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Angel Stadium of Anaheim as seen during a baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Colorado Rockies.
Anaheim is located in the state of California, it is a beautiful and gorgeous place. From palm trees to clear skies, there is plenty to see and do. If you are flying to Anaheim, your rental car awaits your arrival at the airport. While driving to your destination in Anaheim, you will be glad you have a rental car. The Pacific coastline is absolutely gorgeous. The sights are truly amazing. Endless ocean, beautiful beaches and cliffs, truly magnificent and stunning. From fine dining to a casual place to eat, the choices are plentiful. Anaheim also has, 42 miles of beautiful coastline beaches, which makes for a very pleasant and amazing drive. While driving the coastline, you may decide to pull over and park at one of the many beaches, so you can take a picture or enjoy all the breath taking scenery. From upscale shopping to souvenir shops, there are plenty of choices to choose from.
While driving in Anaheim, Disney Land is a wonderful place to visit. With two parks, Disney Land and California Adventure, which are right next to each other. This is one of the funnest attractions in Anaheim. Downtown is located in the same area and offers an array of restauants, clubs and shops.If you like sports, The Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a great place to catch a baseball game or festival.If you are seeking a night of culture and enjoy the arts, the Anaheim Ballet is very enjoyable.The Flightdeck Air Combat Center has flight simulation that offers the opportunity to experience what it is like to be a pilot and fly a fighter jet.
If your destination is Anaheim a rental car is a must. This will enable you to see beautiful California at its best.When you are looking to rent a car in California, Car Rental Giant has over 500 suppliers in 22,000 locations worldwide. Rental cars are available in Los Angeles, LAX, Anaheim, San Diego, San Jose and San Fransisco, just to name a few California locations. Car Rental Giant offers car rental deals, discount car rentals and specials at great low rates. Having a rental car is a very important part of enjoying all the sights and attractions that are available to you while enjoying your vacation. Having your own transportation can make all the difference in having the freedom and flexibility of planning the perfect trip. From luxury rental cars to multi-passenger rental cars, there is something to suit every customers needs. Visit us at
Question by Mel: Anyone know of a hotel deal whewre you pay for a stay and get tickets to the park (Disney) included? Can write off the hotel and am wondering if anyone knows of any packages where you buy the hotel stay and get tickets to the park included.
Please include any websites if you can. Thanks!
Best answer:
Answer by auntiej41 The only way I know is if you stay at a hotel in the park, everything including tickets and transportation to and from parks is included. www.disneyresorts.com
.Beautiful city of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia (a Spain’s province), is situated on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered at either end by 2 river deltas. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after its capital city Madrid. Barcelona has a population of 1.5 million, over 4 million including suburbs. The varied, eventful history of the city dates back 4,000 years to the first settlements by ancient farmers. Later it became a Roman colony, the Visigoth’s capital city, and then it came under Moorish rule. It went through sieges, destructions and occupations, finally to become an autonomous democracy 1975. The city has always played an important role in political and cultural life of Spain and it is well reflected in the variety and quality of historical buildings, museums, many other tourist attractions. Today Barcelona is one of the most diverse European cities with unique culture and rich traditions. You can find here a formidable balance of the traditional things and the avant-garde. A cosmopolitan metropolis, Barcelona affords visitors a warm and sincere welcome, being acknowledged worldwide as one of the best tourist-friendly cities in Europe. Barcelona’s organization of the 1992 Olympics provided regeneration of this dynamic city, gave a fresh start to its infrastructure development. WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE: POINTS OF INTEREST – La Ramble is a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard packed with buckers, living statues, mimes and itinerant salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to jeweler. Pavement cafes and stands selling craftwork, street performers surrounded by curious onlookers, a noisy bird market, Palau de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century rococo mansion, the Gran Teeter del Liceu, the famous 19th-century opera house- these are all colorful parts of La Rambla’s mosaic. La Rambla ends at the lofty Monument a Colom (Monument to Columbus) and the harbour. Barri Gotic – also known as Gothic Quarter, it is the old part of the city. Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic from 1895 to 1904 and Joan Miro was born and lived here during his youth. Gothic Quarter is situated on the right hand side of the La Rambla, it contains a concentration of medieval tall Gothic buildings (14-15th century) on narrow cobbled streets and now is home to much of the city’s nightlife. La Sagrada Familia – La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous and magnificent among Barcelona’s landmarks. The life’s work of Barcelona’s famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. Above each facade there are four towers, 12 in total, which are dedicated to the Apostles. The tower in the center, the tallest of all at 170 m., is dedicated to Jesus Christ. Around these there are the towers of the four Evangelists, and the tower over the apse is dedicated to the Virgin. They are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaudi died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed, and since then, controversy has continually dogged the building program. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, is almost done, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing. La Pedrera – Casa Mila (Mila House) is an apartment building, the last example of Gaudi’s civil architecture.It is one of his finest and most ambitious creations, extraordinarily innovative in its functional, constructive, and ornamental aspects. Visitors can tour the building and go up to the roof, where they can see spectacular views of Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a modest museum dedicated to Gaudi’s work. Montjuic – the largest open space in the city, its main attractions are the Olympic installations, the Spanish Village and the hilltop fortress. Montjuic, the hill overlooking the city centre from the southwest, is home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions, soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites. Montjuic is covered in ornamental gardens with water features and is the most popular destination in Barcelona on Sundays. Tibidabo – is the highest hill in the wooded range that forms the backdrop to Barcelona. It has amazing views of the whole of Barcelona, a stunning cathedral, and a family fun park Parc d’Atraccions with old-style rides offering breathtaking views. A glass lift at the park goes 115m (383 ft) up to a visitors’ observation area at Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower. Modernisme – spectacular modernista architectural creations dotted around the city by famous Antoni Gaudi and his contemporaries. Camp Nou – home of F.C. Barcelona, one of Europe’s leading soccer teams, with capacity of almost 100,000 spectators. The Seu Cathedral – Built in medieval times on the site of a Roman temple, La Seu is one of the great Gothic buildings in Spain. Parc de la Ciutadella – Barcelona’s favorite park and a Sunday afternoon rendezvous for families, friends and ducks The Sardana – traditional Catalan dance, performed outside the cathedral and at national festivals, with everyone encouraged to join in.
MUSEUMS – The Barbier-Mueller Museum of Pre-Columbian Art -the only museum in Europe devoted exclusively to Pre-Columbian cultures. Housed in a gothic palace, its collection is one of the finest of its kind and gives visitors an insight into the rich world of the earliest cultures on the American continent. This tiny museum contains one hundred pieces, including wood and stone sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, jade, often found in international exhibitions and prestige publications. The exhibits represented the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Chavin, Mochica and Inca civilisations. Palau de la Musica Catalana – one of the world’s most extraordinary music halls, it is a Barcelona landmark. From its polychrome ceramic ticket windows on the Carrer de Sant Pere Mes Alt side to its overhead busts of Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven, and Wagner, the Palau is the flagship of Barcelona’s Moderniste architecture. Museu Picasso – is Barcelona’s most visited museum. 3,500 exhibits make up the permanent collection. Picasso spent several years (1901-06) in Barcelona, and this collection, is particularly strong on his early work. Displays include childhood sketches, pictures from the beautiful Rose and Blue periods, and the famous 1950s Cubist variations on Velazquez’s Las Meninas (Ladies-in-Waiting). Gaudi Casa-Museu – Gaudi lived in this pink, Alice-in-Wonderland house from 1906 to 1926, which now houses a museum of Gaudi-designed furniture, decorations, drawings, and portraits and busts of the architect. Fundacio Miro – it was a gift from the famous artist Joan Miro to his native city. The museum opened in 1975, and now it is one of Barcelona’s most exciting showcases of contemporary art.
BEACHES – One of Barcelona’s greatest draws is undeniably its beautiful beaches. Beside world-famous Costa Brava and Costa Dorada which are within 1-hr drive time from Barcelona, there are also several nice beaches over 4 km long within the city boundaries, we will list just several of them here: Nova Icaria- Closest to the Olympic marina, always crowded, this wide swathe of rough golden sand is great for food goers. There are three perfect beach bars and two very popular restaurants on the promenade (Mango and Chiringuito de Moncho) and countless bars and restaurants are just a short stroll away. Bogatell- This beach is twice the length of adjoining Nova Icaria and fringed by a stretch of stone walkway perfect for jogging, roller blading and cycling. Three large informal restaurants on the promenade. Mar Bella (Metro Ciutadella Vila Olimpica, plus 20-minute walk)- Barcelona’s only naturist beach close to a peaceful park – good for a picnic or siesta under the trees. Barceloneta- wide and long, a traditional and popular stretch with locals, crowded, noisy and very jolly.
WHEN TO GO, WEATHER: The best times to visit Barcelona are late spring and early autumn, when the weather is still comfortably warm, around 21-25°C. Summers are usually hot and humid, with temperatures averaging +30 (+ 86 Fahrenheit). Especially avoid the “dead” month of August, when many shops, bars and restaurants close for the month as many local inhabitants head out of the city. Winters are cool with average daytime temperatures around +12 C (+59 Fahrenheit), occasionally rainy.
GETTING THERE AND AROUND: By a direct flight to Barcelona, or through Madrid or via another large European city from almost any major airports in the world. The highest fares are from May to September, the lowest in March-April, October-November and December to February (excluding Christmas and New Year when prices are hiked up). Note also that flying on weekends may increase your ticket cost. If traveling to Barcelona from within Europe you can also chose train, bus or car, though these take much longer than a plane and often work out no cheaper. Many Mediterranean cruises include Barcelona as a port of call.
ACCOMODATIONS: We can offer you a range of choices. You can choose vacation rentals in Barcelona starting from $ 125 USD for a double room in a 4-star apartment hotel. Or you can opt for hotels from $ 65 USD for a double room in a 3-star hotel. Accomodation prices do not change much throughout the year due to the steady all-season flow of visitors to this extremely popular tourist city and surrounding resorts.
DINING: Besides restaurants you can eat at bars where you would have a succession of tapas (small snacks- three or four chunks of fish, meat or vegetables, or salad, which traditionally used to be served up free with a drink) or raciones (larger ones). The bar option can be a lot more interesting, allowing you to do the rounds and sample local specialities. Generally, the average cost for a meal consisting of two dishes and dessert would come to about 25 Euros. Travellers on an extremely limited budget can do well for themselves by using the excellent markets, bakeries and delis and filling up on sandwiches and snacks. Decent restaurants and cafes are easily found all over the city, though you’ll probably do most of your eating where you do most of your sightseeing, in the old town, particularly around La Rambla and in the Barri Gotic. Look for the best and most authentic seafood restaurants in Barceloneta, a seaside neighbourhood. Gothic Quarter neighbourhood is home to some of the oldest and most traditional restaurants in the city. Gracia is a very popular area among young people during the weekend, it leads the way in terms of exotic restaurants (Lebanese, Egyptian, Thai etc.).
TRANSPORT: Barcelona has excellent transport system comprising the metro (subway), buses, trains and a network of funiculars and cable cars. You can find a link to transport maps at the end of our guide. On all the city’s public transport you can buy a single ticket every time you ride, but even over only a couple of days it’s cheaper to buy a targeta – a discount ticket strip. The T-10 targeta is valid for ten separate journeys on the metro, buses and trains. These tickets can be used by more than one person at a time. The metro is the quickest way of getting around Barcelona. For black-and-yellow taxis there is a minimum charge of $ 2 euro. You’ll obviously have a great deal more freedom if you rent a car . Major roads throughout the city are generally good, and traffic is generally well behaved, though Spain does have one of the highest incidences of traffic accidents in Europe. It also has some of the lowest fuel prices on the continent.
SHOPPING: Barcelona, one of the most stylish cities in Europe offers great shopping, from designer clothes and accessories to household items. You will find the city to be quite cheap for a lot of items, especially if you coincide with the annual sales ( rebaixes in Spanish) lasting from mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July and August. The best shopping areas in Barcelona are the old streets off the upper part of the Ramblas. Souvenirs include ceramics, which are widely sold in the streets around the cathedral; leather goods; city’s delicatessens, particularly cooked Catalan meats and sausages; a porron (the long-spouted glass drinking jar); CDs and tapes of Catalan rock and pop, sardana music, Spanish rock or flamenco. If you’re looking for original gift ideas, some of the best hunting can be found in the shops of any of the city’s museums, where you’ll find reasonably priced and unique examples of Catalan disseny (graphic), and other original items ranging from postcards to replica works of art. We wish you a nice and safe trip!
Online travel deals are surprisingly easy to find and easier to land. The trick is finding one that suits your purpose. There’s always a cheaper option available. Rather than focusing solely on the economics, it would serve you better to enquire why the deal is so cheap and what you would be foregoing in order to avail the fabulous low prices. Often you might prefer to pay a bit more and enjoy a modicum of comfort and arrive safe.
Travel arrangements from booking airline tickets to fixing an itinerary, hotel accommodation, tickets for various events and venues are done online these days. The more you surf, the more choices you’re faced with. Eleventh hour bookings have become the norm, and there is a whole genre of travel sites focused on this type of clients. This has indeed grown to be a substantial part of online travel arrangements for Canadians.
Most of the major online travel sites for Canadians and Americans, such as Expedia, Travelocity and others, have fantastic package deals that give you more bang for your buck. A Package deal does not mean a group tour, but rather a deal where airline tickets, accommodation, and sometimes even a car rental all are “packaged” together for usually a lower price than you would pay for separately.
The simple secret to getting a good travel deal online is to shop around. Often you can find price differences between sites. If you are willing to do your homework, a better rate can usually be found. Another well known secret is that if you choose to book during off season periods you will definitely get fabulous rates whether it’s airline fare or an amusement park ticket. The use of certain credit cards for online bookings also helps to get discounts, as those adding up those air mile points. If booking your trip last minute is an option, you will usually get a lower price. Be prepared however to be flexible in where you want to go, your first option may not be available.
Booking hotel accommodation online can get you good discounts even at star hotels. Be careful however, some deeply discounted bookings may not be refundable in the event you decide to cancel. Hotwire.com and Priceline.com are both popular discount travel sites that offer attractive discounts on hotel rooms. Referring to itself as the king of online travel, the Priceline’s claim to fame is the “name your own price” where the buyers are free to fix their rates for hotel rooms.
With either company, you pick the price, quality, amenities, and neighborhood you want, but you are not able to choose a specific hotel. With Priceline, you bid on the hotel which meets your needs. You then find out if the price you choose was accepted and if it was, your hotel is booked. In contrast, when using Hotwire, you don’t bid on your hotel and the prices are displayed.
In any case, the deals are out there, more than ever. So get online, do your research and you will find the best deal for you.
Be sure to visit www.FlyFromCanada.com for more great tips on Flying from Canada? Checkout which online will take you there!
Choosing a travel site can be very difficult with the number of options that are available today. Life can be simple if you want it to be and you can choose a site that gives you elaborate holiday vacations in one place. Times have changed, today instead of going through agents and brochures you can search online. Google has changed the world we live in; you can use the wealth of information to select the perfect holiday spot.
I would personally recommend the luxury-holidays as could not have asked for more. Travel indeed is a tonic and it is the ideal way to rejuvenate your stressful lives. We are so busy with the work and home lives that we hardly can think of relaxing. What is more important and crucial nowadays is that the trip fits in your budget. The recession has taken a toll on many lives and many among us are living on stringent budgets. But sometimes the stress can be taxing on the family and hence you need to take a leave to help brighten things for you.
Now you can get the deals at competitive prices and avail greatest savings on the most luxurious holidays and vacation packages worldwide. Be it beaches, paradise getaways, honeymoon spots, spas they have it all combined in a package that works for you. You can stay in brilliant 4 and 5 star hotels to choose from at a fraction of the price they would normally cost. You can relax sit back and get a close view of nature. Imagine sitting and having a soothing spa and enjoing the delicious buffet of Mediterranean food. Food, dine, scenic view, spas, water baths what else can you ask for.
You can avail the offers and get 60% off in flight rates as well. They can afford to offer you affordable rates as they have tie ups with major airlines. these companies own a several to hundreds of Luxury resorts that are normally only on offer if you pay thousands to only be able to stay there a few weeks a yearbut we have bought rooms out at these resorts all year meaning you can stay at them from only a couple of hundred Dollars per week and theres no timeshare contract to worry about them.
Anyway back onto the Holidays, you can avail heavily discounted cruises worldwide, skiing holidays, theme park holidays, great rates at the top Honeymoon destinations, action holidays and many more. When booking make sure you make the right choice, as a cautious buyer there are many choices which are overwhelming and confusing. But if you are determined to holiday on a budget then luxury-holiday resorts offer the best deals available online.
The unique thing about our Luxury Holiday Club is that we also allow you to create a second income and potentially a 6 figure income through referral sales and they offer travel insurance just in case of emergencies. This is a one of the kind online destination for all your holidaying needs. It is an entire package with unbeatable and affordable prices.
Anngela is an expert in finding luxury travel deals at affordable prices. For more information on and , Please visit http://www.luxury-holidaysclub.com today.
The Ocean Park is one of the leading theme parks in China with regard to the number of annual visitors it attracts. This massive tourist attraction covers a total area of 17 hectares and is separated by two large mountains which add to the natural beauty of the park. Located in the southern part of Hong Kong, this iconic theme park boasts of 35 rides and showcases more than 2000 varieties of fish housed in many different living conditions. The Ocean Park offers visitors much more than your average theme park.
An educational department that offers both children and adults useful information on oceanic life, well equipped laboratories that researches the world that lies beneath the waves and observatories that offer a unique view of how sea creatures behave in a replicated natural environment completes this theme park leaving no loose ends as far as ocean life is concerned. The Ocean Park is also the very first institution to carry out a successful artificial insemination process on a living bottlenose dolphin which was recognized as an important step towards the conservation of the species. The park is also involved in breeding different forms of goldfish and is proud to have been able to successfully develop several varieties already.
The park itself is divided into 7 different categories which are Amazing Asian Animals, Lowland Gardens, Whiskers Harbour, Tai Shue Wan Entrance, Marine Land, Headland Rides and Adventure Land. Each of these sections offers a set of rides and shows that are spectacular to say the least. Shows featuring sea lions, otters and dolphins are but a few of the major attractions. The animal exhibits at this theme park are another main feature where pandas, various birds and a selection of rare fish species are on display for visitors.
Book your stay at Cosmo Hotel and experience a variety of amenities that are designed to cater to the varied needs of travellers from around the world. Known as a that offers unparallel service, Cosmo Hotel also provides corporate facilities of high standard. Luxuriously appointed rooms and a host of attractive leisure activities await the guests of this exceptional
.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
Rhodes Island is famous for its beautiful beaches and historical sites. A large number of tourists visit this island especially during summer vacations. If you are setting up for your forthcoming holidays then do not miss to include Rhodes Island in your shortlist.
Rhodes holidays present a number of places to explore. Especially those who are visiting this island for the first time keep on coming back again and again. The traditional features of this island attract everyone. Rhodes holidays ideas would be perfect when you visit the wonderful Rhodes Ostrich Farm & Park.
Rhodes Ostrich Farm & Park:
Among many of the parks, resorts, and tourists spots offered by Rhodes Island, the Rhodes Ostrich Farm and Park is very popular among the visitors of all ages. Tourists are attracted toward this park because of its wonderful animal world. It is an amazing Rhodes holidays attraction not only for you but for your entire family. Especially kids find it entertaining to see animals of different species and enjoy their activities.
What you will enjoy at the Park?
Natural Beauty, Birds and Animals:
There are lots of things to do and see in this wonderful park. The most appealing feature of this fun filled park is that it is away from the earsplitting city life and still offers lots of fun activities.
You can easily walk in the park and explore the every bit of this attractive place. There are a large number of animals including Birds, Camels, Deer, Donkeys, Goats and more than 120 Ostrich species.
Gift Shop and Products made by Ostrich:
The park administration offers a tour to its visitors. The tour gives an opportunity to see all areas of the park such as natural sceneries, animals, birds’, gift shop etc. The most amazing and fascinating feature of Rhodes Ostrich Farm and Park and its biggest specialty is the special products made by ostriches. These special Ostriches Products are placed in the gift shop located in the park. You can also find many other things in this gift shop to be brought as a gift from your Rhodes holidays.
Special Meals:
After exploring the park you must want something to eat. The park’s snack bar offer many delicious meals made from ostriches like Ostrich Filet, Ostrich Egg Omelets and Ostrich Burger. You can also enjoy a cup of coffee at the snack bar.
Ride on a Camel:
Camel riding is the most sought after feature for everyone. The Rhodes Ostrich Farm & Park presents the exhilarating and breathtaking camel riding for everyone but you have to pay some charges if you want to take a ride. Charges are not much high i.e. 4 Euros for the kids and 6 Euros for adults.
Pay before you enter in the Park:
There are fixed timings for visiting this park i.e. from 9 morning till 7:30 evening. So you have to be there in between these timing. You cannot visit the park late at night. Entry fees for adults are 4 Euros and for kids it’s 2 Euros. Do not forget to visit Rhodes Ostrich Farm & Park during the Rhodes Holidays and have great fun and enjoyment there.
There is a number of that present fine quality stay during on 2the
Only one airport can claim the title of the “world’s oldest, continuously-operating” one. That title belongs to College Park Airport, located in Maryland, some 25 miles from the state’s major facility, Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
College Park’s own origins can be directly traced to the Wright Brothers. Although their sustained, controlled, and powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, as well documented, had occurred in 1903, it had not been until 1908, when their attempt to interest the Europeans in their design had generated sufficient interest in it in their own country. The Wright Model A Military Flyer, one of three aircraft submitted to fulfill the US Army Aeronautical Division’s requirements for “a motorized, heavier-than-air flying machine and the training of two pilots,” had first flown from nearby Ft. Myer, Virginia, later that year, but its perilous fate had led to the injury of Orville Wright and the death of its passenger.
The reconstructed aircraft, demonstrating its capabilities during a one-hour flight, had met all specifications: a capacity of two, a 40-mph airspeed, and a 125-mile range, and the design had been handed over to the Army on August 2, 1909. What remained, however, had been the yet-unfilled requirement to train two officers to fly it.
The Ft. Myer site, hitherto location of all test flights, had proven too constrained and had often been surrounded by curious onlookers, and a larger area had clearly been needed. Its replacement, 160 acres of flat land in nearby Maryland, had subsequently been chartered as an airfield after Army Signal Corps Lieutenant Frank Lahm had spotted it from a balloon. The parcel, located near the new Maryland Agricultural College, had been train- and trolley-accessible, yet remote enough to discourage significant numbers of public viewers. It became College Park Airport.
After having been cleared of several trees in October, a small hangar and a launching track to facilitate the wheel-devoid Military Flyer had been constructed, while the actual aircraft had been transported, in a disassembled state, to the new location.
Flight training of Lieutenants Frank P. Lahm and Frederick Humphreys, which began on October 8, resulted in both successfully soloing in little more than three hours, but the latter, achieving the feat first, became both the world’s first military officer to become a pilot and the first to fly a government aircraft in the process. Both were subsequently reassigned within the Army.
Two other “firsts” occurred that year: Mrs. Ralph H. Van Daman became the first woman in the US to fly as a passenger and Lieutenant George Sweet became the first naval officer to fly when he did so with Lahm on November 3.
A hangar, housing the Wright Brothers and ten enlisted men, had served as living quarters during fight instruction.
Rex Smith, an inventor and patent attorney, can be credited with sparking civilian aviation at College Park when he had established the Rex Smith Aeroplane Company and the National Aviation and Washington Aviation Companies had later provided aircraft services and support.
The Wright Model B, succeeding the initial “A” version in 1910 and integral to this operation, had been a two-person, open-cockpit design constructed of West Virginia white spruce whose aluminum powder coating had given it a metallic look. Its dual wings, like those of the original 1903 Wright Flyer of Kitty Hawk fame, had been fabric-covered and bank-induced not by the later-standard ailerons, but instead by the Wright-designed wing-warping method. Powered by a 30-35 hp, four-cylinder, water-cooled Wright engine which drove twin, 8.6-foot, counter-rotating propellers at 428 rpm, the 950-pound aircraft could become airborne at an almost stationary 27 mph and could attain a maximum speed of 40 mph with its long, 38.6-foot wingspan. A dual rudder and equally warped elevator comprised its tail.
An initial deficiency of providing only a single, wing-warping and rudder control lever between the pilots, yet two elevator actuators, had been remedied two years later with the installation of a second wing-warping and rudder control, thus ending the right- and left-seat pilot phenomenon. The type conducted both training and experimental flights. Along with a Wright-Burgess and two Curtiss Pushers, it had formed the aviation school’s initial flight training fleet.
In all, Wilbur Wright had made 55 flights from College Park in 1909, the fastest of which had been at a record-setting 46 mph.
Although the Wrights had left College Park in November of 1909 after their contract had been fulfilled and they had relocated their training school to Ft. Sam in Houston, the seeds planted by the first two Signal Corps pilots had blossomed into a full-fledged military aviation training facility in 1911 when the Army, receiving a Congressional appropriation for Army Aeronautics, had leased 100 more acres of land, constructed additional hangars, and ordered more aircraft, establishing the first Army Aviation School. Indeed, the initial Wright hangar had multiplied into seven, along with a headquarters building and a medical and a mess tent at this time.
Aviation’s foundation continued to be laid that year. The first test of an aircraft bombsight, for instance, had occurred, while College Park had become both the origin of the first cross-country flight and the first military cross country, a 42-mile sector to Frederick, Maryland, in a Burgess-Wright airplane. The first member of Congress had been flown by the US Army and the first aerial photographs had been taken of the airfield at 600-, 1,500-, and 2,000-foot altitudes.
The Bleriot XI, a single-engine, fabric-covered monoplane designed and built in France and named after designer Louis Bleriot, had joined the Curtiss and Wright aircraft at College Park’s National Aeroplane Company in 1911. Powered by a 70-hp Gnome rotary engine, the 661-pound, pilot-only design, with a 25.7-foot “twistable” wingspan, had been the first heavier-than-air airplane to cross the English Channel from Calais to Dover more than a century previously on July 25, 1909 and had served as the basic configuration upon which all current-day aircraft had been based. Its (then) novel, single-wing arrangement, however, had been the reason for the Army’s rejection of the type over the standard biplane configuration after pilots from New York’s Moisant School had demonstrated it to them in Maryland at College Park. Nevertheless, the National Aeroplane Company became the type’s authorized agent for sales in the Washington area.
Aviation “firsts” continued to be notched up in 1912. A “Military Aviator” pilot rating, for example, had been introduced; the first aircraft-installed machine gun had been tested; Lieutenant Hap Arnold had made the first mile-high flight; and, sadly, the first death of a military enlisted man, Corporal Frank S. Scott of the US Army, had occurred.
Civil aviation had increasingly usurped its military counterpart until it had altogether replaced it in 1913 when the Army had relocated to North Island in San Diego as a result of its lease expiration in June. The Rex Smith Aeroplane Company, which had already established its presence there, had designed its own aircraft, and the National Aviation Company had repaired and provided flight instruction in Bleriot, Curtiss, and Wright designs. The Washington Aeroplane Company had built the Columbia Mono- and Bi-Planes during this time.
College Park Airport entered a new chapter in 1918 when the US Post Office had selected it as the location of its first airmail service after a three-month trial from Potomac Park in Washington to Philadelphia and Belmont Park in Long Island, New York. Operated by a Curtiss JN-4H Jenny on August 12, and flown by Max Miller, it had successfully carried the mail to New York.
The Jenny, the workhorse of the US airmail fleet, had a 27.4-foot overall length and a 43.8-foot wingspan. The two-place biplane, powered by an OX-5, liquid-cooled engine, had a 1,430-pound empty weight, but could carry a useful load of 490 pounds, comprised of the pilot in the rear seat and the mail itself in the front. Maximum speed had been 75 mph.
An airmail hangar and compass rose had been constructed in 1919 and 12 aircraft had formed the airmail fleet before the service had been transferred to the transcontinental route from New York in 1921.
Another chapter in College Park’s history had been written in 1924 when the father-and-son team of Emile and Henry Berliner, sponsors of the already-established Washington Aeroplane Company, had conducted the world’s first controlled vertical helicopter flight on February 24 before media and US Navy officials. The Berliner helicopter, employing an 18-foot-long Nieuport 23 fuselage, had featured a 38-foot wingspan in triplane configuration from whose leading and trailing edges shutter-like vanes had horizontally protruded and atop which two 13-foot diameter counter-rotating rotors driven by a 220-hp BR-2 Bentley engine had been installed. The single-seat, 641-pound design rested on a quad-wheeled undercarriage.
Rising to 15 feet, the helicopter had maintained a 40-mph airspeed and a 150-foot maneuvering radius, traveling some 200 yards, although the experimental flight had revealed a power deficiency and inadequate lateral control. Nevertheless, it had led to advancements which had been later incorporated in Igor Sikorsky’s own vertical design of 1940.
College Park Airport had not only been instrumental in vertical flight, but also in blind flight. Between 1927 and 1934, the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) had tested and developed radio navigation aids to facilitate zero-visibility flying with hooded biplanes. Jimmy Doolittle, making the first blind landing at Mitchell Field, Long Island, on September 24, 1929, had paved the way for the first such operation at College Park on September 5, 1931, while the first instrument flight, from origin to destination, had been conducted in 1934 between College Park and Newark. The Washington Institute of Technology, taking over the development program, had been able to lay the foundation for today’s instrument landing system (ILS).
Also in 1927, management of the airfield had been handed off to George Brinckerhoff, who had been instrumental in taking it into the Golden Age of Aviation by conducting extensive pilot training and staging frequent air shows, the latter of which, particularly, had introduced the public to aerial flight.
One of the most frequently featured aircraft during these shows had been the Monocoupe 110. Powered by a 145-hp Super Scarab piston engine, the high-wing, 1,611-pound aircraft, with a 20.8-foot overall length and 32-foot wingspan, had been fast, efficient, and aerodynamically sleek for its day and could attain 120- to 148-mph speeds. It had often won speed records at College Park races and air meets.
The two-place, tandem-arranged Taylor J-2 Cub, introduced four years later in 1936, had also been instrumental during this period. The docile, high-wing trainer, with a 22.5-foot overall length and 35.2-foot span, had had a 970-pound gross weight and could attain 87-mph speeds with its single, 40-hp Continental A-40 engine. Used by Brinckerhoff for flight training during a 30-year period, the type had become the quintessential private pilot trainer at general aviation airports throughout the country.
Another prevalent trainer, introduced three years later and featuring improved capability, had been the Taylorcraft CL-65. Unlike the tandem seating configuration of the J-2, the side-by-side arrangement had facilitated dual instruction. The high-wing, tail wheel aircraft, with a 22-foot overall length and 36-foot, fabric-covered wingspan, had been powered by a 65-hp Lycoming O-145 piston engine and, with a 1,150-pound gross weight, could achieve 102-mph maximum speeds.
Another College Park-indicative design, the Aeronica 65LA “Chief,” had plied Maryland skies during the 1940s. Equaling the Taylorcraft’s speed, it had been powered by a 65-hp Continental C-65 engine and had featured a 1,250-pound maximum weight. Only 87 of the type, however, had been produced.
During World War II, the Women’s Air Services Pilots, or WASPs, had trained at College Park under Maryland’s Civilian Pilot Training Program, enabling them to assume non-combat aerial duties.
The Boeing PT-17 Stearman, a two-place, open-cockpit biplane instrumental in the training of pilots, had often performed stunts and competed in air races during the Brinckerhoff period from 1927 to 1964. The aircraft, with a 24.10-foot overall length and a 32.2-foot wingspan, had been powered by a 220-hp Continental R-670 radial engine and, at a maximum gross weight of 2,717 pounds, could achieve 124-mph speeds. More than 8,500 in 11 different versions had been produced for the Army, the Navy, and several countries.
One aircraft, registered N8NP and piloted by Gus McLeod, had become the first open-cockpit biplane to have flown over the North Pole. Departing Gaithersburg, Maryland, in April of 2000, it had penetrated zero-visibility and below-zero temperature conditions on its intended 13-day expedition, finally circling the pole on April 17, but mechanical difficulties had forced it to land. The pilot, returning the following month with the needed replacement battery, had discovered that the ice floe on which it had been located had drifted some 80 miles toward Norway.
After repairs, the Stearman had flown as far as Nunavut in Canada before weather impeded further continuation.
The Ercoupe 415D, designed by the Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) which Henry Berliner himself had founded in 1932, had been a low-wing monoplane employing a tricycle undercarriage and twin vertical fins which had been tested at College Park. Powered by an 85-hp Continental A-85 engine, the two-place, 1,400-pound general aviation aircraft, with a 30-foot wingspan, could attain 117-mph speeds and had uniquely offered a coordinated control system by linking the ailerons and rudders by means of the control column. Devoid of rudder pedals, it had facilitated pilot training, and had been considered slip-, stall-, and spin-proof.
In 1973, the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission purchased College Park Airport and four years later it had been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, “the world’s oldest continuously-operating airport,” occupying 40 acres, is a non-towered, general aviation facility with 80 based aircraft and a single, lighted, 2,600-foot runway (15/33). The original airmail hangar and compass rose of 1919 are located at the end of the field below the railroad tracks, while the 27,000-square-foot College Park Aviation Museum, a glass-and-brick, curved roof building inspired by early Wright Brothers designs and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is located on the side and showcases many historic, airport-related aircraft.
Countless, modern-day turboprop and pure-jet airliners regularly ply the corridor to and from Maryland’s Baltimore-Washington International Airport, perhaps oblivious to the tiny parcel of land called “College Park Airport” below them. But at least a nod of recognition and appreciation should occasionally be extended. This, after all, is where it all began.
A graduate of Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus with a summa-cum-laude BA Degree in Comparative Languages and Journalism, I have subsequently earned the Continuing Community Education Teaching Certificate from the Nassau Association for Continuing Community Education (NACCE) at Molloy College, the Travel Career Development Certificate from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) at LIU, and the AAS Degree in Aerospace Technology at the State University of New York – College of Technology at Farmingdale. Having amassed almost three decades in the airline industry, I managed the New York-JFK and Washington-Dulles stations at Austrian Airlines, created the North American Station Training Program, served as an Aviation Advisor to Farmingdale State University of New York, and devised and taught the Airline Management Certificate Program at the Long Island Educational Opportunity Center. A freelance author, I have written some 70 books of the short story, novel, nonfiction, essay, poetry, article, log, curriculum, training manual, and textbook genre in English, German, and Spanish, having principally focused on aviation and travel, and I have been published in book, magazine, newsletter, and electronic Web site form. I am a writer for Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York. I have made some 350 lifetime trips by air, sea, rail, and road.