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Period: to
Long Island Aerospace History 1870-2002
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Washington H. Donaldson Balloon Flight
Washington H. Donaldson takes off in his Daily Graphic from Brooklyn in an attempt to make the first transatlantic crossing. A storm forced him down over Connecticut. -
Augustus Herring Glider Experiments
Augustus Herring of Freeport, NY participates in glider experiments with Octave Chanute in Indiana. -
America's First Powered Flights
Long Island is the site of America's first powered flights when Leo Stevens and Edward Boice fly gasoline powered airships from Coney Island. -
Glenn Curtiss wins Scientific American Trophy
Glenn Curtiss wins Scientific American Trophy. In his Golden Flyer he circled the fields in Mineola for 30 minutes, setting an American distance record of 16 miles. -
First Long Island aircraft is built
The first Long Island aircraft is built by Frank Van Anden at Mineola Field. -
First American monoplane is built
Dr. Henry Walden designs and builds the first American monoplane at Mineola. -
First American women pilots an airplane
Bessica Raiche takes off from the Hempstead Plains and becomes the first American woman to pilot an airplane. -
First aircraft manufacturing company on Long Island opens
The American Aeroplane Supply House opened in Hempstead. The first aircraft manufacturing company on Long Island. -
First American female liscensed
Harriet Quimby becomes the first American woman licensed pilot. -
Cal Rodgers completes a flight across the US
Cal Rodgers begins his journey across the United States taking off from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. The trip would take him 49 days and he would survive 11 crashes. -
First official airmail flight
Earl Ovington makes the first official airmail flight in the United States. From the Nassau Boulevard Airfield in Garden City, Ovington traveled six miles in his Bleriot airplane to drop off mail in Mineola. -
New York National Guard First Aero Company begins training
New York National Guard First Aero Company begins training at Hempstead Plains airfield. These aviators would be the first American aviators to be used in a military action. -
Yale Unit organized by F. Trubee Davison
Yale Unit organized by F. Trubee Davison. Members of the Unit were trained as naval flyers in Huntington Bay and at Naval Air Stations in Bay Shore and Rockaway. These are the first naval reserve aviators. -
Curtiss opens experimental aircraft factory in Garden City.
Curtiss opens experimental aircraft factory in Garden City. -
First U.S guided missile test
Lawrence Sperry test flies his aerial torpedo over the Great South Bay. This is the first U.S. guided missile. -
Mitchel Field named in honor of John Purroy Mitchel
Mitchel Field is named in honor of former New York City major John Purroy Mitchel who was killed while training for the air service in Louisiana. -
Quentin Roosevelt killed in action
Quentin Roosevelt killed in action while flying a Nieuport 28. The Westbury Plateau flying field is subsequently renamed Roosevelt Field in his honor. -
First aircraft crosses the Atlantic Ocean
Curtiss NC-4 flying boat takes off from Rockaway Naval Station reaches Azores and becomes first aircraft to cross the Atlantic. -
British Dirigible makes transatlantic flight
British Dirigible R-34 lands at Roosevelt Field after a transatlantic crossing. Three days later it takes off for the return trip to England and the first roundtrip transatlantic crossing. -
First public flight of a black woman
Bessie Coleman makes an exhibition flight at Curtiss Field, Garden City, NY. This is the first public flight of a black woman in the United States. -
First nonstop flight across the US
Lts. J.S. Macready and O. Kelly make first nonstop flight across United States. -
Igor Sikorsky builds his S-29 aircraft
Igor Sikorsky builds his S-29 aircraft in a small building in Roosevelt, NY. He later moves his operations to College Point, Queens. -
Test flight of FC-1
Test flight of Fairchild's first airplane, FC-1, at Farmingdale. -
Lindbergh begins his transatlantic flight
Charles Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field on his transatlantic flight. 33 hours and 30 minutes later, his Spirit of St. Louis landed at LeBourget Field in Paris. -
Flight from Roosevelt Field to Berlin is completed
Clarence Chamberlin and Charles Levine fly nonstop from Roosevelt Field to Berlin setting a new distance record. -
Elinor Smith flies under all four East River bridges
Elinor Smith is the first and only pilot to fly under all four East River bridges. -
Jimmy Doolitle completes the flirst blind flight
Jimmy Doolittle makes the first blind flight. He took off and landed at Mitchel Field using only instruments. All of the instruments in his Consolidated Husky are made by Long Island companies. -
The first organization of women pilots, the Ninety-Nines is created
The first organization of woman pilots, the Ninety-Nines, is organized at Curtiss Field, Valley Stream. Amelia Earhart serves as the first president. -
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation opens for business
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation opens for business in a garage in Baldwin. -
Floyd Bennett Field opens
Floyd Bennett Field, New York's first municipal airport, opens on Barren Island in Brooklyn. -
Wiley Post and Harold Gatty set an around-the-world speed record
Wiley Post and Harold Gatty set an around-the-world speed record from Roosevelt Field in a Lockheed Vega Winnie Mae. -
Brewster Aeronautical Corporation opens for business
Brewster Aeronautical Corporation opens for business in Long Island City. -
World record for altitude of a diesel-powered aircraft is set
Ruth Nichols in a Lockheed Vega sets a world altitude record for diesel-powered aircraft - nearly 20,000 feet. -
Test flight of Seversky's first airplane, the SEV-3.
Test flight of Seversky's first airplane, the SEV-3. -
Harlem Air Squadron formed at Roosevelt Field.
Harlem Air Squadron formed at Roosevelt Field. -
Pan American Airlines initiates the first commercial transatlantic air service
Pan American Airlines initiates the first commercial transatlantic air service with the flight of the Yankee Clipper from Port Washington. -
Douglas Corrigan takes off from Floyd Bennett Field
Douglas Corrigan takes off from Floyd Bennett Field supposedly headed to California. The next day he arrives in Ireland and becomes internationally known as "Wrong Way" Corrigan. -
Alexander Seversky voted out as as president
The Board of Directors of Seversky Aircraft vote Alexander Seversky out as president and reorganize the company as the Republic Aviation Corporation. -
New York Municipal Airport (LaGuardia) opens in Queens
New York Municipal Airport opens in Queens. In the next few years it would become known simply as LaGuardia. -
First delivery of the F4F Wildcat.
First delivery of the production version of the grumman F4F Wildcat. This monoplane would form the backbone of Naval fighter forces in the beginning of World War II. -
Sperry Gyroscope moves from Brooklyn to Lake Success
Sperry Gyroscope moves from Brooklyn to Lake Success, where they continue manufacturing aircraft instruments, bombsights, and ball turrets for the war effort. -
Macarthur Airport is established as a "Defense Landing Area"
Macarthur Airport in Islip is established as a "Defense Landing Area" by the federal government. -
The 10,000th P-47 comes off the Republic assembly lines.
The 10,000th P-47 comes off the Republic assembly lines. More P-47s were produced during World War II than any other fighter aircraft. -
First flight of the EDO XOSE
First flight of the EDO XOSE manufactured in College Point, Queens. -
Long Islands first jet is produced
Republic produced Long Island's first jet - the P-84. -
Grumman produces its first jet fighter, F9F Panther.
Grumman produces its first jet fighter, F9F Panther. -
Roosevelt Field is turned into a shopping mall
Roosevelt Field is closed permanently as an airfield. The site would later be used for a shopping mall with the same name. -
Idlewild Airport (JFK Airport) opens on Jamaica Bay
Idlewild Airport, later known as John F. Kennedy Airport, opens on Jamaica Bay. -
The first supersonic aircraft is created
Grumman F-11 becomes the Navy's first supersonic aircraft. -
First test flight of Republic F-105.
First test flight of Republic F-105. -
Last flight takes off from Mitchel Field
Last flight takes off from Mitchel Field. Much of the property is turned over to Nassau County. -
Republic Aircraft Corp. is purchased by Fairchild Corporation.
Republic Aircraft Corp. is purchased by Fairchild Corporation. -
Lunar Module lands the first man on the moon
Grumman's Lunar Module lands the first man on the moon. -
Flight of the first Grumman F-14 Tomcat.
Flight of the first Grumman F-14 Tomcat. -
Republic A-10 becomes close air support aircraft for Air Force
U.S. Air Force selects Republic's A-10 as its new close air support aircraft. -
Grumman delivers wings for Space Shuttle Columbia.
Grumman delivers wings for Space Shuttle Columbia. -
Grumman develops the forward-swept wing X-29.
Grumman develops the forward-swept wing X-29. -
Air Force terminates contract for the T-46
The Air Force terminates the contract for the new Fairchild Reublic T-46. Soon after, Fairchild announces the closing of the former Republic plant in Farmingdale. -
Northrop merges with Grumman.
Northrop merges with Grumman. -
First test flight of X-43 is completed
First test flight of X-43 with scramjet engine designed by GASL, Ronkonkoma.
