Flushing Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Flushing Airport
(closed 1984)
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image-width = 250px
caption = Deserted road to Flushing Airport hangars.
IATA = FLU
ICAO = KFLU
type = Airport (Airfield)
owner = New York City Economic Development Corporation
operator =
city-served = New York City
location = College Point, Queens
elevation-f = 5
elevation-m = 2
coordinates = Coord|40|46|45|N|073|50|00|W|type:airport
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Flushing Airport is a decommissioned airfield in northern Queens in New York City. It is located in the modern neighborhood of College Point even though it is named after the larger town of Flushing. The airfield was in operation from 1927 to 1984. The airport opened in 1927 as Speed's Airport. The airport was one of the busiest airports in New York City before the emergence of the larger LaGuardia Airport. [cite web |url=http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/FLUSHING%20AIRPORT/flush.html |title=Into The Weedy Green Yonder |publisher=Forgotten NY |accessdate=2007-09-03] In the early 1970s a skywriting company operated there. In 1977, a Piper Twin Comanche crashed shortly after taking off killing those on board. The incident compounding the frequent flooding problem lead to the close of this airport in 1984. [cite web |url=http://www.queenstribune.com/anniversary2003/1977.htm |publisher=Queens Tribute |work=The Queens Spin |title=1977 |accessdate=2007-09-03] [cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE1DB103AF93AA2575AC0A965958260 |publisher=New York Times |work=Neighborhood Report: Flushing |title=Decision On Heliport Awaits |date=1993-09-19 |accessdate=2007-09-05]

Development

Currently the airport is weed-ridden wetland. Since the outbreak of West Nile virus in New York in the late 1990s, the airport wetland has received frequent mosquito larvicide spraying. [cite web |url=http://home.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2007/pr053-07.shtml |date=2007 |title=Health Department to Treat Marsh and Other Non-Residential Areas of Staten Island, Queens, and Bronx with Mosquito Larvicide |publisher=Government of New York City]

As of 2000, Flushing Airport still had its air corridor reserved under FAA.cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E5DF113FF93AA35757C0A9669C8B63 |publisher=New York Times |date=2000-04-09 |accessdate=2007-09-25 |work=Neighborhood Report: College Point |title=Dreaming of Airships in the Skies Above Queens |first=Jim |last=O'Grady] A company called Airships Unlimited has been lobbying to convert the abandoned airport into a "blimp port" citing that the Goodyear blimps actually used this airport in the 1960s. [cite web |url=http://www.blimpport.com/ |publisher=Airships Unlimited |date=2003|accessdate=2007-09-25 |title=College Point Airship Park] The benefit of this plan is to preserve the air corridor for Flushing Airport.

In 2004, Bloomberg administration proposed plans to rezone the area for commercial development as part of the already existing College Point Corporate Park. [cite web |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2004a/pr027-04.html |publisher=Government of New York City |date=2004-02-04|accessdate=2007-09-25 |title=Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Announces Major Industrial Development To Bring 180 Small Businesses And 1,000 Employees To College Point Corporate Park] However, the plan has met significant protests from the local residents who fear such zoning would bring too much traffic to the area. [cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE6DD153FF936A2575BC0A9629C8B63 |publisher=New York Times |date=2004-08-15 |accessdate=2007-09-25 |work=Neighborhood Report: College Point |title=If There's a Line at This Airport, It's Protesters |first=Jeff |last=Vandam] As such, the proposal was since been deferred. [cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/nyregion/17queens.html |publisher=New York Times |date=2004-10-17 |accessdate=2007-09-25 |work=New York Region |title=City Defers Development of Wholesale Center |first=Winnie |last=Hu |coauthors=Colin Moynihan]

As of September 2008, the access road is under reconstruction, to be eventually reopened as a regular public through-street. The north hangar was demolished on September 24.

References

External links

* [http://www.queenstribune.com/archives/featurearchive/feature2000/0831/feature_story.html From Flying High To Sinking Deep: The Life & Death Of An Airport] , Queens Tribute
* [http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/newflushingairport/yonder2.html Return to the Wild Green Yonder]
** [http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/FLUSHING%20AIRPORT/flush.html Into The Weedy Green Yonder]
* [http://www.blimpport.com/reprint.htm The College Point Airship Park or New York Blimp Port Project]
* [http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_NY_Queens.htm Airfield Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York City, Queens]