Men with Hats Passenger Service Inaugurated Old ‘Bloomington’ Airport, 1931

The first Bloomington Airport was actually located several miles north of Normal and featured a turf landing field. This October 1, 1931 scene at that field shows a local delegation standing before one of Century Air Lines’ 10-passenger Stinson tri-motor “ships.” The occasion was the inauguration of air passenger service to this area. Alas, the field proved ill-suited for such heavy craft and service was discontinued by the following spring.This airport was supplanted by the one on the east side of Bloomington, which opened in 1934.