Rentschler Heliport

is a private heliport for the exclusive use of United Technologies Corporation, located 2 miles southeast of East Hartford, Connecticut.

From 1933 to about 1997 Rentschler Field was an airfield, which was used by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II as a fighter base.

History

This former airfield was located only a few miles northeast of still-operational Hartford Brainard Airport. It was the former factory airfield for the Pratt & Whitney aircraft engine company.

The airfield, which began operations in 1931, was named after Frederick Brant Rentschler, who founded the aircraft arm of Pratt & Whitney and later founded its current parent company, United Technologies. The earliest reference to the field which has been located was in the Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airports Directory, describing Rentschler Field as consisting of a 2,700' x 2,500' turf landing area and the operator was American Airways, which provided scheduled transport along the New York - Boston route.

During World War II the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Forces First Air Force as a fighter base, providing coastal air defense over the Atlantic Ocean. After the war, the airfield was returned to civilian use.

Rentschler Field was decommissioned as an airport and donated to the state of Connecticut by United Technologies in 1999. A portion of the former airport was redeveloped as Rentschler Field the University of Connecticut's new football stadium, which opened in 2003,

As of 2006, the only remaining aviation use on the site was the Rentschler Heliport, a private facility operated by Pratt & Whitney.

See also

* Connecticut World War II Army Airfields

References

* Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Publisher: Pictorial Histories Pub, ISBN 1575100517

External links

*US-airport-minor|CT88