Ford Airport (Dearborn) facts for kids

Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan, United States, was one of the world's first modern airports. It was open from 1924 to 1947. Today, the land is part of the Ford Motor Company's Dearborn Proving Ground, where they test vehicles. The airport covered about 360 acres (1.5 square kilometers).

This airport was home to many "firsts" in the United States and the world. It had the first U.S. airport hotel and the first concrete runways. It also saw the first U.S. scheduled passenger flights and the first official airmail service. Plus, it was where the first radio-controlled commercial flight happened, and it had the first passenger terminal in the U.S.

Famous architect Albert Kahn designed the airport buildings. His designs greatly influenced how other airports were built across the U.S. Most of the original airport buildings are gone now. The passenger terminal was taken down in 1961, and the main hangar was demolished in 2018. Only The Dearborn Inn, a hotel built nearby for travelers, still stands today.

Aviation Milestones at Ford Airport

Ford Airport played a huge role in the early days of aviation. It was a place where many new ideas and technologies for flying were tested and used for the first time.

Early Beginnings: 1924-1925

• 1924: The Stout Metal Airplane Company factory opened. This company built airplanes, and the Ford family helped fund it and provided the land.
• 1924: In November, Ford Airport officially opened. It was considered the first modern airport. It had two grass runways and special floodlights for planes landing at night.
• 1925: Henry Ford built a very large and modern dirigible (blimp) mooring mast. It was the only privately owned one at the time. However, it was only used twice and was taken down in 1946.
• 1925: The Ford Air Transport Service started flying between Dearborn (near Detroit) and Chicago.

Pioneering Flights and Services: 1926-1927

• 1926: The first regular airline service began on July 31. It was run by Stout and flew between Grand Rapids and Dearborn.

Cover carried on the first CAM flight, Feb. 15, 1926

• 1926: The first official Contract Airmail Route flights happened here. These flights, called CAM-6 (Detroit-Cleveland) and CAM-7 (Detroit-Chicago), used a Ford Air Transport Service Stout 2-AT Pullman plane.
• 1926: The first successful flight guided by radio took place. This radio system was developed by Ford Motor Company.
• 1926: The Stout factory was replaced with a much larger building. This new factory built Ford Tri-Motors, which were famous airplanes. This was the first time assembly line production was used to build planes.
• 1927: Ford Airport opened the first airport terminal building with a waiting room and ticket office for passengers.

Innovations and Changes: 1928-1947

• 1928–1929: The grass runways were paved with concrete. These were the second concrete runways in the world, after an airport in France.
• 1931: On July 1, The Dearborn Inn opened. This was one of the first hotels built specifically for air travelers.
• 1938: A vehicle test track was built around the outside of the runways. This was used for testing cars.
• 1947: On October 21, Ford Airport stopped its flight operations. The Ford Air Transport Office moved to Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Later Years and Legacy: 1961-2018

• 1961: On August 11, the original passenger terminal building was demolished.
• 2003: On June 9, five old airplanes, including two Ford Tri-Motors, flew into the Dearborn Proving Grounds. This was the first time in 56 years that the test track was used as an airport. This event was part of Ford Motor Company's 100th anniversary celebration.
• 2005: Major construction work added more test track surfaces for vehicle testing.
• 2006: The site was renamed the Dearborn Development Center.
• 2018: The original main hangar, which had been used for engine testing, was demolished.