[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 7, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CELEBRATING QUEEN CITY AIRPORT'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. CHARLES W. DENT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 7, 2018

  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 75th anniversary 
of the Queen City Airport located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 
Throughout its history, the airport has served the Lehigh Valley 
community in a variety of ways. From its beginnings as a military base 
during World War II to the small business transportation hub it is 
today, Queen City Airport has been vital to Pennsylvania's 15th 
Congressional District.
  Originally Convair Airfield, the 325-acre airport was built by 
Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Incorporated in September 1943. The space 
functioned as the test site for the Navy's Seawolf torpedo bombers, 
which were built at the nearby Mack Trucks' plant. Eighty-six bombers 
were tested at the Convair facility, but the war concluded before any 
of the planes were commissioned for duty.
  The City of Allentown purchased the government land on July 10, 1947, 
and in addition to the land, the government parted with Convair 
Airfield--valued at over $1 million--for $1 under the condition that 
Allentown maintained the land for aviation purposes.
  After Allentown acquired Convair Airfield, the military called upon 
the airfield for training exercises during the Cold War. In 1948, the 
Pennsylvania National Guard leased the airport for Army reserve flight 
training. This prevented Lehigh Valley reservists from needing to 
travel long distances to receive critical training. The National Guard 
once again used Convair in 1949 for Operation Vultee One, which was a 
series of simulated bombing attacks.
  The lease was transferred to Air Products & Chemicals, an industrial 
gas business with deep Lehigh Valley roots, in 1951. The company 
utilized Convair for mounting oxygen generating equipment on military 
trailers and producing valves and gauges. Air Products & Chemicals 
remained at Convair for 15 years before ending its lease with Allentown 
in 1966.
  On May 15, 1961, Allentown took over the day-to-day operations of the 
airfield and officially renamed it Queen City Municipal Airport. This 
marked the beginning of private use of the land, starting with Spirax-
Sarco, a maker of steam and heat transfer systems. The city sold the 
airport to the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority in 2000 after fifty 
years of ownership.
  Today, Queen City Airport is home to 90 planes that are used by small 
business owners in the Lehigh Valley. The airport allows these business 
owners to avoid long waits behind commercial flights at Lehigh Valley 
International Airport (LVIA) and freely conduct their business travel. 
Additional hangars to accommodate more planes are in the airport 
authority's long-term plan since Queen City has experienced increased 
utilization in recent years.
  Mr. Speaker, I would ask the House to join me in acknowledging Queen 
City Airport's history of serving our government as well as the 15th 
Congressional District of Pennsylvania. May it continue to prosper and 
refine its legacy in the Lehigh Valley.

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