Aviator Sports and Events Center

{{Infobox venue

| name = Aviator Sports and Events Center

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| logo_image =Aviator_Sports_&_Events_Center_logo.jpg

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| location = 3159 Flatbush Ave
Brooklyn, New York

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| opened = 2006

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| owner = Gateway National Recreation Area

| operator = Aviator Sports and Events Center

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| acreage = {{convert|30|acre|}}

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| tenants = Multiple pro and non-pro tenants

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| website = {{URL|https://www.aviatorsports.com}}

| publictransit = Q35 bus

}}

Aviator Sports and Events Center is a sports and events center in Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, New York City. Operating as a concessionaire of the National Park Service (NPS), Aviator has refurbished four historic aircraft hangars and the surrounding grounds in partnership with the NPS. The area includes {{convert|175,000|sqft|m2}} of indoor sports and event space along with adjoining outdoor turf fields and free parking for 2,000 cars. Aviator provides a variety of sports and league play, including basketball, football, gymnastics, ice hockey, ice skating, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball. Parties, field trips, camps, and birthday celebrations are held at the facility.

The NPS and Aviator formed a partnership in 2003, and the facility opened in 2006. By combining several of Floyd Bennett Field's hangars, they created one of the largest sports complexes in the country and the largest in New York.{{Cite web |title=New York City's Premier Sports Facility |url=https://www.aviatorsports.com/ |access-date=2024-04-16 |website=Aviator Sports |language=en-US}}

Facilities

File:BrizelAviatorPic.JPG

The Aviator Complex contains ice skating rinks within two of the hangars. The other two hangars contain a field house, a gymnastics and dance complex, and a fitness center totaling more than {{convert|48,000|ft2|m2}}, as well as a 6,000-seat football field outside.

Aviator's Sports Facilities include:

Two synthetic turf outdoor fields
Outdoor event space
Two indoor ice rinks{{cite web | last=Gordon | first=Jane | title=Soon a Home to Flying Pucks and Balls | website=The New York Times | date=October 11, 2006 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/realestate/commercial/11airfield.html | access-date=January 4, 2018}}
{{convert|18,000|ft2|m2|adj=on}} field house with hardwood floor, climbing wall and turf field
{{convert|16,000|ft2|m2|adj=on}} Gymnastics Center
{{convert|14,000|ft2|m2|adj=on}} Fitness center
Arcade
Food court
Indoor and Outdoor Sports Bar
Full catering and food service
Large corporate meeting and private events rooms

Aviator Sports and Events Center hosts programs and activities including camps, birthday parties, field trips, and sporting meets. The complex also hosts sporting events and shows throughout the year, and the occasional air show.

Once inside the indoor entrance to the center, an entire inner wall tribute several stories high is dedicated to the history of Aeronautics which took place on the site of the sports facility and the people of flight who made Bennett Field famous. These include Wiley Post, the first pilot to solo around the world, who flew around the world from the field and returned to it in 7 days 19 hours and 49 minutes in July 1933; and billionaire Howard Hughes, who flew {{convert|14791|mi|km}} around the world from Floyd Bennett Field in July 1938 and returned to it with a crew of four men in 3 days, 19 hours, 8 minutes, 10 seconds to collect important navigational data.{{cite web| url = http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/aviation/flo.htm| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070714073916/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/aviation/flo.htm| archive-date = 2007-07-14| title = Floyd Bennett Field Historic District--Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary}}{{Cite web|url=http://digital.library.unlv.edu/hughes/world.php|title=Welcome Home Howard | UNLV Digital Collections}}

Events

Since 2011, Aviator Sports and Events Center has become a prominent location for obstacle races and expos in New York City. Events that have taken place through a rental agreement include: [http://www.ruggedmaniac.com/ Rugged Maniac], [https://thebigbounceamerica.com/ Big Bounce America], [https://nightnationrun.com/ Night Nation Run], [https://thesneakerexit.com/ Sneaker Exit], [https://www.universoulcircus.com/ UniverSoul Circus], [https://www.kidsforkidsnyc.org/ St. Jude's Kids for Kids Fundraiser], [http://tomatobattle.com/ Tomato Battle], [http://www.civilianmilitarycombine.com/ Civilian Military Combine], weddings, and more.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aviatorsports.com/past-events|title = Events | Aviator Sports & Events Center Brooklyn NY}}

Strategic relationships

Concessionaire of National Park Service [https://www.nps.gov/index.htm], servicing Floyd Bennett Field area of Gateway National Recreation Area, [https://web.archive.org/web/20031222191717/http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/flo.htm]

Tenants

ASA College Soccer
Berkeley College Men's & Women's Soccer teams
Bishop Ford High School Football & Soccer teams
[http://www.brooklynlacrosse.org/ Brooklyn Lacrosse Club]
[https://www.bwgottschee.org/ Blau Weiss Gottschee Soccer Club]
[http://dts-ny.com/ Dutch Total Soccer]
Medgar Evers College Men's & Women's Soccer teams
Mendy Kolko Football
[http://www.metromoose.com/index.htm Metro Fighting Moose Hockey Team]
New York Empire, member of the American Ultimate Disc League
[https://www.aviatorsports.com/sports/ice-hockey/ New York Aviators Hockey Team]
New York Sharks, member of the Independent Women's Football League
NYU-Poly Men's & Women's Soccer & Women's Lacrosse
[http://www.sabaskills.com/index.php SABA Youth Soccer]
St. Ann's School Soccer
Xaverian High School Football and Soccer
Multiple semi pro football teams

Historical footage

Howard Hughes rare airplane silent black and white video footage taking off with his team on his historical round the flight from Floyd Bennett FieldArchived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/Er0-JZNGRZU Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140505124844/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er0-JZNGRZU Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er0-JZNGRZU| title = Howard Hughes Flight Around the World 1938 | website=YouTube| date = 8 March 2010 }}{{cbignore}}
Howard Hughes rare silent black and white video footage landing at Floyd Bennett Field and being interviewed after a 10½ hour nonstop transatlantic flight{{Cite web|url=http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675047795_aviator-Howard-Hughes_Floyd-Bennett-Field_Lockheed-Model-14_flight-from-Atlantic-coast|title=HD Stock Video Footage - Howard Hughes lands on Floyd Bennett Field after completing 10 1/2 hours of non stop flight from Atlantic Coast}}