TRACING HISTORY:
The Bloomsburg Airport By Dave Ruckle; special thanks to BJ Teichman, current airport coordinator
The birth of the Bloomsburg airport, like so many innovations in the 1920s, was born out of necessity. Even though no airport existed in Bloomsburg at the time, the first commercial flight for business purposes here was made on March 17, 1929 when two Philadelphia carpet designers landed in a farm field to meet with executives from the Magee Carpet Company. After concluding business, the pair were back in the air for a one-hour flight home to Philly. Clearly, a transaction that could have taken days was accomplished within a few hours thanks to aviation. It was obvious to an enterprising Harry Magee that an airport would be an economic benefit to the town of Bloomsburg. In the 89 years since, the Bloomsburg airport has proven time and again to be an asset not just to the town but to communities far and wide as well as the nation. Since space does not allow for a detailed accounting of all the historical facts about the airport, this brief review will highlight the most significant historical points.
to construct an airport in Bloomsburg. By the summer of 1931, after making extensive test landings, Magee formed the Bloomsburg Flying Club along with seven other prominent, aviation enthusiasts, mostly members of the Rotary Club. These two organizations along with the support of the Morning Press (today’s Press-Enterprise newspaper) led the drive to build an airport. The Bloomsburg airport, at its present location, opened in April 1932. More than 6,000 enthusiastic, aviation-minded and curious spectators toured the new airport during its first week of operation. For a dollar, the Bloomsburg Flying Club treated hundreds of first-time flyers to sightseeing rides; weekend spectators were captivated watching parachute jumping and airplanes making continuous daylong take offs and landings. Charter flights were also available to nearby cities, such as Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport. The Bloomsburg Flying Club, organized under the name Columbia Airways, began expanded charter service to New York City and Pittsburgh in 1934. In 1937, Harry Magee was appointed by Governor George H. Earl III to the newly formed State Aviation Council. Sadly, in 1938, Magee closed the airport, sighting the increasing competition from municipally owned airfields whose
The Golden Age of Aviation
The Golden Age of Aviation is predominantly ear marked by the transatlantic flight of Charles Lindberg and the historical aviation feats of Amelia Earhart. In the fall of 1929, like-minded, aviation proponents like Harry Magee began developing plans
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