Camden Central Airport (sometimes called Central Airport, Camden) was an airport in Pennsauken Township,
Camden County, New Jersey
Camden County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 523,485, an increase of 9,828 (1.9%) from the 2010 census, making it the state's 8th-largest county. Its county seat is ...
, United States. It had its peak of activity in the 1930s, serving as the main airport for the neighboring city of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
Development
Philadelphia's earliest airport was on Hog Island in the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
south of the city, but it was very small and distant from the city center. It was owned by the city and called Philadelphia Airport. Airline operations were also conducted at the
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries.
Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...
's
Mustin Field
Henry C. Mustin Naval Air Facility (IATA code MUV), also known as NAF Mustin Field, is a former military airfield located at the United States Navy Naval Aircraft Factory on board the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was ...
, where Philadelphia Rapid Transit Service (P.R.T. Line) operated a three-times daily passenger service to
Hoover Field
Hoover Field was an early airport serving the city of Washington, D.C. It was constructed as a private airfield in 1925, but opened to public commercial use on July 16, 1926. It was located in Arlington, Virginia, near the intersection of the H ...
,
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
from 6 July to 30 October 1926 using
Fokker F.VII
The Fokker F.VII, also known as the Fokker Trimotor, was an airliner produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, and other companies under licence.
Design and d ...
Trimotor
A trimotor is an aircraft powered by three engines and represents a compromise between complexity and safety and was often a result of the limited power of the engines available to the designer. Many trimotors were designed and built in the 1920s ...
s. It also carried mail to Washington and
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
.
In the mid-1920s a group of local businessmen started looking for a better site on which to establish a larger, modern airport more befitting the US's third largest city. The Delaware River Bridge, later named the
Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge and known locally as the Ben Franklin Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. Owned and ...
, across the Delaware between Philadelphia and Camden County, New Jersey, opened 1 July 1926, and a new highway to it opened up easy access to a large part of New Jersey. An area of flat land, part of which was already being used as a small airfield called Crescent Airport, between the highway and the north bank of the Cooper River, at Pennsauken Township, was considered ideal for the new airport.
A new company, Central Airport Inc, was formed to buy the land, develop the facilities, and operate the airport. The company was based at 538 Fidelity-Philadelphia Building, Philadelphia, Pa. Prominent members of the
Aero Club of Pennsylvania
A flying club or aero club is a not-for-profit, member-run organization that provides its members with affordable access to aircraft.
Many clubs also provide flight training, flight planning facilities, pilot supplies and associated services, a ...
Charles Townsend Ludington
Charles Townsend Ludington (Charles T. Ludington, C. T. Ludington), (January 16, 1896 – January 19, 1968), was a businessman of Philadelphia. He was an aviation pioneer who helped establish an every-hour-on-the-hour air service between New Y ...
. The airport started with two x steel & concrete hangars and two unpaved runways (measuring northeast/southwest and east/west) as well as two hard surface "take-off only" strips. It was equipped with the most modern facilities including radio, a beacon on a tower, boundary lighting and a one million
candlepower
Candlepower (abbreviated as cp or CP) is a unit of measurement for luminous intensity. It expresses levels of light intensity relative to the light emitted by a candle of specific size and constituents. The historical candlepower is equal to 0.981 ...
floodlight to illuminate the airfield.
Presciently, local press was already saying that the airport was too small, and that a local road should be moved to allow it to be expanded.
The airport started operations on 15 August 1929 with an official opening celebration on 21 September 1929.
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker or Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.Fokker tri-motor; he was
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names. It was founded in 1912 in Berlin, Germany, and became famous for its fighter aircraft in World War I. In 1919 ...
Aircraft Company’s vice president of sales at the time. and a Fokker F.32 made an appearance. There were air races and displays, and the press reported that around 50,000 people attended. The terminal building was completed shortly after the airport opened. This was in time for the arrival of the 1929
Ford National Reliability Air Tour
The Ford Reliability Tour, properly called "The National Air Tour for the Edsel B. Ford Reliability Trophy", was a series of aerial tours sponsored in part by Ford from 1925 to 1931 and re-created in 2003. Top prize was the Edsel Ford Reliability ...
, whose 29 competing aircraft, accompanied by 17 more carrying officials, support crew and press, arrived from
Roosevelt Field
Roosevelt Field is a former airport, located east-southeast of Mineola, Long Island, New York. Originally called the Hempstead Plains Aerodrome, or sometimes Hempstead Plains field or the Garden City Aerodrome, it was a training field (Hazel ...
, New York on 8 October, leaving for Logan Field, Baltimore the following day. This greatly helped to publicize the new airport.
Operations
Early operators were Curtiss-Wright Flying Service offering charter flights, Ludington-Philadelphia Flying Service,
Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company
The Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company was an American aircraft engine manufacturer that existed from 1926 to 1956.
History Early years
The Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company was formed in 1926 in Philadelphia. Later the company moved to Pottstown, Pe ...
, and Wings Corporation. The Ludington airline offered air taxi, pleasure flights, aircraft hire and instruction. It also operated Cape Cod Airway, which ran services to various destinations in
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. These were short-lived, and became part of the
Ludington Line
Ludington Airline (also, Ludington Lines or Ludington Line) was an airline of northeastern United States in the 1930s. It was unique as it was the first airline that carried passengers only and was not supported by government revenue from airmail ...
. Ludington Flying Service started operations with a service to
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
. It was so popular that a new service started, offering hourly services linking Camden Central with
Newark
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-the ...
and
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
using
Lockheed Vega
The Lockheed Vega is an American five- to seven-seat high-wing monoplane airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation starting in 1927. It became famous for its use by a number of record-breaking pilots who were attracted to the rugged and very l ...
Consolidated Fleetster
The Consolidated Model 17 Fleetster was a 1920s American light transport monoplane aircraft built by the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation.
Design and development
The Fleetster received Approved Type Certificate Number 369 on 29 September 1930. ...
s. After great initial success, it was unable to gain a mail contract, and was taken over by
Eastern Air Transport
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
in 1933. Wings Corporation flew a route to
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Stroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. It lies within the Poconos region, approximately five miles (8 km) from the Delaware Water Gap at the confluence of the Brodhead, McMichaels and Pocono Creeks in Northeastern Pennsyl ...
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Blue Bell is a census-designated place (CDP) in Whitpain Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,067.
Blue Bell was originally known as Pigeontown, after the large flocks of the n ...
, where the
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is a Frederick, Maryland-based American non-profit political organization that advocates for general aviation. AOPA's membership consists mainly of general aviation pilots in the United States ...
(AOPA) has its roots - its first chairman was C. Townsend Ludington.
By 1933 there were three runways, described as "asphaltic oil treated gravel & macadam", arranged in a standard triangular pattern. Additional operators now included Eastern Air Transport, starting with a route between Washington and
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
;
Kellett Autogiro Corporation
The Kellett Autogiro Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer from 1929 based in Philadelphia, named after founder W. Wallace Kellett.
History
The Kellett Aircraft was formed by W. Wallace Kellett and C. Townsend Ludington and their b ...
; Camden Flying Service, a
fixed-base operator
A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, ...
also doing flight training, aerial advertising, air taxi work and sightseeing flights; and Transcontinental & Western Air (T&WA) with a service to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. Pittsburgh Airways operated a route between
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
and New York calling at Central Airport en route, using their two
Travel Air 6000
The Travel Air 6000 (later known as the Curtiss-Wright 6B when Travel Air was purchased by Curtiss-Wright) was a six-seat utility aircraft manufactured in the United States in the late 1920s.
Design and development
It was developed as a luxury ve ...
s. Altogether up to 150 services were being operated daily.
RCA
The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
had many facilities in Camden, so it was natural for them to set up RCA Manufacturing Company Aviation Radio headquarters in its own hangar, recently vacated by Jacobs Engines at the north side of the airfield, including a demonstration center for its latest aviation radio equipment. They also had a service department.
The site was very popular with other businesses setting up adjacent to it, including bars and restaurants, the Central Airport Swimming Pool, the world’s first drive-in movie theatre, and a dog-racing track (later a general sports stadium).
In 1938 W. Wallace Kellett and his well-known
test pilot
A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testing ...
Johnny Miller
John Laurence Miller (born April 29, 1947) is an American former professional golfer. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s. He was the first to shoot 63 in a major championship to win the 1973 U.S. Open, and he ra ...
suggested to
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker or Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Ea ...
that he establish an
autogyro
An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), also known as a ''gyroplane'', is a type of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. Forward thrust is provided independently, by an engine-driven propeller. Whi ...
mail-carrying service between the rooftop of the Philadelphia 30th Street Post Office and Camden Central Airport. The Post Office building, completed in 1935, had been designed with rotorcraft landings in mind. It had a flat asphalt roof with underfloor heating, take-off ramps at the sides, radio and weather reporting equipment, and fuelling and maintenance facilities. It was only marred by “penthouse structures” at each end which could cause problematic turbulence. After test flights, some performed by test pilot Lou Leavitt in the prototype
Kellett KD-1
The Kellett KD-1 was a 1930s American autogyro built by the Kellett Autogiro Company. It had the distinction of being the first practical rotary-wing aircraft used by the United States Army and inaugurated the first scheduled air-mail service us ...
, operations officially started on 6 July 1939 with a KD-1B, modified with a mail compartment in front of the enclosed single
cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft.
The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
. There were five return flights per day, six days a week. The service was terminated by the Post Office a year later when the contract, referred to as AM2001, expired. There had been 2,634 flights, most of them flown by Miller, and 85% of all scheduled flights had been completed, well exceeding expectations. There had been just one incident when the autogiro, piloted by assistant pilot John Lukens, rolled over on the Post Office roof in a strong gust of wind, but Miller soon repaired the damage to the autogiro himself and flew it off. It had been the world's first scheduled rotorcraft mail service. There is color film of the autogiro operation.
By 1940 four major airlines were operating services:
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
, Eastern Air Lines,
TWA
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with ...
, and
United Air Lines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
. However, the runways were too short for modern airliners and there was no room for expansion, so they all moved to the new
Philadelphia Municipal Airport
Philadelphia Municipal Airport is a public use airport in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by the City of Philadelphia and located two nautical miles (4 km) northwest of its central business district. This airpo ...
as soon as its new terminal opened the same year.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the airport was taken over by the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
and operated as a
Naval outlying landing field
An outlying landing field (OLF) is an auxiliary airfield, associated with a seaborne component of the United States military. When associated with the United States Navy (who operate the majority), they are known as naval outlying landing fields ...
(OLF) for Mustin Field. Training took place using Stearman N2S-3 aircraft.
Demise
After the war, civil operations resumed, but, with the major airlines gone, at a much reduced level. A notable occupant for a while was
Helicopter Air Transport
Helicopter Air Transport Incorporated (HAT) was formed in New Jersey, United States, to exploit the helicopters which were developed during World War II. It was the world's first commercial helicopter operator.
Origins
The company was formed i ...
, which set up here in 1946, using
Sikorsky S-51
The Sikorsky H-5 (initially designated R-5 and also known as S-48, S-51 and by company designation VS-327Fitzsimons, Bernard, (general editor). ''Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare'' (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 20, ...
and
Bell 47
The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first he ...
B helicopters in an attempt to establish itself as the world’s first commercial helicopter operator. Excessive costs caused the company to wind up in late 1947.
The airport continued to run down, and it officially closed on 1 February 1957. Nothing remains of the airfield except for the neighboring highway’s “circle” (
roundabout
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
) – the first one in the US, commonly known as Airport Circle ever since the airport opened. The circle is at the north-west corner of the airport site. There are also two roads, named Central Highway and Airport Highway in reference to the old airport, running through what is now an industrial park.
Accidents and incidents
* On 5 November 1931 a Lockheed 9 Orion registered NC12221 of New York, Philadelphia & Washington Airways (a predecessor of the Ludington Line) crashed and burned on approach to Camden, killing all five occupants. The aircraft was on a scheduled direct flight from Newark to Washington, but was making an unscheduled stop at Camden to enable a local passenger to get off. The aircraft, piloted by Floyd Cox, crashed onto a golf course to the east of the airport.