Name that Airport Quiz / Test | Aviation

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Formally Orchard Depot Airport, this airport is named after the United States' first flying ace and the U.S. Navy's first Medal of Honor recipient.

Answer: O'Hare International Airport

O'Hare International Airport is located in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. It was named after Edward "Butch" O'Hare, a soldier during World War II who was killed in 1943 when his plane was shot down over the Gilbert Islands. Who shot his plane down is subject to speculation and confusion. Initial reports were unclear whether O'Hare's airplane was shot down by the Japanese or friendly fire. Decades later, research determined he was shot down by the Japanese, but doubt still exists.

O'Hare is one of the busiest airports in the world and is sometimes the busiest as was the case in 2014 but not 2015 when Atlanta's airport was busier. It has been called the best airport in North America by various travel magazines. However, O'Hare is also criticized for its frequent flight cancellations and delays.

2. This airport is named after a hamlet that no longer exists since it was completely demolished and the airport was built over the land.

Answer: Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport in London was built over the hamlet of Heathrow. A hamlet is simply a small town without a church. Heathrow was home to an archaeological site that was hurriedly excavated during World War II so an already built airfield could be expanded over the land.

Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe in 2015 when 75 million people passed through, an all time record.

3. This airport is named after the man who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He also had another high-profile job after the war. It was originally going to be called the North Airport

Answer: Charles de Gaulle Airport

Charles de Gaulle led Free France during World War II. Free France was a term used to describe those who remained loyal to the Allies after Nazi Germany invaded France. After the war, he served as President of France from 1959-1969 and was Prime Minister prior to that.

The Charles de Gaulle Airport was originally going to be named Paris North Airport because it is located in the north of Paris. During most years, Charles de Gaulle is Europe's second busiest airport after London-Heathrow in terms of flights and number of passengers. In terms of cargo, it is also usually second behind Frankfurt.

4. This airport is named after the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize winner who won for working to end the Suez Crisis. When he was leader of his country, he introduced universal health care and the Maple Leaf flag. Despite what is commonly said, this airport is actually located in the city of Mississauga.

Answer: Pearson International Airport

Toronto's Pearson International Airport is named after the former Prime Minister who introduced Canada's iconic Maple Leaf flag when he was the Secretary of State. Pearson was also influential in establishing the current Canadian Medicare system as well as other social programs in Canada. He won a Nobel Peace Prize prior to becoming Prime Minister for negotiating and resolving the Suez Canal Crisis that plagues Egypt and Israel.

Despite the fact that the airport is frequently referred to as Toronto-Pearson Airport or just Toronto airport, it is actually located in the Mississauga which is a nearby city. Only a very small portion of it is located in Etobicoke, a Toronto suburb.

5. This airport is appropriately named for the aviator most famous for making the first trans-Pacific flight from the U.S. to Australia. He also fought at Gallipoli and was involved in the Coffee Royal scandal.

Answer: Kingsford-Smith Airport

Located in Sydney, Australia's busiest airport is named after the famous aviator. He flew to the first trans-Pacific flight from the U.S. to Australia, vice versa and between Australia and New Zealand. Charles Kingsford Smith fought in World War I in the Gallipoli campaign and also on the Western Front. Prior to his war service, Smith had no flying experience and worked in a sugar refinery.

During the Coffee Royal scandal, Smith had landed his plane, the Southern Cross, in Western Australia. Two of his friends went on in search of him but their plane crashed landed and both were killed. The media began sensationalizing the story that Smith had purposely landed the Southern Cross and needed to be rescued as a publicity stunt that ultimately killed his two friends. There is no evidence to support it was intentional.

6. This airport is named after a fort that used to be part of the city's defense infrastructure. It is also home to KLM Airlines. It started out in 1916 as a military air base but by the end of World War II, the airport became strictly for civilian use.

Answer: Schiphol International Airport

Schiphol Fort used to be part of the Dutch defense fortifications called Stelling van Amsterdam. Many of the forts are still in existence and open to the public. Schiphol is a Dutch word that means ship grave. Prior to the fort being built, the land was once home to a lake that was known for shipwrecks.

The Dutch national airline, KLM, is headquartered in Schiphol. KLM is the world's oldest airline still in existence, having been founded in 1919. KLM stands for Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, which translates to Royal Aviation Society, as the airline was approved by Queen Wilhelmina.

Schiphol Airport was originally a military base when it opened in 1916 but soon became a hub for both military and commercial aircraft until it eventually became strictly commercial in the late 1940s. The airport is commonly called Amsterdam Airport.

7. This airport is named after a brilliant scientist who first conceived the idea of a flying machine/ helicopter in the 15th century. It is the headquarters for Alitalia Airlines and was the scene of several terrorist attacks in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci International Airport

The airport's full name is Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino International Airport; Fiumicino being the district of Rome the airport is located in. It is the busiest airport in Italy. Da Vinci first came up with the concept of the flying machine in sketches in 1488. He also created/developed/sketched many other ideas and inventions that did not come into existence for many years after his death.

Alitalia is headquartered in Leonardo da Vinci. The airline has a famous reputation for being late, losing luggage and other airline mishaps. Alitalia is a combination of the Italian words for wings and Italy. Jokingly, people say Alitalia stands for "Always late in transit. Always late in arrival".

The Leonardo da Vinci Airport was the scene of terrorist incidents toward the middle and end of the 20th century. On December 17, 1973, Palestinian gunmen invaded a plane and killed over thirty people with guns and bombs. Terrorists shot and killed 19 people and injured 100 in 1985 in attack that also co-occurred in Vienna.

8. This airport is named after the man who founded his country's air force. In addition to flying planes, he had many other hobbies and was a noted athlete in various disciplines and worked on graphite filaments for lightbulbs. He also took up an interest in balloon flying after he met Alberto Santos Dumont.

Answer: Aeroparque Jorge Newbery

Newbery's parents were immigrants to Argentina from the United States. Newbery studied electrical engineering in the U.S. under Thomas Edison. He first became interested in flight after he met Alberto Santos Dumont, the famous Brazilian aviator. He then took up ballooning before moving on to airplanes. He was also a noted athlete earning medals and awards in boxing, diving, swimming, rowing, gymnastics and others.

The airport named after him is the main domestic airport for Buenos Aires; however, there are international flights to nearby South American countries. The main international airport for the city is Ezeiza International.

9. This airport has many different names but one of the most popular comes from the beach passengers see when they first exit the airport. Another name for the airport comes from a popular musician who created the bossa nova. This airport is its country's second biggest except for during the summer of 2016.

Answer: Galeao International Airport

The airport is officially named Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International Airport or Rio de Janeiro - Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport. Galeao is the nearby beach and Antonio Carlos Jobim is the famous composer who developed the bossa nova dance and music. The airport is built over what used to be Padre Eterno, a Portuguese galleon. Galeao is the Portuguese word for galleon. The Brazilian Air Force also uses the airport for military purposes.

The busiest airport in Brazil is not this one but the Sao Paolo-Guarulhos International Airport. However in the months leading up to and following the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Galeao was the busier of the two.

10. This airport is named after a district of the city it is located in. The district itself is named after an antiapartheid activist. This is Africa's busiest airport and has been since it passed Cairo's in 1996. It used to be named after former Prime Minister Jan Smuts.

Answer: O.R. Tambo International Airport

O.R. Tambo International Airport is the busiest airport in Africa having past Cairo International in 1996. It serves the city of Johannesburg, although it is technically located in the city of Kempton Park. It is also the headquarters of South African Airways.

The airport was named originally after the former prime minister Jan Smuts but after apartheid was abolished, the name was changed to Johannesburg International Airport as part of a policy of not naming airports after politicians. The policy was reversed in 2006 and the airport name was renamed after Oliver Tambo, an antiapartheid activist and former president of the African National Congress.

Source: Author Joepetz

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Name that Airport Trivia Quiz

Match the name of the airport to the information about it, including how each received its name.

Questions		Choices
1. Formally Orchard Depot Airport, this airport is named after the United States' first flying ace and the U.S. Navy's first Medal of Honor recipient.		Heathrow Airport
2. This airport is named after a hamlet that no longer exists since it was completely demolished and the airport was built over the land.		Charles de Gaulle Airport
3. This airport is named after the man who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He also had another high-profile job after the war. It was originally going to be called the North Airport		Schiphol International Airport
4. This airport is named after the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize winner who won for working to end the Suez Crisis. When he was leader of his country, he introduced universal health care and the Maple Leaf flag. Despite what is commonly said, this airport is actually located in the city of Mississauga.		Kingsford-Smith Airport
5. This airport is appropriately named for the aviator most famous for making the first trans-Pacific flight from the U.S. to Australia. He also fought at Gallipoli and was involved in the Coffee Royal scandal.		O'Hare International Airport
6. This airport is named after a fort that used to be part of the city's defense infrastructure. It is also home to KLM Airlines. It started out in 1916 as a military air base but by the end of World War II, the airport became strictly for civilian use.		Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
7. This airport is named after a brilliant scientist who first conceived the idea of a flying machine/ helicopter in the 15th century. It is the headquarters for Alitalia Airlines and was the scene of several terrorist attacks in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.		Pearson International Airport
8. This airport is named after the man who founded his country's air force. In addition to flying planes, he had many other hobbies and was a noted athlete in various disciplines and worked on graphite filaments for lightbulbs. He also took up an interest in balloon flying after he met Alberto Santos Dumont.		Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
9. This airport has many different names but one of the most popular comes from the beach passengers see when they first exit the airport. Another name for the airport comes from a popular musician who created the bossa nova. This airport is its country's second biggest except for during the summer of 2016.		O.R. Tambo International Airport
10. This airport is named after a district of the city it is located in. The district itself is named after an antiapartheid activist. This is Africa's busiest airport and has been since it passed Cairo's in 1996. It used to be named after former Prime Minister Jan Smuts.		Galeao International Airport