In Celebration of National Aviation Day, Aug. 19, 2020, Mercer County, home to Trenton-Mercer Airport, proudly names its three airport parking lots in honor of historic figures in the aviation world. Going forward, the parking lots will be designated as the Tuskegee Airmen Lot, the Amelia Earhart Lot and the Wright Brothers Lot, announced Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes.

“We are thrilled to pay homage to these esteemed aviators through this new signage, and I encourage everyone to learn more about their important contributions to our nation's history,” Mr. Hughes said.

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces. During World War II, Black Americans in many states were still subject to the Jim Crow laws and the American military was racially segregated. Despite their heroics, Tuskegee Airmen were subjected to discrimination, both within and outside the army. The main parking lot will be renamed in their honor.

Amelia Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. An author, she wrote many best-selling books about her flying experiences; was instrumental in the formation of the Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots; and was regarded for her contribution to aeronautical engineering and women’s equality. During a 1937 attempt to circumnavigate the globe, Earhart disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean. The south parking lot will carry her moniker.

The Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, were American aviation pioneers credited with inventing, building and flying the first successful motorized airplane, the Wright Flyer on Dec. 17, 1903 just south of Kitty Hawk, N.C.  Trenton-Mercer’s north lot will be named in honor of them.

Having just celebrated its 90^th anniversary, Trenton-Mercer Airport itself has a storied past, added Mr. Hughes. The first airplane landed in what was then Alfred Reeder’s farm field in 1907. During World War II the nearby General Motors Inland Fisher Guide plant ceased producing automobiles and began making Grumman TBF Avenger carrier-based torpedo bombers during the war effort, and the airport expanded to accommodate test flights of the aircraft. Today the airport is home to commercial air carrier service connecting nearly 1 million customers each year to an array of destinations, and serving as a valuable transportation hub and economic engine for the entire region.

“We take pride in Trenton-Mercer Airport and its place in history, and these dedicated signs, while practical, spotlight important figures in the aviation story and are a wonderful addition to our airport,” said Aaron T. Watson, Deputy Administrator, who oversees the airport. 

National Aviation Day is an annual national observance that honors the development of aviation. The holiday was first observed in 1939 by proclamation by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The date was chosen to coincide with the birthday of Orville Wright, the younger Wright brother.