Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport
the oldest Spanish airport and one of the civil airports of Madrid
Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport (ICAO: LECU), also known as Cuatro Vientos Airport, is the oldest airport in Spain, established in 1911 (1911) and one of the three civil airports of Madrid along with Madrid–Barajas and Madrid–Torrejón Airport. The airport is located 8 km (5.0 mi) southwest of the city centre. The name "Cuatro Vientos" [ˈkwatɾo ˈβjentos] translates into English as "Four Winds".
Cuatro Vientos was originally an air base, which later became also a civil airport. Thus, there is a military section located on a separate apron of the airport, opposite to the civil one. It is also used as the Madrid base for aircraft of the Spanish Police, as well as for the road traffic surveillance helicopters.
History
On 31 July 1919, English aviator James Arthur Peters made the first non-stop flight from the UK to Spain. He flew an Alliance aircraft, a Seabird P1 that he had designed, from Hendon airport to Cuatro Vientos in 9 hours. His navigator was named as Curtiss.
He carried a letter for the Queen of Spain from Mr Gillow the owner of the company that made the aircraft.
“Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport” enters the record as the oldest Spanish airport and one of the civil airports of Madrid. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Madrid, Cuatro and Vientos can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Madrid, Cuatro and Vientos provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1431985. VIAF identifies the subject as 221204283. The Library of Congress control number is no2011194346. Authority coordinates are 40.371, -3.785. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1911 and 1919.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport primary sources, Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport archive and Madrid research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Madrid–Cuatro Vientos Airport” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.