Just like every book tells the story, every airport has a history. In fact, it’s history does tell a story about not only the city where it is located, but the country which it is in and the challenges, conflicts and hurdles that it is has had to overcome. Some airports, such as Heathrow, are internationally known and deservedly so. But other airports provide invaluable service to the local population who can thus gain access to departure points located all over the world. No matter how new, how busy, or how important, every airport has a story to tell.

Airports and Their Fascinating History

Cheap airport parking Southampton is easy to achieve

 Being There at the Beginning

The UK was at the forefront of that modern revolution known as the airplane at the very dawn of the 20th Century. Spurred on by the initial historic flight of the Wright Brothers in the United States in 1903, enthusiasts, engineers and intrepid adventurers all decided to test their knowledge of flight and design skills by building their own customized airplanes. In the southern part of UK, Southampton has its own airport, which it is justifiably proud of. It too began its career at the very beginning of the age of flight. If those runways could speak, they would have quite a story to tell.

Let the Adventure Begin

Fortunately, historians have been able to record and preserve much of the early history of the Southampton airport. Some of the notable highlights include:

  • Amazingly, historians know about the very first aircraft which took off from Southampton airport. It was called Moonbeam 1, and was designed, built and piloted by a local fellow named Eric Rowland Moon. This, mind you, only seven years after the first successful airplane flight. Unfortunately, nobody really knows where Moonbeam 1 took off for, or where it actually landed.

  • Early airplane flights were certainly a novelty to the general public. Any time an enterprising pilot wanted to put on a display, people were invariably likely to show up. So it was in 1914 when a local daredevil named Gustav Hamel flew his monoplane in front of over 10,000 spectators. They were amazed by his acrobatic performance, which included loops and tail dives. Not a bad feat for what must’ve been a fairly flimsy and unsophisticated airplane.

  • By 1918, after the war, Southampton airport was given permission by the Air Ministry to set up national and international flights. At that time, the farthest destination was a location in France.

  • The war effort for World War II saw the iconic Spitfire aircraft developed nearby and frequently tested right at Southampton airport. This airplane became one of the enduring symbols of British technical excellence and fortitude.

  • Ownership of the airport changed hands over the subsequent decades, constantly improving both the passenger accommodations and runways, in a successful effort to keep up with the increasing volume of traffic and demand for the latest luxuries.

  • As the airport recently passed its 100th anniversary, it is worth noting that it recently received the ACI People Award two years in a row.

Keep Your Costs down

If you’re planning on flying out of Southampton airport, the price of the airline ticket is only part of the issue. If you drive to the airport and park your car for any length of time, you can find that expense becoming fairly high. The solution is to find cheap airport parking Southampton, which allow you to get up-to-the-minute information on the best deals and most convenient locations for your trip.

Bon voyage and don’t forget to give a tip of the hat to Southampton airport as it enters its second century of service.