What started out as a way to avoid racism and discrimination while flying, turned into a group of African American aviators establishing Prince George’s County’s first black-owned aviation center.
They first met at Alexandria Airways in Hybla Valley, where they flew and operated before moving to Beacon Field in Alexandria, Virginia. After forming a club of their own, the group of aviators became known as the Cloud Club. Collectively, they accumulated 250 flying hours and even owned their own aircraft, a 1939 Piper coupe.
Shortly after their move to Beacon Field, the club began dealing with issues of racism and were accused of violating airfield rules by other aviators. These accusations caused a rift between the club and the other aviators at Beacon Field and the Cloud Club was forced to find another place where they could fly. Instead of finding another airfield, the group decided to establish their own airfield where they would no longer have to face unfair treatment and discrimination.
The club set their sights on a 450-acre potato field twenty miles outside of Washington D.C. in Croom, Maryland near the Patuxent River. They leased the land from its owners and founded Riverside Field in 1940, making it the first licensed African-American-owned and operated airport in the state of Maryland. John Green, one of the Cloud Club members, took on the role of operations manager and the first flight took off from the airport in 1941.
The airport, equipped with three planes, four runways, a machine shop, a hangar and an office provided a training ground for aviators of all races. Riverside Field held flight school, operated a ground school, taught flight mechanics and even held airshows.
The U.S. Navy briefly occupied Riverside Field at the start of WWII and took over flight training and exercises, halting civilian training. In 1944, it was returned back to The Cloud Club and it was renamed The Columbia Air Center. The center continued to expand and eventually had its own fleet of planes for pilots to charter, sold aircraft and fuel, and taught mechanic construction. The center also became the site in which the first Black Civil Air Control squadron was formed as part of the Columbia Squadron.
The Columbia Air Center thrived for many years and played a key role in diversifying aviation. During the 1950’s, general aviation activity began to slow and John Greene retired as the operations manager. A few years later, the Columbia Air Center closed down for good.
Although the center no longer exists today, the center’s aviation history and legacy has not been forgotten and is remembered through a monument and outdoor exhibit area at Patuxent River Park in its original location. The College Park Aviation Museum has also preserved the Cloud Club members legacy through an exhibit of its own that details their impact in aviation history.
