The airfield was popular with many of the famous pilots of the early days of aviation including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and Frank Hawks.

Opened in April 1929 and renamed Curtiss Field, the public airfield consisted of 2 asphalt runways of 2850' length in a triangular layout.

[1] The new airfield quickly became busy, used by many of the famous aviators of the era, including Jimmy Doolittle, Amelia Earhart, Lindbergh, Elinor Smith, Frank Hawks and Wiley Post.

[1] Air shows were frequent events at the airfield, featuring stunt flying, parachute jumpers, wing walking and aerial tricks.

On August 13, 1930, Frank Hawks set a new transcontinental speed record, flying from Los Angeles, California to Curtiss Field in 12 hours, 25 minutes, 3 seconds.

Also in 1930, French fliers Dieudonné Costes and Maurice Bellonte made the most difficult non-stop trans-Atlantic flight, from east to west, Paris to Curtiss Field.

[1] Some 25,000 people watched their red Breguet Br.19 TF Super Bidon biplane land at Curtis Field on September 2 after flying 3,674 miles (5,913 km) in 37 hours and 18 minutes.

Needing more space to construct the aircraft, Grumman rented a vacant Naval Reserve hangar at Curtiss Field, moving in on November 4, 1931.

[14] Departing Los Angeles on September 18, 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, the flight took a total of 41 hours and 27 minutes over a span of 21 days.

The two airmen, who called themselves "The Flying Hoboes", left Los Angeles with a total of $25 in a rickety airplane of surplus parts and a sputtering 14-year old Curtiss engine.

A historical marker honoring the aviation history made in Valley Stream was installed on the site of the airport's hangars, now occupied by the Green Acres Mall.