Washington-Hoover Airport
Encyclopedia
Washington-Hoover Airport was an international airport
which served the city of Washington, D.C.
, in the United States from 1933 to 1941. It was created by the merger of Hoover Field
and Washington Airport
on August 2, 1933. It was located in Arlington, Virginia, near the intersection of the Highway Bridge and the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
(where The Pentagon
and its parking lots now stand). Washington-Hoover Airport, like its predecessors, suffered from extensive safety problems, short runways, and little ability to grow. It closed for public use in June 1941, and the United States Department of War
purchased the site in September, closing it for good. Washington National Airport (now known as Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
), which opened in June 1941, was built as its replacement.
track) directly across the Potomac River
from the city. The single sod
runway
was 2400 feet (731.5 m) long. A single hanger, 60 feet (18.3 m) by 100 feet (30.5 m) in size, was constructed. The field was expanded, and the "new" airfield dedicated on July 16, 1926. It was named for then-Secretary of Commerce
Herbert Hoover
, a major promoter of civil aviation.
Hoover Field suffered from significant safety problems. Arlington Beach, a local amusement park
, was located on the northeastern side of the airport (next to the Highway Bridge), and a landfill
stood on the north-northwestern edge of the field. The trash in the landfill was also on fire
. The smoke sometimes obscured the landing field. The United States Department of Agriculture
owned the 400 acres (161.9 ha) Arlington Experimental Farm immediately adjacent to the northeastern end of the runway. A public swimming pool
was located at the airport, and local children would cross the runway to get to it. Safety conditions at the airport were so poor due to these and other obstructions that local businesses and city officials began calling for the construction of a city-owned airport in a safer location just three months after Hoover Field opened.
In February 1927, a group of aviators and aviation companies, led by aviation pioneer Henry Berliner
, called for the establishment of a new, larger airport to be built on vacant land across Military Road
(the southern boundary of Hoover Field). This plan was not immediately acted on however. In June, Berliner began leasing Hoover Field, and soon took a majority financial interest in the airport. A fire at the field on July 3, 1928, destroyed eight planes and a hangar
, causing $100,000 in damages ($1.275 million in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars
). Berliner's finances were significantly damaged by the fire, and he sold his interest in Hoover Field to E.W. Robertson's Mount Vernon Airways on July 20, 1928. By November 1928, a Canadian
company, International Airways, had taken over control of the airfield from Mount Vernon Airways.
In early 1929, a new holding company, Atlantic Seaboard Airways, was created by the owners of nearby Washington Airport and took over International Airways and its subsidiary aviation businesses. For a few months, both fields were owned by the same investors (although they never merged operations). On December 30, 1929, a group of investors led by R.H. Reiffen, chairman of the New Standard Aircraft Company
, seized control of Atlantic Seaboard Airways and Hoover Field.
Safety at the airfield improved somewhat in mid-1932, after Arlington County commissioners revoked permits for the burning of trash at all landfills in the county—including the one next to Hoover Field, but not the one next to Washington Airport.
test pilot), and other investors. The airport added acreage and improved its facilities, and in February 1928 Funkhouser, Fahy and the others formed Seaboard Airways. Seaboard's base of operations was Washington Airport. But Washington Airport was only marginally safer than Hoover Field. The owners could not afford to pave the runway, and the burning trash dumps near Hoover Field and at Washington Airport's own eastern border often obscured the runways the new field's runways.
The field was dramatically enlarged (and the coastline of the Potomac River altered) in April 1928. Safety improvements were also made. Arlington Beach amusement park was purchased and razed; three new runways built on the theme park grounds; a new paved runway planned for the existing airport; and a new terminal, hangar, and office building constructed. Arlington County commissioners also banned the burning of trash at the landfill next to Hoover Field in mid-1932 (but not the one next to Washington Airport). In May 1932, the airport paid local electric power and telephone companies to bury their lines obstructing the landing and take-off lanes. But numerous other safety issues remained.
In the summer of 1931, Washington Airport faced a new safety battle. The commission overseeing the construction of Arlington Memorial Bridge
proposed erecting two 200 feet (61 m) granite columns on the Virginia side of the bridge as a beautification measure. The columns, however, posed a serious hazard to planes landing at Washington Airport, and an 18-month political and legislative battle ensued before the threat was defeated in February 1932.
which took over Seaboard Airways, Washington Airport, and Funkhouser's other aviation businesses. In March 1929, Funkhouser and Fahy formed a second, independent company—Atlantic Seaboard Airways—and used it to take over International Airways and Hoover Field. Ira C. Eaker was named general manager of Atlantic Seaboard.
United States Air Transport was itself taken over in June 1929 by Federal Aviation Corporation, an airline based in New York City. Federal Aviation announced it was buying an additional 104 acres (42.1 ha) for $675,000, with the goal of merging the two airports and creating a six-runway field with one runway dedicated solely to departing flights. But on December 30, 1929, Federal Aviation sold Hoover Field to the New Standard Aircraft Co., ending unified control of the two fields. Nonetheless, beginning around 1930, the two fields entered into a cooperative agreement. Hoover Field agreed to host all sight-seeing, flight schools, and small planes, while Washington Airport agreed to only be used by larger military, mail, and passenger aircraft.
In July 1931, Federal Aviation was slated to be purchased by National Aviation Corporation, an airline financing corporation originally organized in 1928. But this transaction never occurred.
. In 1933, both airports merged after a series of quick financial transactions.
Washington Airport was the first to be sold, and the buyers were the Ludingtons. Nicholas S. Ludington and his brother, Charles T. Ludington, were co-owners of the Philadelphia Flying Service, a pilot training school and demonstration airplane manufacturer established in 1922. The Ludingtons became quite wealthy, and in 1929 Charles was on the board of directors of the Aviation Corporation—an aviation investment company in which some of the richest men in shipping, railroads, and investment banking had invested. In June 1930, the Ludingtons founded New York-Philadelphia-Washington Airways (soon to be renamed Ludington Airlines), an eastern seaboard airline. The Ludingtons sold their airline to Eastern Air Transport
in February 1933, and Eastern Air Transport was in turn acquired by North American Aviation
a month later. These transactions left the Ludingtons with plenty of cash. On July 8, 1933, Federal Aviation announced it was unable to make payments on its airfield mortgages and put Washington Airport up for auction. D.C. attorney H. Rozier Dulany, Jr. (son of the famous Virginia horse breeder) held a $255,000 first mortgage
against the property and the Ludingtons held a $160,000 second mortgage
. North American Aviation (owner of the former Ludington airline) passed on the chance to buy the property. At auction on July 17, 1933, an unidentified buyer purchased Washington Airport for $432,000.
Hoover Field was sold just days later. New Standard Aircraft Corp. had also had been unable to make good on its mortgages by July 1933. The Ludingtons owned a $155,442 first mortgage on Hoover Field, while William Morgan (a D.C. physician) held a second mortgage worth $9,500. The Hoover Field auction was set for July 31. At auction, the Ludingtons bought Hoover Field for $174,500.
The evening after the Hoover Field auction, the secret buyer of Washington Airport emerged: National Airport Corporation, a division of National Aviation Corporation. Within 24 hours it purchased Hoover Field from the Ludingtons for an undisclosed sum.
declared there were better airstrips in Siberia
. Airways Age magazine, then the publication of record for the aviation industry, reported that Hoover-Washington "provided the national capital with probably the poorest aviation ground facilities of any important city in either the United States or Europe." Harold Gatty
, "Prince of Navigators" (according to Charles Lindbergh
), called it "the worst in the United States in any town of more than 15,000 population. In size, conditions, obstructions, and approach, the field has shortcomings. From the point of view of national dignity, it is a disgrace." He strongly attacked the field's inability to keep the sod runways and taxiing areas properly drained, and said there was no reason why mere rain should close the airport. Major J. Carroll Cone, assistant director for aeronautic development within the U.S. Department of Commerce, said the airport was "the worst in the United States", said it was "admittedly inadequate", and that "its continuing use is out of the question." James C. Edgerton, an aide to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce, said planes were in "imminent danger" when using the field. Amelia Earhart
said a month after the merger, "I wouldn't think of flying my own plane here."
Several safety hazards had been worsened by the joining of the two airfields. Now the field was actually crossed by Military Road. At first, an airport employee tried to stop traffic with a rope when planes landed. When this proved hazardous, the airport tried using guards to stop traffic. The guards also proved ineffective. The airport then installed a traffic light
in mid-1934 to prevent vehicles from crossing the runway when planes took off or landed. Arlington County officials fined the airport manager for obstructing traffic, and the light was removed. The presence of the road was not the only hazard. High-tension electrical wires
and tall radio towers still lined the field's west side, and a high smokestack
and U.S. Route 1
were to its south.
Some safety improvements were made over time, however. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Ewing Y. Mitchell asked the United States Department of War
in August 1933 to close Military Road and relocate it, and pledged to seek newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt
's intervention if this effort failed. The Department of Commerce also undertook legal research to identify any obstacles to the closing of the road. Secretary of War
George Dern
also supported the road closure. But no closure was made at this time. A land-swap that would give the Arlington Experimental Farm most of the old Hoover Field site while giving Washington-Hoover about 40 acres (16.2 ha) to the south (thus permitting extension of the runways to a safer length) was proposed in September 1933. The Commission of Fine Arts, the region's most powerful planning body, supported the land-swap as well as closure of Military Road. The land-swap was completed by April 1935, and the airport spent $10,000 widening the runways and building a blimp
hangar. Samuel Solomon, a D.C. lawyer, was appointed head of Washington-Hoover Airport in October 1933, and began lobbying heavily for Military Road's closure as well. The Washington Board of Trade
threw its weight behind the road closure in March 1934. Arlington County managers said at the same time that they were already planning to move the road. But again, no closure came. Legislation was introduced in Congress in June 1935 to close Military Road, and Arlington County groups began meeting again to determine where the rerouted road would go. But again, no closure was made.
The safety situation at Washington-Hoover was very serious. In 1934, a plane attempting to land nearly hit a military truck traveling along Military Road. In August 1935, a passenger airliner with 14 people aboard had to swerve during take-off to avoid hitting a car on the road. The airliner crashed into a hanger, but no one was killed.
Some other improvements did get made. Two new terminal wings, expanding the building by more than 50 percent, were built in 1934. A new, glass-walled control tower was also built which markedly improved air traffic control, and the Arlington Experimental Farm permitted Washington-Hoover to reclaim several acres of marshy land northwest of the airport to slightly extend the runways. In September 1935, three years of negotiations bore fruit when the Potomac Electric Power Company
(Pepco) agreed to move its high-tension electrical lines along Arlington Pike
(which hindered the flight path near the northern end of the field).
Although Military Road did not close, Congress passed legislation allowing traffic on the highway to be stopped. On January 31, 1936, Representative
John D. Dingell, Sr.
warned Washington-Hoover Airport that Military Road posed a serious flying hazard. On February 14, airport officials (faced with legal action from Arlington County for obstructing traffic), stopped attempting to close the road using traffic guards, chains, or lights, leading the Department of Commerce to announce it would close the airport if traffic were not stopped. Two days later, the United States Post Office Department
declared it would suspend airmail operations at Washington-Hoover unless the road were closed, leading both houses of Congress to introduce legislation demanding closure and realignment of the road. A fight broke out in the United States Senate
over payment for the road: Some Senators wanted Washington-Hoover's owners to pay $50,000 in exchange for a quitclaim deed
from the War Department. The airport refused, calling this blackmail. Eventually, after several failed compromises, Congress passed and Roosevelt signed federal legislation permitting traffic to be temporarily stopped whenever planes took off or landed, and paying for guards to do the traffic stops.
Washington-Hoover officials quickly announced plans to significantly extend one airport runway across the road, allowing far larger plans to land (and land more safely). But even with the extensions, the runways were too short. The main runway was now 4200 feet (1,280.2 m) long, and the secondary runway (also extended) 3000 feet (914.4 m), but both were short of the 5000 feet (1,524 m) considered safe for the new, heavier aircraft (like the Douglas DC-3
). Amelia Earhart testified before the U.S. Senate in May 1936 that the airport was still unsafe.
moved its headquarters to the field. A new radio and arc lamp
control system for planes began installation later that month, and planning began for paving the runways and taxiing strip. The extended runway over Military Road was laid down in mid-September, the radio control system was finished a few days later, and the new runways completed in late October. A new drainage system helped to keep the field dry during wet weather, and the control tower was also expanded again.
Other efforts through 1937 also helped to improve safety at the field, but only in part. Some high-tension electrical wires and tall trees near the field were removed in December 1936. But in June 1937, Representative Charles Plumley
told the House of Representatives that Washington-Hoover was still unsafe for planes and a "national disgrace." A month later the Air Line Pilots Association voted not to fly planes to the airfield due to the safety issues there. Two weeks later, short haul air transport between Washington, D.C., and New York City ended due to the dangers at the airport. Members of Congress proposed legislation paying for improvements to the field, but the Air Line Pilots Association declared the field inherently unsafe and demanded its closure. To address these demands, the Washington Board of Trade urged once again in late July that Military Road be closed (even as local motorists asked that the road be upgraded and repaved).
The House and Senate again introduced airport improvement legislation in July 1937. This bill, which would have provided for construction of a new Military Road and transferred 53 acres (21.4 ha) of the Arlington Experimental Farm to the airport, was vetoed by President Roosevelt. But as this legislation was moving forward, Arlington County and Washington-Hoover Airport reached an agreement in mid-August whereby the county would close Military Road in exchange for a $25,000 payment to help pay for its rerouting. The House of Representatives passed legislation the following day to permit closure of the federal road. The Senate followed suit 10 days later. Again President Roosevelt vetoed the legislation, arguing that it turned federal property over to a private entity without payment in return. In September, the Bureau of Air Commerce directed all airports in the United States to assume responsibility for directing the take-off and landing of large air transport planes. But Washington-Hoover personnel refused to take on that responsibility, due to the airfield's poor radio and lighting systems. After negotiations among the Air Line Pilots Association, the Bureau of Air Commerce, transport airlines, and the airport, tighter rules for large air transport craft were adopted but special provisions enacted just for Washington-Hoover which established a slightly lower threshold of safety and permitted large air transport ships to land at the airfield. But still the Air Line Pilots Association pressed for the complete closure of Washington-Hoover.
to purchase the airport, but the agency refused (citing the high cost of land). Despite this setback, some city and federal leaders kept pushing for Washington-Hoover as the city's municipal airport. Arlington County officials opposed the proposal, however, as the private airport generated tax revenues it would not if it were a federal facility.
One of the reasons why purchase was opposed was the boundary question. In April 1933, a filling station
near Washington Airport refused to pay taxes to the state of Virginia, arguing that the land on which it stood was part of the District of Columbia. Despite the Supreme Court's earlier ruling, this claim threw into question where the border really was.
In an attempt to fix the border permanently, Congress enacted legislation on March 21, 1934, creating the District of Columbia-Virginia Boundary Commission. For the next 20 months, the Boundary Commission held hearings and studied ancient maps to determine whether the low tide or high tide level of the Potomac River constituted Virginia's boundary with the District of Columbia. In December 1935, the Boundary Commission issued a compromise report, giving the federal government (which represented the District) title to all land east of the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway. This compromise would have given Washington-Hoover Airport to the state of Virginia while giving nearby Gravelly Point to the federal government.
But a major congressional battle over the report led to no action, and the dispute continued to simmer. Finally, in October 1945, Congress enacted legislation essentially enacting the recommendations of the Boundary Commission report, but giving title over National Airport to the federal government (with some caveats for law enforcement).
In early September, the War Department agreed to allow planes to land at Bolling Field in an emergency. This led the Air Line Pilots Association to cancel its boycott of Washington-Hoover. But shortly thereafter, the association renewed its push to have the airport closed altogether. Under intense pressure, the National Aviation Corporation said it was putting Washington-Hoover Airport up for sale. Airport officials later said they hoped that the federal government would take over Washington-Hoover, greatly expand it, and operate it as a joint public-private enterprise with National Aviation. Two months later, Washington-Hoover officials announced that the blimp hangar at the field was being closed and removed. The airfield also proposed filling in part of the lagoon that formed the southern end of Boundary Channel, so that a much-needed, much longer cross-runway could be built at the field.
One important improvement at Washington-Hoover Airport went almost unnoticed, but proved historic. J. Willard Marriott
, noticing the many passengers at Washington-Hoover Airport without access to food, opened the world's first airline catering business there in 1937.
magazine called Washington-Hoover "one of the world's most dangerous" airports. Representative
Charles Albert Plumley
castigated the airfield as "both a public menace and a national disgrace."
The national publicity given to the airport's problems led to action. This time, Congress adopted a different legislative strategy. In late March, the Senate approved two bills (rather than a single bill), one to close Military Road and one to expand the airport by transferring a portion of the Arlington Experimental Farm to the facility. The House passed both bills in early April. President Roosevelt signed the bill closing Military Road on April 14. Washington-Hoover officials immediately announced a plan to secure an additional 110 acres (44.5 ha) of land and build five runways of 5000 feet (1,524 m) each. The airport tendered its $25,000 payment to the county in late April. Military Road closed on Monday, May 15, 1938. In mid-September, hearings began to set a date for the final removal of the blimp hangar.
Roosevelt's decision had been nearly two years in the making. Roosevelt had long favored closure of Washington-Hoover and the construction of a new, large, modern airport at a safer location. But Roosevelt faced a problem: The Air Commerce Act of 1926 barred the federal government from building or supplying the funds to build commercial airports. However, pressure for substantial reform of federal air commernce policy was rising, so in August 1937 (around the time he vetoed the road closing bills) Roosevelt formed an advisory panel to make recommendations regarding reform of national civil aviation policy. Both the Roosevelt administration and several members of Congress introduced air commerce legislation in January 1938, and on May 28, 1938, Roosevelt signed the Civil Aeronautics Act into law. The statute established the Civil Aeronautics Authority, and permitted this agency to spend federal funds for the construction of airports if such construction was required by the national defense.
It was under this authority that Roosevelt acted to authorize the construction of National Airport (for years, the only commercial airport operated by the U.S. government). The closure of Military Road kept Washington-Hoover open while Roosevelt pursued his civil aviation bill and built his new airport.
Over the next two years, a number of improvements were made to the area around Washington-Hoover Airport. Few of these were intended to make the airport safer, but rather to make it safe for the new National Airport and to prepare the area for the construction of military facilities (as mobilization was under way in anticipation of World War II). The blimp hangar was gone as of November 1939, although the Goodyear Blimp
continued to dock at Washington-Hoover. In October 1940, Congress passed legislation transferring the Arlington Experimental Farm to the United States Army
, and authorizing the purchase of Washington-Hoover by the federal government. The Arlington Radio Towers, built around 1915 and long a hazard to planes at Washington-Hoover, were removed in early 1941. With the closure of Washington-Hoover clearly coming, Samuel Solomon resigned as Washington-Hoover's manager in May 1941 to become president of Northeast Airlines
.
In late June 1941, the Army selected Washington-Hoover for the site of a proposed $3 million supply depot. The supply depot was never built; instead, The Pentagon
was constructed on the site of the old airfield. In June 1941, Congress finally appropriated money for the purchase of the airfield for military use. On September 16, 1941, the War Department bought Washington-Hoover Airport for $1 million for construction of The Pentagon.
The Goodyear Blimp moved to National Airport in November 1941. Ground was broken for the construction of The Pentagon on November 8, 1941, and Washington-Hoover ceased to exist.
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...
which served the city of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in the United States from 1933 to 1941. It was created by the merger of Hoover Field
Hoover Field
Hoover Field was the first airport to serve the city of Washington, D.C. It was constructed as a private airfield in 1925, but opened to public commercial use on July 16, 1926...
and Washington Airport
Washington Airport
Washington Airport was the second major airport to serve the city of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Located in Arlington, Virginia, near the intersection of the Highway Bridge and the Mount Vernon Parkway...
on August 2, 1933. It was located in Arlington, Virginia, near the intersection of the Highway Bridge and the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
(where The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
and its parking lots now stand). Washington-Hoover Airport, like its predecessors, suffered from extensive safety problems, short runways, and little ability to grow. It closed for public use in June 1941, and the United States Department of War
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
purchased the site in September, closing it for good. Washington National Airport (now known as Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
), which opened in June 1941, was built as its replacement.
Hoover Field
Hoover Field was built in 1925 by Thomas E. Mitten, president of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company. It was constructed on Hell's Bottom, a 37.5 acres (15.2 ha) site at the foot of the Highway Bridge in Arlington County, Virginia (formerly a horse racingHorse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
track) directly across the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
from the city. The single sod
Sod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
was 2400 feet (731.5 m) long. A single hanger, 60 feet (18.3 m) by 100 feet (30.5 m) in size, was constructed. The field was expanded, and the "new" airfield dedicated on July 16, 1926. It was named for then-Secretary of Commerce
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
, a major promoter of civil aviation.
Hoover Field suffered from significant safety problems. Arlington Beach, a local amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
, was located on the northeastern side of the airport (next to the Highway Bridge), and a landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
stood on the north-northwestern edge of the field. The trash in the landfill was also on fire
Landfill fire
A landfill fire occurs when waste disposed of in a landfill ignites and spreads. In landfills that do not cover their waste with daily cover, biological decomposition creates substantial heat and can cause material in the landfills to spontaneously combust. In the U.S...
. The smoke sometimes obscured the landing field. The United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
owned the 400 acres (161.9 ha) Arlington Experimental Farm immediately adjacent to the northeastern end of the runway. A public swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
was located at the airport, and local children would cross the runway to get to it. Safety conditions at the airport were so poor due to these and other obstructions that local businesses and city officials began calling for the construction of a city-owned airport in a safer location just three months after Hoover Field opened.
In February 1927, a group of aviators and aviation companies, led by aviation pioneer Henry Berliner
Henry Berliner
Henry Adler Berliner was a United States aircraft and helicopter pioneer. Sixth son of inventor Emile Berliner, he was born in Washington, D.C....
, called for the establishment of a new, larger airport to be built on vacant land across Military Road
Military Road (Arlington, Virginia)
Military Road is a four-lane arterial road approximately in length in Arlington County, Virginia. It runs primarily in a north-south direction, with its northern terminus at North Old Glebe Road near Virginia State Route 120 and its southern terminus at U.S. Route 29. Military Road turns into...
(the southern boundary of Hoover Field). This plan was not immediately acted on however. In June, Berliner began leasing Hoover Field, and soon took a majority financial interest in the airport. A fire at the field on July 3, 1928, destroyed eight planes and a hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
, causing $100,000 in damages ($1.275 million in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
). Berliner's finances were significantly damaged by the fire, and he sold his interest in Hoover Field to E.W. Robertson's Mount Vernon Airways on July 20, 1928. By November 1928, a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
company, International Airways, had taken over control of the airfield from Mount Vernon Airways.
In early 1929, a new holding company, Atlantic Seaboard Airways, was created by the owners of nearby Washington Airport and took over International Airways and its subsidiary aviation businesses. For a few months, both fields were owned by the same investors (although they never merged operations). On December 30, 1929, a group of investors led by R.H. Reiffen, chairman of the New Standard Aircraft Company
New Standard Aircraft Company
The New Standard Aircraft Company was an airplane manufacturing company based in the United States. It operated from 1927 until 1931.-Corporate history:...
, seized control of Atlantic Seaboard Airways and Hoover Field.
Safety at the airfield improved somewhat in mid-1932, after Arlington County commissioners revoked permits for the burning of trash at all landfills in the county—including the one next to Hoover Field, but not the one next to Washington Airport.
Washington Airport
Washington Airport was built because a newly formed airline needed a terminal in Washington, D.C. The new Washington Airport opened without fanfare in late 1927 as a field for sight-seeing planes. Its owners included Robert E. Funkhouser (an investor in various airlines), Herbert Fahy (a well-known Lockheed Aircraft CompanyLockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
test pilot), and other investors. The airport added acreage and improved its facilities, and in February 1928 Funkhouser, Fahy and the others formed Seaboard Airways. Seaboard's base of operations was Washington Airport. But Washington Airport was only marginally safer than Hoover Field. The owners could not afford to pave the runway, and the burning trash dumps near Hoover Field and at Washington Airport's own eastern border often obscured the runways the new field's runways.
The field was dramatically enlarged (and the coastline of the Potomac River altered) in April 1928. Safety improvements were also made. Arlington Beach amusement park was purchased and razed; three new runways built on the theme park grounds; a new paved runway planned for the existing airport; and a new terminal, hangar, and office building constructed. Arlington County commissioners also banned the burning of trash at the landfill next to Hoover Field in mid-1932 (but not the one next to Washington Airport). In May 1932, the airport paid local electric power and telephone companies to bury their lines obstructing the landing and take-off lanes. But numerous other safety issues remained.
In the summer of 1931, Washington Airport faced a new safety battle. The commission overseeing the construction of Arlington Memorial Bridge
Arlington Memorial Bridge
The Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. crosses the Potomac River, connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Columbia Island. The northeastern end of the bridge marks the western edge of the National Mall...
proposed erecting two 200 feet (61 m) granite columns on the Virginia side of the bridge as a beautification measure. The columns, however, posed a serious hazard to planes landing at Washington Airport, and an 18-month political and legislative battle ensued before the threat was defeated in February 1932.
First merger effort
Washington Airport's owners first attempted to take control of Hoover Field and merge the two entities in the late 1920s. In June 1928, Funkhouser and Fahy created United States Air Transport, a holding companyHolding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
which took over Seaboard Airways, Washington Airport, and Funkhouser's other aviation businesses. In March 1929, Funkhouser and Fahy formed a second, independent company—Atlantic Seaboard Airways—and used it to take over International Airways and Hoover Field. Ira C. Eaker was named general manager of Atlantic Seaboard.
United States Air Transport was itself taken over in June 1929 by Federal Aviation Corporation, an airline based in New York City. Federal Aviation announced it was buying an additional 104 acres (42.1 ha) for $675,000, with the goal of merging the two airports and creating a six-runway field with one runway dedicated solely to departing flights. But on December 30, 1929, Federal Aviation sold Hoover Field to the New Standard Aircraft Co., ending unified control of the two fields. Nonetheless, beginning around 1930, the two fields entered into a cooperative agreement. Hoover Field agreed to host all sight-seeing, flight schools, and small planes, while Washington Airport agreed to only be used by larger military, mail, and passenger aircraft.
In July 1931, Federal Aviation was slated to be purchased by National Aviation Corporation, an airline financing corporation originally organized in 1928. But this transaction never occurred.
Second merger effort
Hoover Field and Washington Airport both suffered significant financial setbacks during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. In 1933, both airports merged after a series of quick financial transactions.
Washington Airport was the first to be sold, and the buyers were the Ludingtons. Nicholas S. Ludington and his brother, Charles T. Ludington, were co-owners of the Philadelphia Flying Service, a pilot training school and demonstration airplane manufacturer established in 1922. The Ludingtons became quite wealthy, and in 1929 Charles was on the board of directors of the Aviation Corporation—an aviation investment company in which some of the richest men in shipping, railroads, and investment banking had invested. In June 1930, the Ludingtons founded New York-Philadelphia-Washington Airways (soon to be renamed Ludington Airlines), an eastern seaboard airline. The Ludingtons sold their airline to Eastern Air Transport
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
in February 1933, and Eastern Air Transport was in turn acquired by North American Aviation
North American Aviation
North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service...
a month later. These transactions left the Ludingtons with plenty of cash. On July 8, 1933, Federal Aviation announced it was unable to make payments on its airfield mortgages and put Washington Airport up for auction. D.C. attorney H. Rozier Dulany, Jr. (son of the famous Virginia horse breeder) held a $255,000 first mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
against the property and the Ludingtons held a $160,000 second mortgage
Second mortgage
A second mortgage typically refers to a secured loan that is subordinate to another loan against the same property.In real estate, a property can have multiple loans or liens against it. The loan which is registered with county or city registry first is called the first mortgage or first position...
. North American Aviation (owner of the former Ludington airline) passed on the chance to buy the property. At auction on July 17, 1933, an unidentified buyer purchased Washington Airport for $432,000.
Hoover Field was sold just days later. New Standard Aircraft Corp. had also had been unable to make good on its mortgages by July 1933. The Ludingtons owned a $155,442 first mortgage on Hoover Field, while William Morgan (a D.C. physician) held a second mortgage worth $9,500. The Hoover Field auction was set for July 31. At auction, the Ludingtons bought Hoover Field for $174,500.
The evening after the Hoover Field auction, the secret buyer of Washington Airport emerged: National Airport Corporation, a division of National Aviation Corporation. Within 24 hours it purchased Hoover Field from the Ludingtons for an undisclosed sum.
Operation of Washington-Hoover Airport
The merged and newly named Washington-Hoover Airport was 143 acres (57.9 ha) in size and roughly square in size. Its dirt runways were partly oiled to reduce dust, and it had no paved runways. It had no drainage system, partial nighttime lighting, no radio for traffic control, and its three hangars were already considered obsolete.Safety concerns and traffic stoppages on Military Road
As soon as the merger was complete, the newly named Washington-Hoover Airport came in for harsh criticism for its dangerous location and other safety concerns. Pilots rated it the most dangerous airport in the nation. Famed aviator Wiley PostWiley Post
Wiley Hardeman Post was a famed American aviator, the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high altitude flying, Post helped develop one of the first pressure suits. His Lockheed Vega aircraft, the Winnie Mae, was on display at the National Air and Space Museum's...
declared there were better airstrips in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. Airways Age magazine, then the publication of record for the aviation industry, reported that Hoover-Washington "provided the national capital with probably the poorest aviation ground facilities of any important city in either the United States or Europe." Harold Gatty
Harold Gatty
Harold Charles Gatty was an Australian navigator, inventor, and aviation pioneer...
, "Prince of Navigators" (according to Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
), called it "the worst in the United States in any town of more than 15,000 population. In size, conditions, obstructions, and approach, the field has shortcomings. From the point of view of national dignity, it is a disgrace." He strongly attacked the field's inability to keep the sod runways and taxiing areas properly drained, and said there was no reason why mere rain should close the airport. Major J. Carroll Cone, assistant director for aeronautic development within the U.S. Department of Commerce, said the airport was "the worst in the United States", said it was "admittedly inadequate", and that "its continuing use is out of the question." James C. Edgerton, an aide to the Assistant Secretary of Commerce, said planes were in "imminent danger" when using the field. Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
said a month after the merger, "I wouldn't think of flying my own plane here."
Several safety hazards had been worsened by the joining of the two airfields. Now the field was actually crossed by Military Road. At first, an airport employee tried to stop traffic with a rope when planes landed. When this proved hazardous, the airport tried using guards to stop traffic. The guards also proved ineffective. The airport then installed a traffic light
Traffic light
Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
in mid-1934 to prevent vehicles from crossing the runway when planes took off or landed. Arlington County officials fined the airport manager for obstructing traffic, and the light was removed. The presence of the road was not the only hazard. High-tension electrical wires
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
and tall radio towers still lined the field's west side, and a high smokestack
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
and U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Virginia
U.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of Virginia runs north–south through South Hill, Petersburg, Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria on its way from North Carolina to the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia...
were to its south.
Some safety improvements were made over time, however. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Ewing Y. Mitchell asked the United States Department of War
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
in August 1933 to close Military Road and relocate it, and pledged to seek newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's intervention if this effort failed. The Department of Commerce also undertook legal research to identify any obstacles to the closing of the road. Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
George Dern
George Dern
George Henry Dern was an American politician, mining man, and businessman. He is probably best remembered for co-inventing the Holt–Dern ore roasting process, as well as for his tenure as United States Secretary of War from 1933 to his death in 1936. He also served as the sixth Governor of Utah...
also supported the road closure. But no closure was made at this time. A land-swap that would give the Arlington Experimental Farm most of the old Hoover Field site while giving Washington-Hoover about 40 acres (16.2 ha) to the south (thus permitting extension of the runways to a safer length) was proposed in September 1933. The Commission of Fine Arts, the region's most powerful planning body, supported the land-swap as well as closure of Military Road. The land-swap was completed by April 1935, and the airport spent $10,000 widening the runways and building a blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...
hangar. Samuel Solomon, a D.C. lawyer, was appointed head of Washington-Hoover Airport in October 1933, and began lobbying heavily for Military Road's closure as well. The Washington Board of Trade
Greater Washington Board of Trade
The Greater Washington Board of Trade is a network of business and non-profit leaders in Washington, D.C.Since its creation in 1889, the Greater Washington Board of Trade has provided advocacy, research, and programs for the area's business community...
threw its weight behind the road closure in March 1934. Arlington County managers said at the same time that they were already planning to move the road. But again, no closure came. Legislation was introduced in Congress in June 1935 to close Military Road, and Arlington County groups began meeting again to determine where the rerouted road would go. But again, no closure was made.
The safety situation at Washington-Hoover was very serious. In 1934, a plane attempting to land nearly hit a military truck traveling along Military Road. In August 1935, a passenger airliner with 14 people aboard had to swerve during take-off to avoid hitting a car on the road. The airliner crashed into a hanger, but no one was killed.
Some other improvements did get made. Two new terminal wings, expanding the building by more than 50 percent, were built in 1934. A new, glass-walled control tower was also built which markedly improved air traffic control, and the Arlington Experimental Farm permitted Washington-Hoover to reclaim several acres of marshy land northwest of the airport to slightly extend the runways. In September 1935, three years of negotiations bore fruit when the Potomac Electric Power Company
Potomac Electric Power Company
The Potomac Electric Power Company, known as Pepco, is a public utility supplying electric power to the city of Washington, D.C., and to surrounding communities in Maryland...
(Pepco) agreed to move its high-tension electrical lines along Arlington Pike
Arlington Boulevard
Arlington Boulevard is a major arterial road in Arlington County, Fairfax County, and the independent City of Fairfax in Northern Virginia in metropolitan Washington, DC, United States. It is designated U.S...
(which hindered the flight path near the northern end of the field).
Although Military Road did not close, Congress passed legislation allowing traffic on the highway to be stopped. On January 31, 1936, Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
John D. Dingell, Sr.
John D. Dingell, Sr.
John David Dingell, Sr. was an American politician who represented Michigan's 15th congressional district from 1933 to 1955.-Life and career:Dingell was born in Detroit...
warned Washington-Hoover Airport that Military Road posed a serious flying hazard. On February 14, airport officials (faced with legal action from Arlington County for obstructing traffic), stopped attempting to close the road using traffic guards, chains, or lights, leading the Department of Commerce to announce it would close the airport if traffic were not stopped. Two days later, the United States Post Office Department
United States Post Office Department
The Post Office Department was the name of the United States Postal Service when it was a Cabinet department. It was headed by the Postmaster General....
declared it would suspend airmail operations at Washington-Hoover unless the road were closed, leading both houses of Congress to introduce legislation demanding closure and realignment of the road. A fight broke out in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
over payment for the road: Some Senators wanted Washington-Hoover's owners to pay $50,000 in exchange for a quitclaim deed
Quitclaim deed
A quitclaim deed is a legal instrument by which the owner of a piece of real property, called the grantor, transfers his interest to a recipient, called the grantee. The owner/grantor terminates his right and claim to the property, thereby allowing claim to transfer to the...
from the War Department. The airport refused, calling this blackmail. Eventually, after several failed compromises, Congress passed and Roosevelt signed federal legislation permitting traffic to be temporarily stopped whenever planes took off or landed, and paying for guards to do the traffic stops.
Washington-Hoover officials quickly announced plans to significantly extend one airport runway across the road, allowing far larger plans to land (and land more safely). But even with the extensions, the runways were too short. The main runway was now 4200 feet (1,280.2 m) long, and the secondary runway (also extended) 3000 feet (914.4 m), but both were short of the 5000 feet (1,524 m) considered safe for the new, heavier aircraft (like the Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
). Amelia Earhart testified before the U.S. Senate in May 1936 that the airport was still unsafe.
Other improvements to facilities and safety
The airport continued to expand through the late 1930s, albeit slowly. A new Airmail Building was constructed at the field in August 1936, enabling the Bureau of Air Commerce to move its headquarters to the airport's administration building, and Central AirlinesCentral Airlines
Central Airlines was a regional airline providing service in Texas and Oklahoma from 1949 to 1967. Central was founded by Keith Kahle in 1944 to operate charter and fixed base services in Oklahoma. Due to financing difficulties, it did not begin scheduled air service until September 15, 1949, just...
moved its headquarters to the field. A new radio and arc lamp
Arc lamp
"Arc lamp" or "arc light" is the general term for a class of lamps that produce light by an electric arc . The lamp consists of two electrodes, first made from carbon but typically made today of tungsten, which are separated by a gas...
control system for planes began installation later that month, and planning began for paving the runways and taxiing strip. The extended runway over Military Road was laid down in mid-September, the radio control system was finished a few days later, and the new runways completed in late October. A new drainage system helped to keep the field dry during wet weather, and the control tower was also expanded again.
Other efforts through 1937 also helped to improve safety at the field, but only in part. Some high-tension electrical wires and tall trees near the field were removed in December 1936. But in June 1937, Representative Charles Plumley
Charles Albert Plumley
Charles Albert Plumley was a Republican U.S. Representative from Vermont, son of the U.S. Representative Frank Plumley....
told the House of Representatives that Washington-Hoover was still unsafe for planes and a "national disgrace." A month later the Air Line Pilots Association voted not to fly planes to the airfield due to the safety issues there. Two weeks later, short haul air transport between Washington, D.C., and New York City ended due to the dangers at the airport. Members of Congress proposed legislation paying for improvements to the field, but the Air Line Pilots Association declared the field inherently unsafe and demanded its closure. To address these demands, the Washington Board of Trade urged once again in late July that Military Road be closed (even as local motorists asked that the road be upgraded and repaved).
The House and Senate again introduced airport improvement legislation in July 1937. This bill, which would have provided for construction of a new Military Road and transferred 53 acres (21.4 ha) of the Arlington Experimental Farm to the airport, was vetoed by President Roosevelt. But as this legislation was moving forward, Arlington County and Washington-Hoover Airport reached an agreement in mid-August whereby the county would close Military Road in exchange for a $25,000 payment to help pay for its rerouting. The House of Representatives passed legislation the following day to permit closure of the federal road. The Senate followed suit 10 days later. Again President Roosevelt vetoed the legislation, arguing that it turned federal property over to a private entity without payment in return. In September, the Bureau of Air Commerce directed all airports in the United States to assume responsibility for directing the take-off and landing of large air transport planes. But Washington-Hoover personnel refused to take on that responsibility, due to the airfield's poor radio and lighting systems. After negotiations among the Air Line Pilots Association, the Bureau of Air Commerce, transport airlines, and the airport, tighter rules for large air transport craft were adopted but special provisions enacted just for Washington-Hoover which established a slightly lower threshold of safety and permitted large air transport ships to land at the airfield. But still the Air Line Pilots Association pressed for the complete closure of Washington-Hoover.
Push for federalization and boundary issues
Throughout this period, efforts were also made to have the city or federal government purchase Washington-Hoover. In late 1933, the city asked the Public Works AdministrationPublic Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
to purchase the airport, but the agency refused (citing the high cost of land). Despite this setback, some city and federal leaders kept pushing for Washington-Hoover as the city's municipal airport. Arlington County officials opposed the proposal, however, as the private airport generated tax revenues it would not if it were a federal facility.
One of the reasons why purchase was opposed was the boundary question. In April 1933, a filling station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
near Washington Airport refused to pay taxes to the state of Virginia, arguing that the land on which it stood was part of the District of Columbia. Despite the Supreme Court's earlier ruling, this claim threw into question where the border really was.
In an attempt to fix the border permanently, Congress enacted legislation on March 21, 1934, creating the District of Columbia-Virginia Boundary Commission. For the next 20 months, the Boundary Commission held hearings and studied ancient maps to determine whether the low tide or high tide level of the Potomac River constituted Virginia's boundary with the District of Columbia. In December 1935, the Boundary Commission issued a compromise report, giving the federal government (which represented the District) title to all land east of the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway. This compromise would have given Washington-Hoover Airport to the state of Virginia while giving nearby Gravelly Point to the federal government.
But a major congressional battle over the report led to no action, and the dispute continued to simmer. Finally, in October 1945, Congress enacted legislation essentially enacting the recommendations of the Boundary Commission report, but giving title over National Airport to the federal government (with some caveats for law enforcement).
Closing of Military Road and approval of Washington National Airport
The rapid expansion in aircraft size and weight as well as the need for enhanced airfield safety led the U.S. Department of Commerce to threaten to close Washington-Hoover again. In June 1937, the department promulgated new rules requiring runways to be lengthed by as much as 2000 feet (609.6 m) and for all obstructions for take-off and landing flight paths to be removed. The department also instituted an airport classification system designed to rate fields on safety and other factors. Aircraft would be permitted to use only at those fields which had a rating indicating it was safe for them, and air traffic volumes would be limited at fields with lower ratings. The rules threatened to close Washington-Hoover, or permit its use for local traffic only.In early September, the War Department agreed to allow planes to land at Bolling Field in an emergency. This led the Air Line Pilots Association to cancel its boycott of Washington-Hoover. But shortly thereafter, the association renewed its push to have the airport closed altogether. Under intense pressure, the National Aviation Corporation said it was putting Washington-Hoover Airport up for sale. Airport officials later said they hoped that the federal government would take over Washington-Hoover, greatly expand it, and operate it as a joint public-private enterprise with National Aviation. Two months later, Washington-Hoover officials announced that the blimp hangar at the field was being closed and removed. The airfield also proposed filling in part of the lagoon that formed the southern end of Boundary Channel, so that a much-needed, much longer cross-runway could be built at the field.
One important improvement at Washington-Hoover Airport went almost unnoticed, but proved historic. J. Willard Marriott
J. Willard Marriott
John Willard Marriott was an American entrepreneur and businessman. He was the founder of the Marriott Corporation , the parent company of one of the world's largest hospitality, hotel chains, and food services companies. The Marriott company rose from a small root beer stand in Washington D.C...
, noticing the many passengers at Washington-Hoover Airport without access to food, opened the world's first airline catering business there in 1937.
Closure of Military Road
The year 1938 saw the closure at last of Military Road. For six months, the Department of Commerce's new rules had threatened to close the airport, but neither airport officials nor the federal government had acted to improve the safety situation. But pressure for closure began to build again. In early 1938, federal aviation officials began regulating air traffic in the D.C. area to prevent too many planes from using the field at once. In February, highly influential TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine called Washington-Hoover "one of the world's most dangerous" airports. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Charles Albert Plumley
Charles Albert Plumley
Charles Albert Plumley was a Republican U.S. Representative from Vermont, son of the U.S. Representative Frank Plumley....
castigated the airfield as "both a public menace and a national disgrace."
The national publicity given to the airport's problems led to action. This time, Congress adopted a different legislative strategy. In late March, the Senate approved two bills (rather than a single bill), one to close Military Road and one to expand the airport by transferring a portion of the Arlington Experimental Farm to the facility. The House passed both bills in early April. President Roosevelt signed the bill closing Military Road on April 14. Washington-Hoover officials immediately announced a plan to secure an additional 110 acres (44.5 ha) of land and build five runways of 5000 feet (1,524 m) each. The airport tendered its $25,000 payment to the county in late April. Military Road closed on Monday, May 15, 1938. In mid-September, hearings began to set a date for the final removal of the blimp hangar.
Washington National Airport
But in a surprise move, President Roosevelt announced on September 28, 1938, that a new 750 acres (303.5 ha) airport would be built on existing and reclaimed land at Gravelly Point. Roosevelt, worried, that war in Europe and Asia was looming, became convinced that a new, modern, safe facility was needed for national defense reasons. These concerns led the President to select Gravelly Point for a new National Airport. Roosevelt approved the expenditure of $9 million in Public Works Administration funds, $2 million in Works Progress Administration funds, and $200,000 of Civil Aviation Administration funds to build the airport, whose construction was to begin in early November 1938.Roosevelt's decision had been nearly two years in the making. Roosevelt had long favored closure of Washington-Hoover and the construction of a new, large, modern airport at a safer location. But Roosevelt faced a problem: The Air Commerce Act of 1926 barred the federal government from building or supplying the funds to build commercial airports. However, pressure for substantial reform of federal air commernce policy was rising, so in August 1937 (around the time he vetoed the road closing bills) Roosevelt formed an advisory panel to make recommendations regarding reform of national civil aviation policy. Both the Roosevelt administration and several members of Congress introduced air commerce legislation in January 1938, and on May 28, 1938, Roosevelt signed the Civil Aeronautics Act into law. The statute established the Civil Aeronautics Authority, and permitted this agency to spend federal funds for the construction of airports if such construction was required by the national defense.
It was under this authority that Roosevelt acted to authorize the construction of National Airport (for years, the only commercial airport operated by the U.S. government). The closure of Military Road kept Washington-Hoover open while Roosevelt pursued his civil aviation bill and built his new airport.
Over the next two years, a number of improvements were made to the area around Washington-Hoover Airport. Few of these were intended to make the airport safer, but rather to make it safe for the new National Airport and to prepare the area for the construction of military facilities (as mobilization was under way in anticipation of World War II). The blimp hangar was gone as of November 1939, although the Goodyear Blimp
Goodyear Blimp
The Goodyear Blimp is the collective name for a fleet of blimps operated by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for advertising purposes and for use as a television camera platform for aerial views of sporting events...
continued to dock at Washington-Hoover. In October 1940, Congress passed legislation transferring the Arlington Experimental Farm to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and authorizing the purchase of Washington-Hoover by the federal government. The Arlington Radio Towers, built around 1915 and long a hazard to planes at Washington-Hoover, were removed in early 1941. With the closure of Washington-Hoover clearly coming, Samuel Solomon resigned as Washington-Hoover's manager in May 1941 to become president of Northeast Airlines
Northeast Airlines
Northeast Airlines was an American airline based in Boston, Massachusetts. They began as Boston-Maine Airways, which was founded as a Pan Am contract carrier on July 20, 1931, by the Boston and Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad offering service from Boston to Bangor via Portland...
.
Closure
Washington-Hoover Airport closed as a public use airport in 1941 when Washington National Airport opened on June 16, 1941. After transfer of passenger and air transport flights to National, Washington-Hoover was used as a private field by a pilot training school.In late June 1941, the Army selected Washington-Hoover for the site of a proposed $3 million supply depot. The supply depot was never built; instead, The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
was constructed on the site of the old airfield. In June 1941, Congress finally appropriated money for the purchase of the airfield for military use. On September 16, 1941, the War Department bought Washington-Hoover Airport for $1 million for construction of The Pentagon.
The Goodyear Blimp moved to National Airport in November 1941. Ground was broken for the construction of The Pentagon on November 8, 1941, and Washington-Hoover ceased to exist.
External links
- History of Reagan Washington National
- Washington-Hoover Airport at Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society (includes photos of Washington-Hoover Airport in the 1930s and 1940s)