Cradle of Aviation Archives: The Aircraft of the Long Island Aviation Country Club Part I
The Cradle of Aviation Museum has provided 68 images of the Long Island Aviation Country Club taken from 1930 to 1949. In the first of the LIAM series, several of the notable aircraft that flew from this private airfield are featured.
Videos have been added to supplement the photos from the Archives.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
The Long Island Motor Parkway can be seen just south of the clubhouse and tennis court of the Long Island Aviation Country Club, located in the Hempstead Plains (originally Hicksville, now Levittown).
Various aircraft in front of the hangar.
Aircraft lined up for the 1949 Manufacturers' Demonstration Day.
William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Sikorsky S-43
Ercoupe built by ERCO billed as "America's first certified spin-proof plane."
TWA DC-2 Cessna C-124 Airmaster. Note: "The Lindbergh Line" logo above the wing.
The Spartan Executive was equipped with a 450-hp Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN3 engine.
Comments
Great to see Willie K in this rare and short video during this time! Rare as it is, it showed his appreciation and character never seen before. I’m hoping more of the same is still out there to observe. These years were tough for videos. Thanks again Howard for extending history as never seen before.
Great pictures of the L.I.A.C.C. in Levittown Specifically the one by the pool. You can see how flat the land was on Long Island in certain places.
They really did it nicely….Land your plane, jump in to a cool pool and relax….
This, including the videos, has been enjoyable ...
Thanks Howard…
WOW. That Spartan. What a neat plane. it was good to be rich back then,eh?
FYI… that orange plane near the Swimming pool is a Skyfarer not an Ercoupe.
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Howard Kroplick
Dick, good catch! you are 100% correct.
Love it. Do we know if any of the planes, including the DC2, still exist and even fly?
{R. Troy - missed your question!} Several DC-2s survive and the Dutch have one flying. Ercoupes abound in many guises! ERCO, the original builder, was founded in 1930 by Henry Berliner, son of famed telephone, gramophone, and helicopter inventor Emile Berliner (no relation of mine). A Spartan Executive (although a 12W) survives in Tulsa. Air & Space has a Sikorsky JRS-1 (Navy S-43) and Howard Hughes’ S-43 survives in Florida, both being restored, and there is one restored in Arizona. One Skyfarer survives in Iowa. Sam, III
Sam - Neat! Ron
Picture of Willie K’s Sikorsky S-43 at the Long Island Aviation Club (top of picture). Harold Vanderbilt’s plane is the one on the left of the picture showing three planes.
From the collection of Dan Pflug.
I’ve heard and seen the history but have seldom thought much about the DC2 - while I’ve seen enough DC3’s in person. Back when growing up in Scranton PA (of future presidential senior government official fame), Alleghany aka AGONY was still flying 2 engine prop tail draggers at AVP (now known as the Wilkes Barre Scranton International Airport) - probably DC3’s. We would sometimes go there to a Chinese eatery overlooking the runways. As to the ‘club’, there’s a part of me that would live to live in an air field community with a plane in everyone’s driveway. I’d never pass the physicals these days but being able to walk outside, start up a plane and fly away always appealed. In my father’s case, I think my mom discouraged his flying, which stopped around when I was born - and he started collecting antique cars instead.
I think we are lucky on Long Island to have a fair number of antique cars, and 2 great aircraft museums.
Another oldie reopened! Dunno how I missed it but “TWA DC-2” is NOT a DC-2! It is a 1935-36 DST (Douglas Sleeper Transport), immediate predecessor of the DC-3; see the tiny upper berth windows above the forward main windows. Sam, III