Bader Field facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bader Field
Atlantic City Municipal Airport
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View of Atlantic City skyline from Bader Field, September 2004
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | City of Atlantic City | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Atlantic City, New Jersey | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 8 ft / 2.4 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°21′36″N 074°27′22″W / 39.36000°N 74.45611°W | ||||||||||||||
| Runway | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2001) | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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Bader Field, also known as Atlantic City Municipal Airport, was an airport in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was owned by the city. This airport was for public use and served general aviation (smaller planes). It closed permanently on September 30, 2006. The airport was named after Edward L. Bader, a former mayor of Atlantic City. He bought the land for the airfield. As of 2016, the land was for sale.
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History of Bader Field
Bader Field first opened in 1910. It was allowed to offer passenger flights in 1911. This airport was special because it was the first U.S. city airport. It could handle both seaplanes (planes that land on water) and regular land-based airplanes.
The word "air-port" was first used in a newspaper in 1919. It was used to describe Bader Field. Robert Woodhouse created the term. He was talking about "Flying Limousines." These were seaplanes that carried passengers between Atlantic City and New York.
Bader Field was also the starting place for the Civil Air Patrol in 1941. This group helps with emergency services and aerospace education.
Regular commercial airline service at the airport stopped in 1990. This happened when Allegheny Airlines moved to the larger Atlantic City International Airport. The control tower was removed in the late 1990s. Some of the old airport land was used to build a baseball stadium.
Emergency Landings
On June 29, 2019, three small planes had to land at Bader Field. These planes were towing banners. They landed to avoid very strong thunderstorms in the area.
What Happened to Bader Field After Closing?
Bader Field is seen as a great place for new building projects. In 1998, Bernie Robbins Stadium opened on the site. This stadium had 5,500 seats. It was home to the Atlantic City Surf minor league baseball team. The team stopped playing in 2009. An indoor ice skating rink, Flyers Skate Zone, also opened at the Bader Field site.
The South Jersey Region of the Sports Car Club of America uses Bader Field. They host autocross events there. These are car races where drivers compete against the clock on a special course. They use the site during the warmer months.
Music Festivals and Events
In March 2011, the Dave Matthews Band announced a big music festival. It was called the Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Bader Field was the first of four places to host it. This was a three-day music festival. The Dave Matthews Band was the main performer each night. The Atlantic City event took place from June 24–26, 2011.
The band chose Bader Field because it was close to many big cities. It was also easy to reach by public transportation. Before the event, the site was improved. Overgrown brush was burned. Bernie Robbins Stadium was also fixed up. It held VIP seating for special ticket holders. These improvements also made way for other events, like car races on the old runways.
In April 2011, Bader Field became part of a new state-run Tourism District. This district is controlled by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. The site's large size and potential for new projects led to its inclusion. The mayor, Lorenzo Langford, voted against this. He said including Bader Field was his reason.
In February 2012, the band Metallica announced their festival. Their two-day Orion Music + More Festival was held at Bader Field. It took place on June 23 and 24, 2012.
The popular jam band Phish also performed at Bader Field. They had a three-day concert series. It was held from June 15–17, 2012.
Bader Field also hosted a round of the Global Rallycross Championship in 2016. This is another type of car racing event.
Airport Details
Bader Field covered an area of about 143 acres (58 hectares). It was located 8 feet (2.4 meters) above mean sea level. It had two asphalt paved runways. One runway was 2,595 feet (791 meters) long. The other was 2,948 feet (899 meters) long.
For the year ending January 4, 2001, the airport had 10,683 aircraft operations. This means planes took off or landed about 29 times each day. Most of these (81%) were general aviation flights. The rest (19%) were air taxi flights.
