The Sidney herald., 1959-09-30
AIRPORT NEWS
BY jim SEBASTIAN

/ have been thru New York In
ternational Airport several times
and there is nothing like it in all
of aviation. 1t is the Worlds Num-
ber one Airport
Idlewild Airport as il is COM
monty called covers 4,900 acres,
has seven miles of runways which
will be increased shortly to 812
miles and 20 miles of taXiwayS.
Terminal City alone has 10 miles
of roads and parking facilities for
5000 cars. Over $4,000 people with
an annual payroll of $l09 million
are employed at the field. Passen-
gers last year averaged 1915 a
day; by 1865, the total will be H.
OOO, 1000 a year. When individual
airline terminals are completed,
there will be positions to park 140
aircraft.s The Worlds most COM
pletely equipped instrument land
ing runway will be opened this
fall. Over one quarter of billion
dollars has already been spent on
the facilities at Idlewild and this
does not include decorations and
furnishings that airlines have put
in their offices and terminals. 81
airlines operate from Idlewlld,
is u. S. Airlines and ~ foreign
flag lines
The first scheduled flight landed
at Idlewild on July 9, 1948, a Sea-
board and Western Airlines freigh-
ter. Construction at the airport
began in April of 1912 but since
1913 a construction miracle has
taken place.
Terminal City, the passengers
area of the airport, covers 6oo |
acres, 100 acres larger than all OF
New York's other airport, LaGuar-
dia. It is not yet completed and |
total cost eventually will be over
the $150,000,000 mark. This area
contains the International Arrival
Building, serving all arriving over
seas air passengers requiring
health, immigration and customs
inspection, and the adjacent Air
line Wing Buildings, serving de-
parting passengers on % foreign
flag lines. Passengers departing on
U. S. overseas carriers now depart
from temporary terminal. This
will be switched when Trans
World Airlines and Pan American
their permanent termin-
ais.
There are 13 hangers on the field,
at cost of $40 million.
Some of these are immense Struc-
ures, notably TWA and Pan
American. TWAS 10 bay hanger
S almost as long as three football
ields.
Idlewild Airport has many other
zig features. Near Terminal City
ire four cargo buildings occupying
10 acres and representing an, in
5estment of S5,300,000. Practically :
Ill Airlines occupy space in these !
and last year 168 million :
pounds of cargo were handled at
dlewild. SIS million pounds of mail
vent thru Idlewild last year. There ;
S an animalport which will house :
are for and secure vet service for +.
almost any kind of animal from .
pets to tigers. Typical !
laily rates for housing and feed =
ng: average size dogs $500, goril- \
as, $500, sea lions, $3.50. Restur-
nts, hotels, professional services E
Ike doctors, dentits and lawyers, :,
anks, are also available at Idle :
yild.
Idlewild Airport is a profitable :
peration and also a very interest =
lg one to the average spectator. :,
ope to see it again next year. =
Passengers boarding Frontier 2
irlines this past week in Sidney ?
lcluded: d
Laudie Kovash, Chicago, Him s
is; Frank Morgan, Billings; lS
toward Clos, Great Falls; Eugene q.
moe, Billings; Dean Turner, Bill ..
ngs; j. B. Flugstad, Billings; 0. =
J. Blake, Billings; Johnny Fincher, % y
filings; Mrs. Herb Kincaid, Port y
md, Ore; Miss Bonnie Atchison, :.
oston, Mass; Hazen Sandwich, - .:
ismarck; Paul Sawyer, Billings; s.
larence Lee, Wolf Point; Mrs. !"