[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 130 (Wednesday, August 1, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S5579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 75TH ANNIVERSAY OF QUEEN CITY AIRPORT

  Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I would like to recognize the 75th 
anniversary of Queen City Airport, located in Allentown, PA.
  Dedicated in October 1943, Queen City Airport was originally known as 
Convair Field and consisted of an airstrip and several production 
facilities leased from Mack Truck. During the Second World War, 
Consolidated Vultee, a local aircraft manufacturer, produced the TBY-2 
Sea Wolf torpedo bomber for the U.S. Navy at the airport and employed 
several thousand workers. After the war ended, aircraft production shut 
down and the leased facilities were returned to Mack Truck.
  In 1947, ownership of the airport was transferred from the Federal 
Government to the city of Allentown, which agreed to maintain the land 
as an airport and emergency landing field. Shortly thereafter, the 
Pennsylvania Air National Guard began leasing a facility at the airport 
for flight training exercises. It was not until 1961 that the airport 
was renamed Queen City Municipal and the city assumed full ownership 
and operation of the airport. In addition to general aviation services, 
the airport began hosting events and exhibitions for members of the 
Allentown community, including airshows, hot-air balloon events, and 
fireworks on the Fourth of July.
  Today Queen City Airport is owned and operated by the Lehigh-
Northampton Airport Authority, LNAA. Nearly 80 individual aircraft are 
now based at the airport, a majority of which are used for local 
general aviation. As a result of LNAA's support for general aviation, 
the Federal Aviation Administration's Eastern Region recognized Queen 
City Airport as the General Aviation Airport of the Year in 2006.
  Again, I wish to congratulate Queen City Airport as it celebrates its 
75th anniversary later this year. The airport serves as the home base 
for many general aviation pilots throughout the Lehigh Valley, and 
during State work periods, I often start my day at Queen City, using 
the airport as a home base before flying to various parts of 
Pennsylvania to meet with constituents and business leaders. I hope the 
airport will continue to support the Allentown community well into the 
future.

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