This is the 4th in my series on extinct Northern Virginia Airfields.
In 1941 E.C. Germain purchased a 350 acre site along Route 7 just east of Bailey's Crossroad. He operated the Washington Air Charter Service and planned a 3,500 foot unpaved runway.
The airport began to achieve greater commercial success when it was purchased by the Benn brothers in 1946. They opened a flight training school for GI's wanting to learn to fly using their GI Bill benefits. Eventually, the name was changed to Washington-Virginia Airport.
The Goodyear blimp moored at the aiport when it visited the National Capital Area. Additionally, planes that were modified to represent Japanese Zeros for the filming of the movie "Tora-Tora" passed through the facility.
When BEACON FIELD closed in 1960 many of its' planes moved to Falls Church and Washington-Virginia Airport. It was not uncommon for air frame manufacturers wanting to do business with the Pentagon to use the airfield to display their product.
By 1968 the encroaching development and the age of the Benn brothers convinced the family to sell the property for 9 million dollars, not a bad return on an initial investment of approximately $350,000.
Today, that land is the site of the highrise Skyline residential and office complex along the Leesburg Pike.
In more than 20 years of operation there was never a fatal crash at the airport. When the Skyline complex was started in the 1970's one of the initial buildings collapsed killing 35 construction workers.
SEE MY POSTS REGARDING OTHER EXTINCT NORTHERN VIRGINIA AIRFIELDS
WOODBRIDGE AIRPORT GEORGE WASHINGTON AIR JUNCTION
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