History

New name for Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

September 8, 2016Harriet BaskasAirports, HistoryLambert-St. Louis International Airport, STL airport

Looks like Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is getting a new name.

The St. Louis Airport Commission has voted on it and, if approved by the St. Louis Board of Alderman, the new name of the city’s airport will be St. Louis – Lambert International Airport.

On the face of it, not a huge change, but a meaningful one for many people in the city because the current ‘Lambert’ in the front end of the airport’s name is meant to honor Albert Bond Lambert, who learned to fly with the Wright Brothers and founded the airport.

“This effort is about aligning the Airport with our city and becoming more unified with the brand and marketing power of the St. Louis region,” said Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge in a statement released by the airport. “We’ve received a lot feedback in the last few weeks that highlighted the support of our effort to put St. Louis first.”

An airport working group originally proposed “St. Louis International Airport at Lambert Field” for the new name, but the Commissioners amended the proposed name and approved “St. Louis-Lambert International Airport.”

“We’ve spent the last few weeks talking with relatives of the Albert Bond Lambert and heard how important it was that Lambert still have a vital position in the airport’s name,” said Hamm-Niebruegge.

The new name does that and puts STL more on par with major airports which are geographically named.

PHX Airport celebrates National Park Centennial

August 9, 2016Harriet BaskasExhibits, History, MuseumsNational Parks, Phoenix Sky Harbor

Grand Canyon, 1932, courtesy of Grand Canyon National Park

The National Park Service turns 100 this year and to celebrate the Phoenix Airport Museum at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has put together an exhibition showcasing the diverse range of Arizona’s National Park offerings.

Each of Arizona’s parks is represented with historic images and objects.

Flagstaff Black on White Bowl, 1100s, clay, courtesy of Wupatki National Monument

The selection includes ancient pottery from early cultures, a button from a Buffalo Soldier’s uniform, a fossil cast of an early reptile from pre-historic times and a boat that was used by Otis ‘Dock’ Marston in 1963 for a complete traverse of the Grand Canyon. There is even a slab of petrified wood that lived 225 million years ago.

On August 25 – from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – two National Park Rangers from Arizona parks will be in the PHX Gallery in Terminal 4 answering questions and offering more information about the Find Your Park in Arizona exhibit, which is on display through Jan. 29, 2017.

(Replica) of Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit at CVG Airport

July 20, 2016Harriet BaskasHistory, SpaceCVG airport, moon walk, NASA, Neil Armstrong

President Richard Nixon telling jokes to astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin while they were in the Mobile Quarantine Facility on the the USS Hornet after their return from the moon.

July 20 is the 47th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing and, to mark the event, the Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) is unveiling a replica of Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit at Cincinati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) as part of the museum’s Curate My Community project.

“Today is a special day for the aviation industry,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer at CVG. “Neil Armstrong, like many of us, was fascinated with flight. We’re honored to partner with the Museum Center to display Neil’s spacesuit exhibit for CVG travelers and the community to continue to enjoy.”

On the evening of July 20, 1969, people gathered around their televisions to watch the grainy, black-and-white footage of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon in his puffy white spacesuit.

D.B. Cooper caper: cased closed

July 13, 2016Harriet BaskasHistoryAriel, D.B. Cooper, F.B.I., hijacking, mystery, Washington

It looks like D.B. Cooper got away with it.

The F.B.I. is putting an “inactive” stamp on the files for the country’s only unsolved hijacking.

In a statement, the F.B.I. said it “has redirected resources allocated to the D.B. Cooper case to focus on other investigative priorities.”

It’s not like they didn’t try. Since November 24, 1971, the F.B.I. has been trying to figure out how a man calling himself Dan Cooper parachuted out of a Northwest Orient plane somewhere over southwest Washington State with $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills – and was never seen again.

Here’s the F.B.I.’s version of the story:

On the afternoon of November 24, 1971, a nondescript man calling himself Dan Cooper approached the counter of Northwest Orient Airlines in Portland, Oregon. He used cash to buy a one-way ticket on Flight #305, bound for Seattle,Washington. Thus began one of the great unsolved mysteries in FBI history.

Cooper was a quiet man who appeared to be in his mid-40s, wearing a business suit with a black tie and white shirt. He ordered a drink—bourbon and soda—while the flight was waiting to take off. A short time after 3:00 p.m., he handed the stewardess a note indicating that he had a bomb in his briefcase and wanted her to sit with him.

The stunned stewardess did as she was told. Opening a cheap attaché case, Cooper showed her a glimpse of a mass of wires and red colored sticks and demanded that she write down what he told her. Soon, she was walking a new note to the captain of the plane that demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills.

When the flight landed in Seattle, the hijacker exchanged the flight’s 36 passengers for the money and parachutes. Cooper kept several crew members, and the plane took off again, ordered to set a course for Mexico City.

Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, a little after 8:00 p.m., the hijacker did the incredible: He jumped out of the back of the plane with a parachute and the ransom money. The pilots landed safely, but Cooper disappeared into the night—and his ultimate fate remains a mystery to this day.

Clues – even some of the money – have been found and studied over the years, but the D.C. Cooper caper has never been solved – to the delight of those who gather in Ariel, Washington each year to celebrate the one that got away. Here’s a link to a story I did about that party for National Public Radio back in 2008.

And, in case you’d like to try to solve the case, here are some of the clues.

D.B. Cooper’s tie. Courtesy FBI

Some of the money from the D.B. Cooper hijacking. Courtesy FBI

Heathrow’s photographer snapped them all

June 21, 2016Harriet BaskasAir Travel, Celebrities, HistoryBrad Pitt, Clint Eastwood, Dennis Stone, Heathrow Airport, Liz Taylor, Muhammad Ali

London’s Heathrow Airport is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and digging into the archives for some treasures and special stories.

This is one about “the Godfather of Heathrow” – 84-year-old Dennis Stone – who has been a photographer at the airport for 70 years, starting work at age 14.

Over the years, Stone has snapped it all, including the visits of a dozens of celebrities, including including Frank Sinatra, Goldie Hawn, Princess Diana and the Beatles. Here’s a video about Stone’s time at the airport and some of the great photos he took.

Liz Taylor at Heathrow Airport

Clint Eastwood at Heathrow Airport

Heathrow also has a website set up to gather stories about the airport, with a wide assortment of prizes for the best stories, including trips from London to Sydney, Australia with Qantas.

Happy 75th Birthday, Reagan Washington National Airport

June 14, 2016Harriet BaskasAviation history, HistoryFlaghship Detroit, Reagan Washington National Airport

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport turns 75 on June 16, and the party is already underway – with promotions, giveaways, pre-security performances and a special historic aircraft arrival.

In honor of the airport’s founding in 1941, restaurants across the airport are offering “First Class Meal Deal” specials for $19.41 and, as part of a ‘gift with purchase’ promotion, anyone who spends $100 in combined food and retail purchases at the airport can get a free, vintage-style travel bag.

On Reagan National’s actual anniversary, June 16, passengers on the 75th arriving flight will be treated to music and dance performances and a giveaway at the gate.

The airport will also host the Aero Club of Washington for a lunch on June 16 in the Historic Lobby—the original ticketing area of the airport when it opened—with remarks from Doug Parker, President and CEO of American Airlines.

But wait – there’s more!

Flagship Detroit, a restored, American Airlines DC-3 aircraft and the same model that opened National Airport 75 years ago will arrive on Wednesday evening, June 15, for display at the Aero Club Lunch.

A full listing of events and promotions is on the DCA website and more details (and giveaways) are already flying on the airport’s Twitter feed.

But for now, here are the restaurants offering $19.41 specials this week:

Sam and Harry’s – Terminal C, pre-security
Legal Sea Foods – Terminal B/C, pre-security
Reservoir – Terminal A, post-security
Page – Terminal A, post-security
U Street Pub – Terminal B/C, post-security
Washington Pour Bar – Terminal C, post-security
Lebanese Taverna – Terminal B/C, post-security
Grill District – Terminal B, post-security
Cibo – Terminal B, pre-security

Shops Offering Promotions this week:

As Kindred Spirits – Terminal B/C, pre-security
America! – Terminal B/C, pre-security
InMotion Entertainment – Terminal B/C, pre-security
Capital Image – Terminal B, pre-security
Landau – Terminal C, pre-security
iTravel 2 – Terminal B, pre-security
Dunkin Donuts – Terminal A, pre-security

Airport gateways to National Parks

June 1, 2016Harriet BaskasExhibits, family travel, History, LayoverNational Parks

Courtesy Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport

The National Park Service turns 100 in August, but festivities marking the milestone are already underway in parks, historic sites and, yes, airports.

Here – and in my recent At the Airport column on USA TODAY – are some airports where you can begin enjoying and learning about some of the nation’s most impressive national parks as soon as you get off the plane.

Forest-themed amenities such a giant sequoia tree in the lobby are the first clue that Fresno Yosemite International Airport is near Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, and Kings Canyon National Park and a good starting point for the Majestic Mountain Loop , which gets you to all three parks in three days.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, is just 30 minutes away from McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) in Knoxville. And airport spokesman Jim Evan notes that eight other National Parks and recreation areas are near Knoxville as well and previewed in the baggage claim installation featured in the video below.

To find the only commercial airport IN a National Park, head for Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming, which is part of Grand Teton National Park — and one of the gateway airports for Yellowstone National Park.

The location in the park is reflected in the airport’s extensive public art collection, amenities that include a Grand Teton Park book shop, and the recently expanded terminal building itself, which won an award from the American Institute of Architects in 2014 for being a “regionally-inspired solution” that “embraces the culture of the area in every way.”

Maybe that’s why last year a moose was spotted hanging around just outside the baggage claim door.

In Kalispell, Mont., Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) is less than a 30-minute car ride from the western gate of Glacier National Park and has rock formations along the entrance roadway and roundabout that pay homage to the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the 50-mile, paved two-lane highway that spans the width of the park and crosses the Continental Divide.

Inside the terminal, there is a 100-photo collection of park images as well as numerous native animal mounts, including a mountain lion that can be spotted over the restrooms and a mountain goat on a ledge in bag claim, “looking just like you’d see him hanging out on a cliff in the park,” says airport manager Cindi Martin.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), in Belgrade, Mont., is about 90 miles from both the north and west entrances of the park.

A store inside the terminal sells park entrance passes, provides park information and offers an interactive map showing recent wildlife sightings, road closures and weather in the park. Exhibits in the terminal highlight park wildlife (including how to spot tracks and safely view animals) and the park’s hydrothermal features, which include geysers, fumaroles, hot springs and mud pots.

With the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park just two miles away (and Old Faithful Geyser 33 miles away), Yellowstone Airport (WYS) claims the title of “Yellowstone National Park’s Local Airport.”

“There’s no more convenient way to get to the park than to come here,” said airport manager Jeff Kadlec.

With a smokejumper base on property and an in-terminal restaurant with bison burgers, Rocky Mountain oysters and a very-popular-with-the-locals lobster bisque on the menu, the airport itself is also somewhat of an attraction.

So are the airport’s original wooden sign, great mountain views and occasional wildlife visitors.

In Las Vegas, McCarran International Airport serves as an aviation gateway to many of the national wonders of the southwest, including Zion National Park and Arches National Park in Utah, and, of course, Grand Canyon National Park.

Some of these and other nearby natural wonders are featured in LAS art installations, most notably Peter Lik’s floor-to-ceiling photos in Terminal 3.

As part of the current national “Find Your Park” campaign, posters throughout Miami International note the airport’s status as a gateway to Big Cypress Preserve and Biscayne and Everglades national parks.

And on July 30, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is kicking off a six-month exhibition in the Terminal 4 Gallery introducing airport visitors to historic and ancient sites, geology and recreational opportunities in Arizona’s 22 national parks and sites.

On display will be historic and ancient objects and images from each park’s collection, including Native American pottery and baskets, trade beads, a fossil of petrified wood from a tree over 200 million years old and a Sportyak boat used for a complete traverse of the Grand Canyon in 1963.

And for aviation buffs who would rather skip the airport and go straight to a park, the National Park Service has put together a handy list of parks with connections to aviation “firsts.”

The Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina is on the list of course (first successful sustained flight of a power aircraft and first dedicated airport for airplanes), as is the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park in Ohio (first figure 8, first airborne engine restart, first cargo flight, first airborne engine restart and the first — and only — time the Wright Brothers flew together).

But also on the list is Grand Canyon National Park (first use of an airplane in search and rescue), Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (first airplane to land in a volcano) and many others.

I know I’ve missed some favorites – so feel free to add yours below.

Airport control towers as art

November 9, 2015Harriet Baskasaviation, Aviation history, Historyairport control towers., aviation

I had the great pleasure of speaking with photographer Carolyn Russo about her book Art of the Airport Tower and the companion exhibition at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum for this story on NBC News.

The book is now on my holiday wish list and I’m planning a trip to Washington, D.C. so I can see the images on display. See you there.. .

A chance glance out the window as her flight landed at New York’s LaGuardia airport in 2006 led photographer Carolyn Russo to discover beauty in an unusual place – the port-holed façade of the control tower. And it ultimately led to a new exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and a companion book celebrating airport control towers worldwide.

“(I) saw that tower and thought, ‘Oh my god, this thing is gorgeous!” It really did look like Swiss Cheese,” said Carolyn Russo, a staff photographer and museum specialist at the Air & Space Museum.

Russo went on to photograph the LaGuardia tower, along with 84 other historical and contemporary towers in 23 countries. And she came to see the structures as “unsung heroes … non-judgmental cultural greeters” and important city landmarks.

“I want people to have a greater appreciation for an artifact in the airport landscape that is too big to put in a museum collection,” said Russo.

Reagan National Airport

The tower at Los Angeles International Airport is one of Russo’s favorites, “because it was built specifically to be an iconic landmark that people notice.” She also delights in a tower in Abu Dhabi created to look like a crescent and, to her, a flowing robe, and the tower at Kuala Lumpur airport intended to look like a tree to blend in with the “airport in a forest” design.

LAX control tower

Stockholm Arlanda Airport

At the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, the control tower designer put two cab-like pieces at the top meant to symbolize two ravens from Norse mythology.

“That’s also the only tower I know of where you can pay a fee and get married at the top,” says Russo. “That doesn’t happen where the controllers sit, but you get champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and this amazing view.”

To find the perfect spot to take a control tower’s portrait, Russo worked with the Federal Aviation Administration, with airport authorities, governments and air traffic control agencies around the world.

Photos of some contemporary towers don’t look like towers at all, due to the unusual angle Russo chose, but for many historical towers, “I photographed them objectively and tried to make them timepieces left behind from another aviation era,” said Russo.

Most images are in black and white. But when photographing the Ford Island Field Control Tower, a National Historic Landmark at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, a rainbow came out during the photo shoot, so Russo left the color in.

And while Russo made sure to photograph some of the oldest airport control towers, including some now demolished or about to be, she also includes two brand new ones in Sweden that are managed by remote control.

“These are metal structures that have cameras, sound sensors and other equipment that allow the controllers to be 100s of miles away in an office with 360-degrees of LCD screens,” said Russo. “The towers aren’t beautiful, but I include them to tell the story of possibly one of the directions we will be moving with some airport traffic control.”

The exhibition “Art of the Airport Tower” opens Wednesday at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and runs through November 2016. It includes more than 50 of the 100 airport control tower images in Russo’s book of the same name.

Souvenir Sunday at the Crazy Horse Memorial

October 4, 2015Harriet BaskasHistory, Souvenir Sunday, SouvenirsCrazy Horse Memorial, rocks, South Dakota

The Crazy Horse Memorial, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, is a giant mountain carving begun in 1948 by Korczak Ziolkowski as a tribute to the Lakota leader.

Here’s what Ziolkowski had in mind:

Ziolkowski’s plan was to create a carving 641 feet long and 563 feet high, but that’s a really big project and there’s no telling when – or if – his family or the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation will ever get the project done.

So far, only Crazy Horse’s head has been completed, but at 87 feet, 6 inches, that in it itself is pretty darn impressive and more than one million visitors stop by each year to take a look at that and to visit the impressive on-site museums dedicated to Native American art and culture.

Work on the mountain sculpture is moving forward and among the souvenirs visitors can take home are rocks:

To make sure those souvenir rocks make it onto the airplane and back to your home, though, the memorial has a helpful sign to remind you to put the rocks in your checked luggage. And then, presumably, on a scale…

(Photos by Harriet Baskas)

A new LaGuardia Airport? It will happen.

July 27, 2015Harriet BaskasAirports, Architecture, Aviation history, History, Hotelsairport makeover, LaGuardia Airport

On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the long-awaited plan for the promised makeover of LaGuardia Airport, which U.S. vice-president Joe Biden likened to one found in “some Third World country.”

The make-over of the airport will be massive: it will cost at least $4 billion and include one unified terminal building “designed so passengers intuitively understand the airport’s layout,” an automated tram, business and conference center capabilities, better roadways and public transportation to and from the airport, better taxiways for the airplanes, a cell phone lot, a consolidated rental car center, a boutique hotel and the services, dining and shopping options now offered by first-class airports elsewhere.

A tall order? Sure, you betcha’. But something has to be done.

Here’s a video that details the design that just might make you believe it will happen.

And here’s a link to the full report.

No mention of bringing back the Observation Deck or the Sky Bar.