. The Town of Hempstead gave formal recognition to the historical importance of Curtiss Field in 2009.