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So what are the oldest air hubs in the United States?
1. College Park Airport – College Park, Maryland
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Source: Google Search
College Park Airport (CGS) in Maryland is widely considered the oldest continuously operating airport in the world. It has been in use since 1909 when Wilbur Wright founded it to train the country's first military pilots. The airport has played a significant role in the history of American aviation, witnessing many historic firsts, such as the first female passenger, the first controlled helicopter flight, and the first night landing.
Despite its historic status, College Park Airport remains a fully functional airport today. This is partly due to its proximity to Washington, D.C. In 2023, the airport sees an average of 79 flights per week and is home to 32 aircraft, both planes and helicopters. In addition, the airport grounds house the College Park Aviation Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate.
2. Pearson Field – Vancouver, Washington
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Source: Google Search
Pearson Field (VUO), located in Vancouver, Washington, saw its first airplane flight in 1911. Even before that, the site was used as a landing spot for a dirigible airship 6 years earlier. This fact leads some historians and aviation enthusiasts to consider Pearson Field the oldest operating airfield in the United States. The field also played a significant role in aviation history, as it was the landing place for the first non-stop transpolar flight, achieved in 1937 by the Russian ANT-25 monoplane.
While the earliest flights at Pearson Field were military in nature, a commercial field was established adjacent to it in 1925. The 2 were eventually combined into a single airpark. It was also in 1925 that the field received its name, honoring Lieutenant Alexander Pearson, an Air Force pilot who had been killed the previous year during a practice flight. Today, Pearson Field remains an active airport, with an average of 144 operations per day and serving as the home base for 128 various aircraft.
3. Stinson Municipal Airport – San Antonio, Texas
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Source: Google Search
Stinson Municipal Airport (SSF) in San Antonio, Texas, started out as the Stinson School of Flying in 1915. At this school, both civilian and military students learned to fly under the direction of the Stinson siblings: Marjorie, Katherine, and Eddie. As aviation laws changed, the city ran the airfield from World War I to World War II. During this time, Stinson Municipal Airport briefly had commercial flights from American, Braniff, and Eastern Airlines.
During World War II, the Air Force took control of the airport and used it as a training base. After the San Antonio International Airport (SAT) was built, commercial airlines never came back to Stinson Municipal Airport. However, the airfield is still used as a municipal airport today. It now has an average of 255 flights per day and is home to 84 aircraft.
4. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport – St. Paul, Minnesota
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The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport started out in 1920 on the site of the old Snelling Speedway. At first, it was only used for airmail. But in 1929, the airport began offering passenger service and it has grown a lot since then. The airport was originally called Speedway Field, but after World War I, it was renamed Wold-Chamberlain Field to honor 2 local pilots who died in the war.
In 1948, when the airport started providing international service, it got its current name: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). The airport also served as the headquarters for Northwest Airlines from 1961 until 2010 when they merged with Delta. Nowadays, Minneapolis-St. Paul is Delta's second-largest hub and it's the home base for Sun Country Airlines. It's also the 16th-busiest airport in the United States in terms of passenger traffic.
5. Chicago Midway International Airport – Chicago, Illinois
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Source: Google Search
The Chicago Air Park opened in 1923 and was primarily used for airmail. As the aviation industry grew, the airfield started to handle commercial flights, and its name was changed to the Chicago Municipal Airport in 1927. By 1928, the airport was servicing 41,660 passengers on 14,498 flights.
From 1932 to 1961, the Chicago Municipal Airport was the busiest airport in the world, reaching a peak of 10 million passengers in 1959. During this time, the airport's name was changed to Midway (MDW), honoring the famous World War II battle in the Pacific. The nearby O'Hare International Airport (ORD), which is now the 4th-busiest airport in the country, eventually surpassed Midway's top status. Nevertheless, as of 2023, Midway remains among the 30 busiest airports in the United States and serves as a major hub for Southwest Airlines.
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Have you ever heard something about off-site parking? If not, we recommend you take a closer look at this part of the article, as this information will be handy for those who prefer to travel by air and get to the airport by their own car.
Most people suppose that parking at the airport is the fastest and most convenient option for them. However, it's not actually true. We'll explain to you why.
To be true, being in a terminal parking lot isn't convenient at all. Although on-site airport parking is the nearest place where you can leave your vehicle for the period of a trip, you can face the following difficulties:
- You will need to find a spot in a crowded lot,
- You will need to carry the luggage all the way through the parking lot,
- You must pay expensive fees without great service.
Sounds not good, right? However, we found an excellent solution for you – in this case, off-site parking can become a savior for you. So if you're trying to find a parking spot with great service nearby the airport you're flying from and don't want to leave there the most significant part of your budget, pay attention to this option.
How does it work?
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Obviously, people who chose a car as a way to get to the airport want to leave their vehicle safely while traveling and not to face the problems we described above. So what can off-site airport parking offer its customers?
Although a few miles usually separate such parking from the airport, you shouldn't worry about this. Off-site parking provides free shuttles going back and forth between the parking lot and the airport. Thanks to this, it removes any worries about getting stuck in traffic on the way to the airport during peak times. So all you need to do is choose the best time for you and inform the parking lot staff.
How does it work? Actually, everything is straightforward: when you come to the entrance, the staff will remove your luggage from your car and load it onto the shuttle, which will take you and your bags to the terminal. Then, the vehicle will be parked securely.
In addition, this type of parking is much cheaper, and this is good news, as nobody wants to waste money. Therefore, off-site parking is the perfect option to receive excellent service and save money at the same time.
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Our platform allows you to reserve a parking spot through a few clicks within the application. As a result, customers receive a booking confirmation and a guaranteed parking spot upon arrival at the off-airport lot. Besides, if plans change, you can cancel hassle-free and receive a refund.
To understand it better, we would like to give you an example. Let's imagine that you live in San Antonio, Texas. If you're planning a trip to Chicago, Illinois, you can use the services of cheap parking near SAT Airport. If you're coming from Chicago, the situation is the same – you can choose affordable off-site parking ORD. So it just depends on the place you're flying from.
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