A Century of Flight at Paton Field: The Story of Kent State University's Airport and Flight Education

Celebrating Kent State's historic contributions to flight in northeast Ohio and beyond In this detailed and well-illustrated study, A Century of Flight at Paton Field explores the hundred-year history of the longest surviving public-use airport in Ohio. Intertwining the story of the airport's development with the history of flight education programs at the University, the book highlights a vast cast of characters and an examination of aviation's development on the local level throughout the last century. What was once Stow Field, a small airport in a rural community, stands at the center of this story. It was Kent State's participation in the federal government's Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) in the years leading up to World War II that led to state funding for purchase of the airport, along with support for a similar acquisition by four other state schools. This step prepared the way for the creation of collegiate aviation in Ohio. At Kent State, it brought in Andrew Paton, who created the first flight training curriculum and established a vision for the role the airport could play in a university-run program. In the period between the two World Wars, Stow Field was also the site of aviation exhibits that drew as many as 80,000 people, the christening of Goodyear's first helium blimp, and the area's first commercial airline service. As Kent State's airport is now enjoying both a new vitality and long-awaited investment, Barbara F. Schloman and William D. Schloman place this in context with the at-times-uncertain survival of Kent State's aviation program. This comprehensive history will appeal to graduates of that program and all aviation history enthusiasts, as well as those interested in the history of the region more generally.

About the Author :
William D. Schloman grew up under the traffic pattern of Paton Field in Stow, Ohio, and now resides under Practice Area 5 used by KSU student pilots. He is a graduate of the Kent State flight program, a former airline captain, and presently a flight simulator instructor. Barbara F. Schloman is professor emeritus and former associate dean of Libraries at Kent State University. Along with the aviation enthusiasts in her family, she has enjoyed many air shows and aviation museums.

Review :
"One of the oldest, continuously operated landing fields in the nation, Andrew W. Paton Field has been the home of the academic aviation program of Kent State University (KSU) for most of that time. KSU has been an important provider of military and commercial airplane pilots, and this book uses an extensive array of important documents, photos, aeronautical charts, and other matter to tell that saga. Aviation historians, faculty members, libraries at other collegiate institutions with flight programs, and friends of KSU will want a copy of the book. This is a unique story about a seldom chronicled activity: higher education academic aviation training."—Henry R. Lehrer, professor, University of Nebraska-Omaha Aviation Institute, and author of Flying the Beam: Navigating the Early US Airmail Airways 1917–1941 "A Century of Flight at Paton Field is carefully researched, wonderfully written, and thoroughly entertaining. I admired the airport twice a day on Route 59 while commuting back and forth from Akron to Kent State in the 1980s. Now I finally know its fascinating history. Kudos to the authors for taking us on such an uplifting journey through time."—Mark J. Price, Akron Beacon Journal "An amazing story—you will never look at Kent State aviation the same! No better way to bring the rich history and outstanding leaders together [than the way] this book does. A must-read for all aviation enthusiasts, especially Kent State alumni. Thank you, Barbara and Bill."—Daniel Wolfe, aircraft captain, Nationwide, and NBAA Living Legend of Aviation "This is the history of a truly and proudly local airport. Its story reminds readers of the early age of aviation enthusiasm when determined individuals in communities across the United States worked to ensure their hometown would have a place on the 'air map' of the nation. The authors detail the many trials, tribulations, and triumphs as generations of local figures fought to establish, sustain, and build aviation activity at what became known as Kent State University's Paton Field through the Great Depression, World War II, and the vagaries of higher education priorities and funding in the postwar world. General aviation pilots, current and former students of the aviation program at KSU, and those interested in aviation history in Ohio will all find this book of value. Well written and researched, it is a welcome addition to the history of general aviation, universities, and their roles in training generations of pilots in Ohio and across the United States. And it adds to the literature on America's smaller, general aviation airports."—Janet R. Bednarek, professor of history, University of Dayton, and author of America's Airports: Airfield Development, 1918–1947 and Airports, Cities, and the Jet Age: US Airports Since 1945