Aviator Sports and Recreation

   
   
 

   
Click on photo for a larger image.

718 758 9800

Indoors, open year-round - Hangar 5, Floyd Bennett Field, Gateway National Recreation Area, Brooklyn, NY. Travel south on Flatbush Avenue make a left just before the toll booths, and follow the signs to "Aviator Sports". The facility was formerly an airport hangar, and the approach to the facility was formerly a runway. Outside the facility you will see a red plane suspended on a post. Adjacent to the facility is a Concord SST supersonic jet, stowed there while its rightful home, the Intrepid museum, is being restored. It was an unexpected but welcome surprise to see the SST.

Inside the facility are a rock climbing wall, gymnasium, basketball courts, café, bar, and two NHL sized (85’x200’) ice rinks.

The two rinks are labeled A and B. Rink A seems to be dedicated to hockey games and skating exhibitions as it is surrounded by stadium style seating. Rink B seems to be mixed use and has limited seating, both for spectators or skaters changing into their skates. It does, however, have netting near the ends of the rink in case a hockey game breaks out. The public session that we attended was in Rink B. It was a pleasure skating in this clean, well polished facility - when we arrived there was a crew on the ice meticulously cleaning the glass. No puck marks! The rink area was cool but not too cold, and the ice was medium hard with a few thin spots. At the ends of the rink there were some dips and rises in the level of the ice surface that were interesting to maneuver with speed. The ice was resurfaced hourly (that is, twice within a 3-hour session) with a sleek, aerodynamic re-surfacer - another sign of how well this facility is cared for. Music was played from a CD, with a speaker on a stand in each of the two team seating areas. This provided good sound near the center of the ice but was a struggle to hear at the far ends.

Lockers were plentiful and clean. No coins needed as the lockers have a tab for a pad lock, so be sure to bring one.

Skate rental is available for a fee and it seemed that the skates were better quality than the typical rental skates in other places. Soft boot style for figure and hockey were the choices.

The café is located in a common area on the ground floor between the two rinks. Brick oven pizza and other gourmet delights were on the menu - all seemed to be a notch above typical rink fare. In the common area between the rinks on the second floor is a sports bar. There are also vending machines throughout where you can purchase snacks and drinks.

Parking is free and plentiful. The Aviator Sports website has travel direction information.

Areas for improvement - more seating in rink B and larger entry and exit points during the public sessions.
-- written Jan 2007 (based on visit in Jan 2007)

For more information, including the schedule, see the Aviator Sports and Recreation website.

See a short video of skating at Aviator Sports in MPEG (approx. 2.3MB) format.

Last updated July 8, 2007.


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