[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 24, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST FLIGHT AT ROBERTSON AIRPORT

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                       HON. CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 24, 2011

  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition 
of the 100th anniversary of the first airplane flight at Robertson 
Airport in Plainville, Connecticut. A century ago this month, young 
inventor and pilot Nels Nelson made the first powered, sustained flight 
in Plainville--and one of the first in Connecticut--in a small 
buckwheat field in the northwest section of town. Though only a few 
minutes in duration, Nelson's flight marks Robertson Airport as the 
oldest airfield in the State of Connecticut.
  Coming on the heels of the Wright Brothers' seminal launch at Kitty 
Hawk in 1903, Nelson's feat was the beginning of what remains a long 
and storied history of flight in Plainville. During the first half of 
the previous century, a number of small airstrips dotted the town's 
landscape. In fact, one location on the current site of Plainville High 
School was frequently utilized by Governor John Trumbull, the ``Flying 
Governor,'' who was a Plainville native and pilot.
  The field on which Nelson made his historic flight did not become a 
formal airport until 1941, when Stamford Robertson purchased the 
property. For years Robertson operated a flight school at the airport 
and remained involved in its operations, even after selling it to 
Tomasso Brothers, Inc. in the late 1970s. In 2009, the Town of 
Plainville purchased the airport, in large part to preserve this 
historic site and to ensure its continuation as a functioning airfield.
  Today, I want to commemorate Nelson's flight and to recognize all of 
those who have contributed to the preservation and operation of 
Robertson Airport over the years. From the late Stamford Robertson and 
the Tomasso Brothers to the Plainville Historic Society and the 
Plainville Aviation Commission to the pilots, citizens, and elected 
officials who have supported the airport, I would like to commend all 
of you for your commitment to this important landmark--one that 
continues to be a vital and thriving piece of Plainville's history and 
identity.

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