Wikipedia

Sands Point Seaplane Base

Sands Point Seaplane Base (FAA LID: 7N3) is a seaplane landing area in Manhasset Bay, situated two miles (3 km) northwest of downtown Port Washington in the Town of North Hempstead, in Nassau County, Long Island, New York, United States.

Sands Point Seaplane Base
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerSafe Harbor Capri Marina
OperatorSafe Harbor Capri Marina
LocationManorhaven and Port Washington, New York
Elevation AMSL0 ft / 0 m
Coordinates40°50′15″N 073°42′58″W / 40.83750°N 73.71611°W / 40.83750; -73.71611
Map
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
1/19 6,000 1,829 Water
12/30 6,000 1,829 Water

History

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A seaplane base has existed in Port Washington since the early 20th century.[1][2][3] Historically, the seaplane base was known as the Port Washington Seaplane Base, the New York Seaplane Base, and the Tom's Point Seaplane Base.[4]

 
The dedication of the Port Washington Seaplane Airport in 1929.

On September 14, 1929, the cornerstone was laid for the American Aeronautical Corporation's New York Seaplane Airport – one of the earliest iterations of what would eventually become the Sands Point Seaplane Base.[5][6][7]

Between 1939 and 1940, Port Washington was the New York base of Pan American World Airways' transatlantic Boeing 314 flights, prior to the opening of LaGuardia Airport's Marine Air Terminal.[2][8][9][10][11] Pan American had purchased the facility from the Port Washington-based American Aeronautical Corporation in 1934.[6][12] Pan Am also operated hangars along the shore of Manhasset Bay for its operations, at Tom's Point, located on Manhasset Isle in the Incorporated Village of Manorhaven.[12][13][14]

After Pan Am moved its seaplane operations from Port Washington to LaGuardia Airport, Grumman became a major tenant at the seaplane base, using it as a facility for its seaplanes.[13][15][16]

The current iteration of the seaplane base was activated in May 1948, around which time the original hangar and terminal area was abandoned.[17][18]

Facilities and aircraft

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The seaplane base features two water runways (1/19 and 12/30) – both of which are 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long.[18][19][20][21] Seaplanes are able to dock in Manhasset Bay, with the Port Washington Water Taxi ferrying pilots and passengers to and from the shore.[1]

For the 12-month period ending August 12, 2022 the base had recorded 50 aircraft operations, of which 100% were classified as transient general aviation.[17][19] At that time, 0 aircraft were based there.[19] The seaplane base does not have a control tower.[19]

Accidents and incidents

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On January 21, 1939, An Imperial Airways Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat Mk II (registration G-ADUU), en-route from Port Washington to Bermuda, ditched into the Atlantic Ocean during severe weather; the aircraft had experienced catastrophic engine failures, which had been caused by the accumulation of ice on the carburetor.[22] The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and sank as a result of the crash. Of the flight's eight passengers and five crew members, there were three fatalities – two of which were passengers and one of which was a crew member.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Clavette, Suzanne (2023-08-28). "ICON Brings the Seaplane Spirit Back to Long Island, New York". ICON Aircraft. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  2. ^ a b Stoff, Joshua (2008). LaGuardia Airport. Images of Aviation. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 31 & 32. ISBN 978-0-7385-5799-1. LCCN 2008924409.
  3. ^ Now, The Island (2019-09-03). "Local History Matters: Yalies train to fly over Manhasset Bay in WW1". The Island Now. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  4. ^ "Seaplane Base and Marina, Manhasset Bay, NY, ca. 1955". cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  5. ^ "Medal, 1929 New York Seaplane Airport | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  6. ^ a b Duffy Meehan, Denise (June–July 1987). "How Port Washington Gave Birth to Pan Am" (PDF). Long Island Good Living: 22. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2020. The company had constructed a waterside facility in 1929-operating it as a test base for its S-55 and S-56 aircraft (available for a mere $7,373 fly-away) and as a rental hangar/ramp called the New York Seaplane Airport. Pan Am purchased the 12-acre parcel in 1933, intending to use the large hangar tor storage while continuing lease space in the smaller building private seaplane operators.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "Medal, 1929 New York Seaplane Airport". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  8. ^ "William John Eck: First Pan American Airlines Transatlantic Flight Scrapbook | Collection: NASM.XXXX.0309". sova.si.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  9. ^ Anderson, David (March 31, 1940). "Along the Far-flung Airways; City Field Ocean Base La Guardia Seaplane Unit Speeds Clipper Today --Looks to Future". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  10. ^ Lauria-Blum, Julia (2022-10-11). "New York Seaplanes & Skyports". Metropolitan Airport News. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  11. ^ Harris-Para, Barbara (7 October 2015). "100 YEARS OF SUSTAINED POWER FLIGHT HISTORY" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-02-09. Retrieved 6 December 2020. 1937: First regular commercial transatlantic airline service in America – Pan American Martin & Boeing Flying boats departed & arrived at Port Washington.
  12. ^ a b Hanc, John (2020-10-02). "Soaring success: In 1939, Port Washington's place in aviation history took off". Newsday. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  13. ^ a b Library, Vanessa Nastro and the Port Washington Public (2020-10-05). Along Manhasset Bay. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-0502-6.
  14. ^ "Pan Am Seaplane Base, Manhasset Bay". University of Miami. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  15. ^ "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York, Nassau County". www.airfields-freeman.com. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  16. ^ Service, United States Public Health (1941). Annual Report of the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service of the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 92. Table 4: Summary of transactions at continental and insular stations for the fiscal year 1941: Port Washington Seaplane Base: Number of airplanes arriving from foreign ports: 5
  17. ^ a b "AirNav: 7N3 - Sands Point Seaplane Base". www.airnav.com. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  18. ^ a b "7N3 - Sands Point Seaplane Base | SkyVector". skyvector.com. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  19. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for 7N3 PDF
  20. ^ "Sands Point Seaplane Base (7N3)" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  21. ^ "Sands Point Seaplane Base | K7N3 | Pilot info". Metar-Taf.com. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  22. ^ a b "ASN Aircraft accident Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat Mk II G-ADUU Port Washington, Long Island, NY". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
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