Washington-Virginia Airport

Work on the airport began in the Bailey's Crossroads area of Fairfax County in the early 1940s but was delayed because of World War II.[7][8][9] The airport's proximity to The Pentagon resulted in the facility hosting a number of military aviation demonstrations and displays,[9] to include a flight demonstration of the Piper PA-18, the Aérospatiale Alouette helicopter, the OV-10 Bronco, the de Havilland Caribou, and the McDonnell Douglas Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft.The placement of the 42' outdoor movie screen of the Sunset Drive-In on the other side of Virginia Route 7 was directly in the path of planes attempting to land in the 17/35 runway.[9] On one landing attempt, a "tail-dragger" struck the object with its rear wheel and reportedly left a large black skid mark on the top of the screen.Beverley lodged complaints with the Virginia State Aeronautics Division claiming that pilots using the airport were violating minimum altitude requirements and were flying less than 50 feet over cars on Route 7 while they were attempting to land.[3] In 1968 John D. Benn Jr. announced that he was in discussions with the Charles E. Smith Companies, a Washington D.C. area real estate developer, to convert the airport to an office complex.Earlier in the decade, Smith had converted a large underutilized area of Arlington County into a $120 million complex of offices and high-rise residential buildings called Crystal City.
The main hangar at the Washington-Virginia Airport
Washington metropolitan area airports with the Washington-Virginia Airport (on left) and showing the one-mile lateral area around the airport
The 1970-1971 Virginia State Airport Directory sketch of the airport showing the location of both the 42' tall movie screen across Route 7 from the 17/35 runway and the 50' tall power line on the opposite side of the road
The Skyline Center was constructed on the site of the Washington-Virginia Airport in the 1970s.
Washington D.C.Northern VirginiaBailey's Crossroads, VirginiaCoordinatesRunwaysFairfax County, Virginiageneral aviationPiper AircraftWoodbridge, VirginiaSalem, VirginiaUS AirBailey's CrossroadsPiper J-3 CubsCessna 120sCessna 140Fairchild PT-19UC-78 BobcatThe PentagonPiper PA-18OV-10 Broncode Havilland CaribouMcDonnell DouglasShort Takeoff and LandingConnie B. GayWashington PostBeacon Field AirportAlexandria, VirginiaAircraft Owners and Pilots AssociationWashington metropolitan areaFederal Aviation AgencyCode of Federal RegulationsTitle 14 – Aeronautics and SpaceVirginia Route 7tail-draggerCoca-ColaJapanese ZerosTora! Tora! Tora!Piper CubRescue, VirginiaErcoupeLeesburg PikeStinson aircraftPiper CherokeeVirginia State PoliceMarshall J. BeverleyCharles E. Smith CompaniesCrystal Citycollapse of the 26-floor "Skyline Plaza" apartment buildingNew YorkJohn Wiley & SonsAirports in the Baltimore-Washington areaInternationalBWI MarshallDulles InternationalReagan NationalDomesticHagerstown Regional AirportFederalAnacostia-Bolling AFBAndrews AFBDavison AAFPhillips AAFTurner FieldFrederick MunicipalLeesburg ExecutiveManassas RegionalMartin Statenon-towerBay BridgeCarroll CountyClearviewCollege ParkFallstonFreewayGlenairHarford CountyHartwoodHaysfieldMarylandMontgomery CountyPotomacStafford RegionalSuburbanTiptonWarrenton–FauquierBaltimore Municipal AirportBeacon FieldCongressionalFalls ChurchLogan FieldWashington ExecutiveWashington-Hoover