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The $1,000 Hamburger By Tom O. and Ron B. What Is RonTom? We are two "Old Timers" with a passion for aviation and a penchant for telling stories. The result is some aviation / flightsim storytelling based on some Real World locations that we think are fun and/or interesting. We hope that this semi-regular feature will inspire you to learn or explore or fly to somewhere new. (If you have locations that you'd like to have us visit, please feel free toe-mail: rontomsimmers@gmail.com. College Park, MD In 1977 the College Park, MD airport was added to the National Register of Historic Places because in 1909 it was the demonstration site for the Wright Brothers. Many "firsts" occurred at this site: First mile-high flight by a powered airplane First female passenger First "controlled" helicopter flight In 1911, the nation's first military aviation school was opened here and later that same year, civilian aircraft began flying from College Park Airport (in December 1911), making it the oldest continuously operated airport in the world! In 1918, after a three-month trial with the War Department, the Post Office inaugurated the first Postal Airmail Service from College Park; serving Philadelphia and New York City (Belmont Park). More on this later. Also, in more recent times, it will be known as the inaugural airport for the RonTom Adventures on FlightSim.Com So, we invite you to sit back, relax, and join us on a trip through some aviation history. While the Wright brothers were at College Park, Wilbur Wright taught Lieutenants Frederic Humphreys and Frank Lahm how to fly and later Humphreys became the first military pilot to solo in a government-owned airplane. The flight school at College Park hosted some other famous names too, like Lt. Henry H. Arnold (yup),Lt. Thomas DeWitt Milling and Capt. Paul Beck. Civilian aviation also began booming at College Park as well with Rex Smith, inventor and patent attorney, who established the Rex Smith Aeroplane Company. The Christmas Aeroplane Company of Washington,D.C., built its first aircraft here and in 1937 the Engineering & Research Corporation (ERCO), used the airport to test fly the early model of the Ercoupe, the "spin-proof" airplane. Today the airport continues to serve the everyday needs of general aviation pilots in the DC metropolitan area, being just a 10-minute Metro ride away. The College Park Aviation Museum first opened in 1981 and houses antique and reproduction aircraft associated with the airport. The current museum building includes a 90-seat auditorium, a library, gift shop, and a replica of the original 1909 hangar building. While I stood in amazement of everything that has happened here I was also getting hungry and knew that Ron would be on his way to New York (I didn't want to be late for our first meet-up)! Taxiing out to Rwy 33 in the FS Baron was uneventful (CGP is anything but large) and it wasn't until after the wheels were up that I started to question if maybe an alternate destination would have been a better idea, but with my flight plan in-hand, my confidence returned, and I simply followed the route, and did what ATC told me to. Turning northeast the first spot to pass beneath me was Baltimore-Washington, followed by Martin State after which things became a little more relaxed as I headed up Chesapeake Bay. Then the Delaware came into view and Wilmington pasted by. Next up were Philadelphia (KPHL), McGuire and Trenton, and then into the Lower Bay(not literally). I was all set-up on the approach to KLGA Rwy 04 by the time Lady Liberty went by the wing tip... With so much happening around you one must pay attention, but what an unbelievable sight from port to starboard, bow to stern! Thankfully, I didn't embarrass myself on the landing, and I moved off the runway and down the taxiway with purpose (as to not upset the big kids). I was directed into the General Aviation parking area near (well, kind of) old Terminal A where we tied down the aircraft for the day. Now, "Where in the World" is this fellow Ron? I'm hungry and he promised me a burger. And now for my part of this Inaugural Tour, KLGA! Fiorello La Guardia was the Mayor of New York City from just after the Great Depression until after World War 2. The story goes that New York City did NOT have any major airports at the time and Mayor LaGuardia was flown into Newark instead. Remember earlier in this piece you read about the Postal Service flying from College Park into Belmont? Yes, the famous race track hosted both airmail flights and horse races until December 1919, when the airmail field moved over to Newark. Well, mayor La Guardia was incensed that his ticket said NEW YORK and they asked him to deplane in New Jersey! As a lifelong West Coast inhabitant, this strikes me as being a VERY NEW YORK THING! I can hear it in my head, "My ticket says 'New York', why am I in Newark? I didn't pay for Newark! It says right here, 'New York City'. If I'd wanted to go to Jersey I would have bought a ticket to Jersey. I want to go to New York! You fly me to New York or I'm going to sue!" So started the process of raising and purchasing and filling and building and contracting for the, "New York City Airport" also known as, "LaGuardia's Airport" which wasn't actually officially named thus until 1953. A couple of fascinating bits about LaGuardia's Airport: There is so much metal infrastructure under the airport that magnetic compasses have to be reset for the error caused at the airport. Even before the airport was completed La Guardia had won commitments from the five largest airlines to begin using the new field as soon as it opened and Pan Am's transatlantic Boeing 314 flying boats moved to LaGuardia in 1940. Even today operations are limited to flights of less than 1,500 miles (except Denver) and KLGA is not an "International Airport" as there are no border control facilities at the airport. Here is the video of my flight from College Park, MD to LaGuardia, NY: So, now you have a fascinating bit of aviation history! From the world's oldest airport (and home to many FIRSTS) to an airport that remains one of the most unique airports in the world. I would encourage you to fly to LaGuardia in your sims and let us know what YOU discover. You might consider the famous "Expressway Visual Approach to Runway 31" or the "Whitestone Climb for noise abatement", either way, KLGA is a famous, landmark airport well worth your visit (and if you're not into airports, there's always New York City!!!) And speaking of New York, I hear that their Sauerkraut Brats are AMAZING so after waiting an hour to get transport over to, "Terminal A" I finally found Tom who was anxious to have me buy him a Burger! I didn't come all this way for a burger, and why do I have to buy? To be continued...