Turning lemons into lemonade

Founded in 1934, National Airlines first began flying to Miami in late 1937. For the first five years of its operations in Miami, National was based at Miami’s Municipal Airport. For years, National wanted to switch its Florida headquarters from Jacksonville to Miami, but it could never get enough hangar and maintenance space at the Municipal Airport to justify the move. Then along came World War II. Suddenly, Municipal Airport was overwhelmed with both military and commercial aircraft. The military ended up taking over the airport and National was given a deadline of August 15th to find a new home. The only other commercial airport available in Miami was Pan Am’s NW 36th Street airport, which was where National’s competitor, Eastern Air Lines, was also based.

Won’t take “No” for an answer

Pan Am and National discussed possible lease arrangements but were initially unable to come to an agreement. Eastern Air Lines resisted National’s proposed use of the 36th Street Airport, sparking intense public debate. At the time, Eastern and National were the only domestic carriers serving Miami, and National’s presence was considered vital to the city. With its eviction from Municipal Airport approaching, National turned to the city for access to the municipally financed runways built in 1940 behind William Pawley’s Intercontinent aircraft plant on NW 36th Street, just east of Pan American Airport. These runways connected directly to those at Pan American Field. After further negotiations—and continued controversy—National ultimately prevailed, receiving permission in September 1942 to move to the 36th Street Airport.

Cars stop to let planes cross the road

The end of World War II, and the acquisition of Pan Am’s and Intercontinent’s former 36th Street airfields by the Dade County Port Authority on January 1, 1946 ushered in a new period of expansion in Miami for National.

When the above photos were taken, in July of 1946, National Airlines had just placed a new $1,000,000 maintenance and overhaul depot into operation on a 60‑acre property acquired next to MIA. The building, situated on the east side of Le Jeune Road across the street from MIA’s NW 36th Street runways, was part shop, part service hangar, part offices and at the time it was announced as the first of three identical units that were originally planned for the site (the second and third were never built).

Under the terms of an agreement with the Dade County Port Authority, National was to be allowed to taxi its aircraft across busy LeJeune Road to the runways of MIA on the condition that it would be responsible for maintaining signal lights and safety gates at the crossing and for keeping a watchman on duty at all times. The airline would also be restricted in how long it could halt traffic: no more than three minutes at any one time, no more than ten minutes in any hour, and no more than thirty minutes over a full day.

According to newspaper reports, a distinctive feature of the new hangar was its pair of two‑story “nose docks” built into the front and rear of the structure. Aircraft could be positioned nose‑first into these recessed bays for maintenance work, sheltered by a 20‑foot canopy that protected both the mechanics and the planes from the elements. Surrounding aprons provided parking for dozens of DC‑4s and Lodestars, with room to expand as the fleet grew. Although designed with Florida’s climate in mind, President George T. Baker noted at the time that the concept could be adapted elsewhere and might even set a new trend because of its lower construction cost and operating efficiencies.

With this first unit complete, all routine maintenance for National’s fleet was being handled in Miami, while engine overhauls continued at the Jacksonville base pending completion of the remaining buildings then still being contemplated by National.

Airside at last

In late 1952, National leased 73 acres west of Le Jeune Road, close to the entrance of the future MIA terminal building and announced plans to begin construction on vastly expanded new airside facilities. It took several more years for work to be completed but by July 1957 National was finally able to move into its stunning new headquarters.

In 1958, NAL donated its former hub east of LeJeune to Dade County Public Schools, which converted the land and buildings into the shops and classrooms of today’s George T. Baker Aviation Technical College.