Aviator Sports and Events Center is a sports and events center in Floyd Bennett Field,

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Operating as a concessionaire of the National Park Service (NPS), Aviator has refurbished four historic aircraft hangars and the surrounding grounds in partnership with the NPS. The area includes of indoor sports and event space along with adjoining outdoor turf fields and free parking for 2,000 cars. Aviator provides a variety of sports and league play, including

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

ice skating Ice skating is the Human-powered transport, self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. ...

lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

, and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

. Parties, field trips, camps, and birthday celebrations are held at the facility. The NPS and Aviator formed a partnership in 2003, and the facility opened in 2006. By combining several of Floyd Bennett Field's hangars, they created one of the largest sports complexes in the country and the largest in New York.

Facilities

The Aviator Complex contains ice skating rinks within two of the hangars. The other two hangars contain a field house, a

and

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

complex, and a fitness center totaling more than , as well as a 6,000-seat football field outside. Aviator's Sports Facilities include: *Two synthetic turf outdoor fields *Outdoor event space *Two indoor ice rinks * field house with hardwood floor, climbing wall and turf field * Gymnastics Center * Fitness center *Arcade *Food court *Indoor and Outdoor Sports Bar *Full catering and food service *Large corporate meeting and private events rooms Aviator Sports and Events Center hosts programs and activities including camps, birthday parties, field trips, and sporting meets. The complex also hosts sporting events and shows throughout the year, and the occasional air show. Once inside the indoor entrance to the center, an entire inner wall tribute several stories high is dedicated to the history of

Aeronautics Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. While the term originally referred ...

which took place on the site of the sports facility and the people of flight who made Bennett Field famous. These include

Wiley Post Wiley Hardeman Post (November 22, 1898 – August 15, 1935) was an American aviator during the Aviation between the World Wars, interwar period and the first aviator, pilot to fly solo around the world. Known for his work in high-altitude flyi ...

, the first pilot to solo around the world, who flew around the world from the field and returned to it in 7 days 19 hours and 49 minutes in July 1933; and billionaire

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...

, who flew around the world from Floyd Bennett Field in July 1938 and returned to it with a crew of four men in 3 days, 19 hours, 8 minutes, 10 seconds to collect important navigational data.

Events

Since 2011, Aviator Sports and Events Center has become a prominent location for obstacle races and expos in New York City. Events that have taken place through a rental agreement include
Rugged ManiacBig Bounce AmericaNight Nation RunSneaker ExitUniverSoul CircusSt. Jude's Kids for Kids FundraiserTomato BattleCivilian Military Combine
weddings, and more.

Strategic relationships

* Concessionaire of National Park Servicebr>
servicing Floyd Bennett Field area of Gateway National Recreation Area

Tenants

* ASA College#Athletics, ASA College Soccer *

Berkeley College Berkeley College is a private for-profit college with campuses in New York City, New Jersey, and online. It was founded in 1931 and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificate programs. Berkeley College is accredited by the Mi ...

Men's & Women's Soccer teams * Bishop Ford High School Football & Soccer teams
Brooklyn Lacrosse ClubBlau Weiss Gottschee Soccer ClubDutch Total Soccer
*

Medgar Evers College Medgar Evers College is a public college in New York City, United States. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), offering baccalaureate and associate degrees. It was established in 1970 in central Brooklyn. It is name ...

Men's & Women's Soccer teams *Mendy Kolko Football
Metro Fighting Moose Hockey Team
* New York Empire, member of the American Ultimate Disc League
New York Aviators Hockey Team
* New York Sharks, member of the Independent Women's Football League * NYU-Poly Men's & Women's Soccer & Women's Lacrosse
SABA Youth Soccer
* St. Ann's School Soccer * Xaverian High School Football and Soccer *Multiple semi pro football teams

Historical footage

rare airplane silent black and white video footage taking off with his team on his historical round the flight from Floyd Bennett Field * Howard Hughes rare silent black and white video footage landing at Floyd Bennett Field and being interviewed after a 10½ hour nonstop transatlantic flight

References

External links