Grumman Bethpage Airport
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Grumman Bethpage Airport
| image = F4F and Martlet fighters at Grumman factory in 1940.jpg
| image-width = 250
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| mapframe-zoom = 9
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| IATA = BPA
| ICAO = KBPA
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| type = Private
| owner-oper = Grumman Aerospace
| city-served =
| location = Bethpage, New York, U.S.
| timezone = EST
| utc = UTC−05:00
| summer = EDT
| utcs = UTC−04:00
| elevation-f = 115
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| coordinates = {{Coord|40.749401|-73.496002|type:airport_region:US|display=inline,title}}
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| caption = Fighter planes being assembled at Grumman Bethpage Airport in 1940.
| opened = 1936
| closed = 1990
}}
Grumman Bethpage Airport (IATA: BPA, ICAO: KBPA){{Cite web |title=Three Letter IATA Airport Codes - B - Airport Travel Guide |url=https://travelnotes.org/Airports/airport-codes_B.htm |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=travelnotes.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Grumman (BPA) - Airport details :: My Sky Map |url=https://www.myskymap.com/airport/details/BPA |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=www.myskymap.com}} – also known as Grumman Airport, Bethpage Airport, and Grumman Field – was an airport located in Bethpage within the Town of Oyster Bay, in Nassau County, on Long Island, New York, United States.
The airport was also the former headquarters of Grumman Aerospace and was home to Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Bethpage.
History
Grumman opened the {{Convert|120|acre|ha|adj=on}} Grumman Bethpage Airport in 1936, after outgrowing its facilities at the nearby Republic Airport in East Farmingdale; the company also erected its corporate headquarters and aircraft manufacturing factories on the site.{{Cite book |last=Stoff |first=Joshua |year=2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ukaOiywl1b4C&dq=%22Grumman+Airport%22+%22Bethpage%22&pg=PA44 |title=Long Island Airports |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=0738536768}}{{Cite web |title=Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York: Long Island, Nassau County |url=https://www.airfieldsfreeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm#bethpage |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221224722/http://www.airfields-freeman.com/NY/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Nassau.htm#bethpage |url-status=live |archive-date=February 21, 2015 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields}}
During World War II, the uptick in military aircraft manufacturing, testing, other operations saw a major uptick, leading to Grumman upgrading the facilities. The upgrades included improving the airport's runways; the engineering services for the runway improvements were carried out by an engineer from South Farmingdale, Henry Holzmacher.{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=1961-03-10 |title=Henry G. Holzmacher |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/03/10/archives/henry-g-holzmacher.html |access-date=2024-05-29 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |title=History Timeline |url=https://www.h2m.com/history-timeline/ |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=H2M architects + engineers}}
Over the course of its existence, Grumman used the airport and its facilities to manufacture and test a significant number of its airplanes and spacecraft, including many of its fighter jets as well as the Apollo Lunar Modules used for the Apollo moon landings.{{Cite news |work=The Bethpage Tribune |date=9 October 1975 |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tbt19751009-01.1.7&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------- |title=Airport Controversy |page=7 |access-date=2024-06-24 |via=nyshistoricnewspapers.org}}{{cite web |first=Ian J. |last=Stark |date=March 29, 2018 |title=Grumman Studios: Secrets and fun facts |url=https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/recreation/grumman-studios-secrets-and-fun-facts-1.11490135 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |work=Newsday |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801085537/https://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/recreation/grumman-studios-secrets-and-fun-facts-1.11490135 |archive-date=August 1, 2020}}
In 1975, Grumman proposed opening up BPA to general aviation traffic.{{Cite news |date=April 16, 1975 |title=Using Grumman's Airport |work=Newsday |pages=44 |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |date=May 28, 1975 |title=200 Protest Grumman Airport Plan |work=Newsday |pages=39 |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |last=Galant |first=Richard |date=September 9, 1975 |title=Grumman Airport Is Zoning Target |work=Newsday |pages=19 |via=ProQuest}} The proposal would have generated additional revenue for Grumman, and it would have enabled competition with Republic Airport in general aviation traffic. Being surrounded by then by dense housing developments on all sides, the proposal was met with stiff opposition from both local residents and the Town of Oyster Bay. The plan was ultimately called off.
By the late 1980s, near the end of the Cold War, operations at the airport had decreased. A major blow to the airport came in 1989, when the George H.W. Bush Administration cancelled the federal contract for the manufacturing of F-14D fighter jets, which some economists claim quickened the demise of the airport.{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=James |date=April 27, 1989 |title=Grumman's LI Future Without F-14 Up in Air |work=Newsday |pages=7 |via=ProQuest}}
= Closure and subsequent history =
In 1990, the airport was closed. Following its closure, it was redeveloped, with large portions becoming the Bethpage Business Park.{{cite web |last1=Fisher |first1=Charles |last2=Fisher |first2=Randy |date=September 19, 2013 |title=Nassau Ce Mangano Makes Dream Of "Hollywood East" A Reality |url=http://thesource.com/2013/09/19/mangano-brings-hollywood-east/ |accessdate=2014-01-20 |publisher=TheSource}} The facility at the site formerly used to manufacture the Apollo Lunar Modules was subsequently repurposed and now serves as a facility for Grumman Studios. The building which formerly housed the headquarters of Grumman subsequently became Cablevision's headquarters.{{Cite news |last=Shaman |first=Diana |date=1997-12-28 |title=Commercial Property/Selling Off Northrop Grumman's Surplus; Cablevision Takes Last of the Grumman Buildings |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/28/realestate/commercial-property-selling-off-northrop-grumman-s-surplus-cablevision-takes.html |access-date=2024-06-24 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Manufacturing operations continued at the site until 1996 – two years after Grumman and Northrop merged to form Northrop Grumman.{{Cite web |author= |date=2018-02-02 |title=A look back at Grumman contamination on Long Island |url=https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/timeline-northrop-grumman-history-long-island/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Newsday |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Ain |first=Stewart |date=1996-03-17 |title=Grumman's Exit Is a Blow to Bethpage |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/17/nyregion/grumman-s-exit-is-a-blow-to-bethpage.html |access-date=2024-06-24 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} As of 2024, Northrop Grumman continues to have some offices on the site of the former airport.{{Cite web |title=Northrop Grumman in Bethpage, New York |url=https://www.northropgrumman.com/careers/northrop-grumman-in-bethpage-new-york |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Northrop Grumman |language=en}}
A portion of the airport property was also redeveloped into Grumman Field.
== Toxic plume cleanup ==
The former Grumman property is the source of a large toxic plume which has impacted the groundwater around the facility.{{Cite web |last1=LaRocco |first1=Paul |last2=Schwartz |first2=David M. |date=2020-02-18 |title=The Growth of the Plume - Part 1 - 1947-75: An unrevealed history |url=https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/grumman-plume-history/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Newsday |language=en-US}} The contamination and subsequent discoveries have led to scandals involving state & federal government agencies, the United States Navy, and Grumman – and caused the site to be designated as a Superfund site. Cleanup of the contamination is ongoing as of 2024, and many barrels of toxic waste have been uncovered throughout the area over the years.{{Cite web |last=Lans |first=Chanteé |date=2024-04-03 |title=Long Island community concerned after large chemical drums found at Bethpage Community Park |url=https://abc7ny.com/large-chemical-drums-found-at-bethpage-community-park-on-long-island-former-northrop-grumman-aerospace-dumping-ground/14612627/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=ABC7 New York |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=Cheng |first1=Pei-Sze |last2=Cergol |first2=Greg |date=2024-05-15 |title=More chemical drums turn up encased in concrete under Long Island park |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/northrop-grumman-chemicals-bethpage-community-park/5415476/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=NBC New York |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Yonkunas |first=Rachel |date=2024-04-18 |title=2016 whistleblower tip warned of barrels buried at old Grumman property in Bethpage |url=http://longisland.news12.com/2016-whistleblower-tip-warned-of-barrels-buried-at-old-grumman-property-in-bethpage |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=News 12 - Long Island |language=en}}
Accidents and incidents
On August 16, 2015, a Hawker Beechcraft BE35, en route from Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach, New York to Morristown Municipal Airport in Whippany, New Jersey, crashed in Hicksville, New York after experiencing an engine failure and being guided to Grumman Bethpage Airport (which by had been redeveloped prior to the accident).{{Cite news |agency=The Associated Press |date=2015-08-25 |title=Pilot in Fatal Long Island Crash Was Directed to Nonexistent Runway, Report Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/nyregion/pilot-in-fatal-long-island-crash-was-directed-to-nonexistent-runway-report-says.html |access-date=2024-06-24 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Rojas |first=Rick |date=2015-08-16 |title=One Dead in Crash of Small Plane on Long Island |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/nyregion/plane-crash-long-island.html |access-date=2024-06-24 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Eltman |first=Frank |date=2017-04-12 |title=Crash That Sent Pilot to Shuttered Long Island Runway Prompts FAA Changes |url=https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/deadly-long-island-plane-crash-pilot-killed-directed-closed-airport-mineola-northrup-grumman/95496/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=NBC New York |language=en-US}} The pilot of the plane was attempting to make an emergency landing at Republic Airport after being advised of nearby airports, but was later advised by an air traffic controller that the closest field was Grumman Bethpage.{{Cite web |date=2015-08-24 |title=Pilot who died in New York crash sent by air traffic control to closed airport |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pilot-who-died-in-crash-sent-by-air-traffic-control-to-closed-airport/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Chris |date=2015-08-25 |title=Pilot fatally crashed after being told to land on strip that no longer exists |url=https://nypost.com/2015/08/25/pilot-fatally-crash-landed-after-being-told-to-land-on-strip-that-no-longer-exists/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=New York Post |language=en-US}} The pilot then attempted to divert instead to the nonexistent runway at Grumman Field, and subsequently crashed at the South Oyster Bay Road railroad crossing. The crash killed the pilot, injured the passenger, and caused service disruptions on the Long Island Rail Road.
Nassau County Police Heliport
The Nassau County Police Heliport (FAA ID: 8NY9) is a publicly owned police heliport, located in Bethpage, New York.
The heliport was activated in November 1941 and is used by the Nassau County Police Department as a base for some of its police helicopter operations.{{Cite web |title=AirNav: 8NY9 - Nassau County Police Heliport |url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/8NY9 |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=www.airnav.com}} It is located on the north side of the former Grumman Bethpage Airport. The facility has one helipad – Helipad H1; the helipad has an asphalt surface and is {{convert|50|x|50|ft|m|0}} in size.
See also
- Calverton Executive Airpark – Another, former Long Island airport used by Grumman.