By: Samantha Moore, Collections Assistant
Excerpt from an unpublished journal article
Throughout the History of the United States, there has been little to no opportunities for African Americans to establish themselves, and the field of aviation is no exception. From the beginning, African Americans were primarily offered jobs as mechanics and if they wanted to be pilots, most had to travel to France. It wasn't until, roughly, 30 years after the adaption of airplanes into military use that they would be able to pursue a pilot's license in the U.S.
By taking advantage of the time (World War II) and technology (easier to fly planes), Black aviators created other opportunities for themselves here in the United States. Through forming their own flight clubs and flight schools, early African American aviators created places of inclusivity and education within their communities where all ethnicities and genders could share and build upon their aviation talents. Cloud Club was one of many all-Black flight clubs formed to provide such opportunities.
Members of the Cloud Club: Top row: John R. Pinkett Jr., Jimmie Lunceford the famous big band leader, John W. Greene, Jr., Roland Brawer, bottom row: the far right is Harold Smith. Museum collection.
The beginning of Riverside Airfield
Established in 1940, Washington D.C, members of the Cloud Club used Beacon Field in Alexandria, Virginia to practice flying. This lasted only for a year, until racial tension began to rise, and the airfield staff and owner accused club members of violating their rules and regulations. As a result, Cloud Club moved their base of operations to Croom, Maryland where they began leasing a 450-acre property for $50 a month.
Here they set up an office, two hangars, a landing strip, and four runways, along with three airplanes and newly hired, African American, instructors; thus, Riverside Field was created. This was the first licensed airfield owned and operated by black aviators in Maryland, and only the second in the country. It provided flight lessons, a ground school, flight school, and mechanic instruction to black and white students. The Cloud Club held their airshows here too, with the first show being in August 1941. It had an amazing turn out with 800 people showing up to watch the various African American pilots perform acrobatics and procession flying. Audience members also got the opportunity to ride in a plane. For most of them, this would be the first time they had ever flown.
Newspaper article reporting on a popular and highly-attended show at the Riverside Airfield. Museum collection.
By December, of that same year, the United States had entered World War II, and, as a result, the Navy took over Riverside Field airport to conduct training exercises. This subsequently stopped all civilian general aviation at the field. In 1944, the Navy returned the airport to the Cloud Club with some major expansions, they had added over seven turf runways and a 121-foot pier on the Patuxent River!
Riverside Airfield becomes Columbia Air Center
The expansions didn’t stop there: the new manager, John Greene, reopened the airport for civilian aviation and renamed it Columbia Air Center (CAC). By 1946 he had added seven marked runways, two hangars, a classroom, and an office building. With leftovers from the Navy, CAC now had a small fleet of aircraft for charting out to pilots and was able to provide new services such as storing planes for pilots, having a repair shop, and the selling of aircraft and fuel. Greene also created ways to further service the community by partnering with youth programs and schools to provide programs teaching pilot and aviation mechanics to young adults. He also made sure that the airfield itself served as a community center, providing a space where everyone in the community could gather, have fun, and dance.
Members of Columbia Air Center in front of a Vultee BT-13: Herbert Jones (in cockpit), (L to R) Charles Taylor, William Taylor, Charles E. Wren, Charles Smith, David Dennis and Johnny Kase (kneeling) with Hawk the dog c. 1947. Courtesy of the Jones Family loan.
Under his management, CAC became one of the busiest airports in Prince George’s County. Greene remained the manager here until 1954. By receiving his aviation mechanics license from the Boston School of Trades, getting his private pilot’s license in 1929 and his commercial pilot’s license in 1932 (making him the second African American pilot to do so), and through his part in the creation of Cloud Club, he was a perfect choice for the job.
The layout of Columbia Air Center from the 1950 Maryland Airport Directory. Maryland Airport Directory, 1950. Museum collection.
Columbia Air Center airport manager John Greene.
Columbia Air Center closes
Columbia Air Center closed two years after John Greene retired from his position (1956). This was because, during the 1950s, the hype of aviation had begun to slow down and, as with many airports, CAC had a big decrease in activity. Once the landlord had realized this, he made the decision not to renew the lease on the airfield. In the 60 plus years it has been closed, it has never reopened. There have been recent attempts by the Society of Black Aviation Inc. and The Historic Columbia Air Center Airport/Museum, Inc. to reopen the airport and create a museum there, but nothing has been solidified.
College Park Aviation Museum is trying to do our part to uncover and tell these important stories through an exhibit opening in 2025.
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