Aerodrome
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An aerodrome is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo or passengers or neither. The term was particularly used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War (and its predecessor in the First) as it had the advantage that their French allies, on whose soil they were based and with whom they co-operated, used the equivalent term (aérodrome).
In the United Kingdom "Airfield" or "Airport" has superseded the term. In the United States, the word was modified into airdrome but has become obsolete since the World War II. In Canada[1] and Australia[2] usage it is a legal term of art for any area of land or water used for aircraft operation, regardless of facilities.
The Canadian act says "...for the most part, all of Canada can be an aerodrome.", however there are also "registered aerodromes" and "certified airports". To become a registered aerodrome the operator must maintain certain standards and keep the Minister of Transport (Canada) informed of any changes. To be certified as an airport the aerodrome, which usually supports commercial operations, must meet certain safety standards.[1]
A water aerodrome is an area of open water used regularly by seaplanes for landing and taking off. The Canadian government publishes a directory of Canadian Water Aerodromes in the Water Aerodrome Supplement (WAS).[3]
Etymologically, the word was created on the basis of "Hippodrome", a word going back to Classical Antiquity and especially famous for the Hippodrome of Constantinople during the Byzantine Empire.
In science fiction stories written in the 1930s and early 1940s the term "Spacedrome" was used in fictional depictions of a space travelling future but the word has dropped out of use.
The term "Cosmodrome" was first used in the former Soviet Union and refers to a spaceport. Today the spaceport of Baikonur is still referred to as the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
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