Gateway Series Playing Cards - United States Collection

Gateway Series

Gateway Series Playing Cards is an aviation information based playing card collection that explores the world’s major airports through carefully designed decks. Each volume documents important aviation hubs, their infrastructure, architecture, and global connectivity, presented in a structured and collectible playing card format.

The series begins with the United States Collection, featuring major American airports organized by region. Future volumes will expand internationally to include prominent aviation gateways in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, and others. Over time, the series will grow into a global archive of aviation gateways represented through playing cards.

United States Collection

The first chapter of the Gateway Series focuses on the United States, one of the largest and most complex aviation networks in the world. These decks document major international airports that serve as key entry points to different regions of the country.

This collection consists of six volumes covering 72 international airports across the United States, forming a structured aviation reference through playing cards.

Each deck highlights 12 significant airports, representing major aviation hubs across the Northeast, West Coast, Midwest, and Southern United States. The cards combine aviation information with refined graphic design, while the back design draws inspiration from runway systems and aviation engineering.

Together, the decks form the foundation of a growing international collection dedicated to the infrastructure and connectivity of global aviation.

The Decks

The United States Collection consists of six volumes. Each deck documents twelve airports across four regions of the country. Together, the six decks form a structured reference collection representing seventy two aviation gateways across the United States.

Each deck features a luxury matte black tuck box with metallic foil runway artwork inspired by aviation drafting and runway alignment systems. Every volume is sealed with a numbered collector seal, and production is limited to a maximum of 1000 decks per volume.

Six Decks Collector Box

For collectors who want to preserve the complete United States Collection, the Gateway Series includes a Six Deck Collector Box designed to house all six volumes in a single archival display. The case combines a solid black base with a clear acrylic protective cover, creating a display piece that highlights the decks while protecting them from dust and handling.

The design follows the same aviation inspired aesthetic as the decks, with subtle runway grid patterns and clean architectural lines. A metallic plaque on the base identifies the case as the Gateway Series Master Archive Case, while aviation themed details such as miniature aircraft emblems add a refined collector touch.

The box is sized to fit Volumes I through VI perfectly, allowing the full United States Collection to be displayed as a unified set. Both protective and elegant, the collector box serves as a dedicated archive for the first chapter of the Gateway Series.

DECKS

🂡 DECK I

♠ NORTHEAST

JFK : John F. Kennedy International Airport, Queens, New York
IAD : Washington Dulles International Airport, Dulles, Virginia
BOS : Boston Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts

♥ WEST

LAX : Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California
SFO : San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California
SEA : Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington

♣ MIDWEST

ORD : Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois
MSP : Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota
DTW : Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Detroit, Michigan

♦ SOUTH

ATL : Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia
DFW : Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas
MIA : Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida

🂡 DECK II

♠ NORTHEAST

EWR : Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey
PHL : Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BWI : Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Baltimore, Maryland

♥ WEST

SAN : San Diego International Airport, San Diego, California
PDX : Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon
OAK : Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California

♣ MIDWEST

CLE : Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cleveland, Ohio
CMH : John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Columbus, Ohio
IND : Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis, Indiana

♦ SOUTH

IAH : George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas
CLT : Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina
TPA : Tampa International Airport, Tampa, Florida

🂡 DECK III

♠ NORTHEAST

PIT : Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
BDL : Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut
BUF : Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Buffalo, New York

♥ WEST

SMF : Sacramento International Airport, Sacramento, California
SJC : San José Mineta International Airport, San Jose, California
ANC : Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska

♣ MIDWEST

STL : St. Louis Lambert International Airport, St. Louis, Missouri
MKE : Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
CVG : Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Hebron, Kentucky

♦ SOUTH

BNA : Nashville International Airport, Nashville, Tennessee
MSY : Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, New Orleans, Louisiana
SAT : San Antonio International Airport, San Antonio, Texas

🂡 DECK IV

♠ NORTHEAST

PVD : Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport, Warwick, Rhode Island
ALB : Albany International Airport, Albany, New York
MDT : Harrisburg International Airport, Middletown, Pennsylvania

♥ WEST

HNL : Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii
LAS : Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada
SLC : Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah

♣ MIDWEST

MCI : Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City, Missouri
DSM : Des Moines International Airport, Des Moines, Iowa
MDW : Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago, Illinois

♦ SOUTH

AUS : Austin–Bergstrom International Airport, Austin, Texas
FLL : Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
RDU : Raleigh–Durham International Airport, Morrisville, North Carolina

🂡 DECK V

♠ NORTHEAST

BGR : Bangor International Airport, Bangor, Maine
ROC : Greater Rochester International Airport, Rochester, New York
SYR : Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Syracuse, New York

♥ WEST

GEG : Spokane International Airport, Spokane, Washington
RNO : Reno–Tahoe International Airport, Reno, Nevada
PSP : Palm Springs International Airport, Palm Springs, California

♣ MIDWEST

TUL : Tulsa International Airport, Tulsa, Oklahoma
FAR : Hector International Airport, Fargo, North Dakota
SDF : Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Louisville, Kentucky

♦ SOUTH

SAV : Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Savannah, Georgia
CHS : Charleston International Airport, Charleston, South Carolina
PNS : Pensacola International Airport, Pensacola, Florida

🂡 DECK VI

♠ NORTHEAST

BTV : Burlington International Airport, Burlington, Vermont
PSM : Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
ISP : Long Island MacArthur Airport, Islip, New York

♥ WEST

KOA : Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole, Kailua Kona, Hawaii
OGG : Kahului Airport, Kahului, Hawaii
BOI : Boise Airport (Boise Air Terminal), Boise, Idaho

♣ MIDWEST

GRR : Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Grand Rapids, Michigan
FWA : Fort Wayne International Airport, Fort Wayne, Indiana
LNK : Lincoln Airport, Lincoln, Nebraska

♦ SOUTH

BHM : Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport, Birmingham, Alabama
JAN : Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, Jackson, Mississippi
CRW : West Virginia International Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia

Back Designs

The card backs across the six decks follow a unified visual language built around aviation systems and motion. Each design uses concentric circular patterns inspired by airport operations, with elements such as luggage flow, baggage conveyor systems, aircraft propellers, radar arrays, aircraft traffic patterns, and control towers arranged in repeating spirals. The layered geometry creates a subtle optical illusion, giving the impression of rotation and movement when the cards are handled or spread. Rendered in a refined gold-on-black style with precise line work, the backs reference the mechanical rhythm of airports while maintaining the elegance expected from a collectible playing card series.

 

 

Ace of Spades

Each deck features a unique Ace of Spades, traditionally the signature card of a playing card deck. In the Gateway Series, the Ace of Spades serves as a symbolic illustration representing a key aspect of aviation infrastructure. Across the six volumes, the artwork progresses through different layers of the aviation ecosystem. 

Volume One highlights the air traffic control tower and terminal architecture that coordinate airport operations. Volume Two focuses on terminal design and aircraft movement across the apron. Volume Three captures the moment of flight with an aircraft departing along the runway corridor. Volume Four moves inside the operational nerve center of airport control rooms and monitoring systems. Volume Five illustrates passenger flow and security processing within the terminal environment. Volume Six depicts the radar and surveillance systems that guide aircraft across national airspace.

 Together, these six Aces form a visual narrative that reflects the operational systems and infrastructure that keep modern aviation running.

The face cards in the Gateway Series transform traditional court cards into detailed aviation reference pieces. Each card features a finely illustrated scene of a major airport, highlighting recognizable terminals, control towers, runway layouts, or surrounding city skylines. The illustrations follow a vintage aviation engraving style and are framed with classic ornamental borders, maintaining the timeless aesthetic of traditional playing cards while presenting modern aviation infrastructure.

Below the illustration, each card presents structured airport information, including the full airport name, IATA code, location, year opened, operator, runway configuration, elevation, time zone, coordinates, and a short note describing the airport’s role within the aviation network. In addition, every card includes a compass-style symbol in the bottom right corner, marking the airport’s regional zone within the United States collection (Northeast, West, Midwest, or South). This visual marker helps connect each airport to its geographic region while reinforcing the navigational and cartographic theme of the series.

Joker Cards

Each deck includes two Joker cards, highlighting the people and operations that keep aviation moving. Instead of traditional jokers, these cards feature detailed vintage-style illustrations of aviation professionals such as ground marshallers guiding aircraft, maintenance engineers inspecting jet engines, and operational staff working behind the scenes.
Every illustration is framed within an aircraft silhouette and rendered in the same technical engraving style used across the deck, emphasizing the human expertise and coordination behind modern aviation.

A limited Gateway Series Collector Coin accompanies the collection, designed as a commemorative piece for the United States edition. Crafted with a dark metallic base and gold detailing, the coin reflects the aviation and navigation theme of the series.

Collector Coin

One side features the Gateway Series emblem with a compass-inspired aviation navigation design, while the reverse side displays a world map with global flight paths converging toward the United States, symbolizing international gateways and global connectivity. The coin serves as a collectible artifact celebrating aviation networks and the spirit of exploration represented in the Gateway Series.

Collector Access Card

The first 100 backers of the Gateway Series campaign will receive an exclusive  Collector Access Gift Card (physical). This limited card grants 30% lifetime discount on all future Gateway Series deck releases.

In addition to the lifetime discount, the card provides early access to every future Gateway Series campaign, ensuring collectors can secure upcoming decks before public release. Designed with a minimal industrial aviation aesthetic, the card itself becomes a collectible artifact within the series.

Archive Guide Book

The Gateway Series Archive Guide is a companion reference book designed to expand the information presented in the playing cards. It documents the major international airports featured across the United States collection, providing deeper context about their history, infrastructure, and operational role within the aviation network.

The guide includes airport profiles from Volumes I–VI, along with detailed sections covering rules and regulations for domestic and international travelers, historical development and renaming records, architectural and infrastructure highlights, airspace and runway system overviews, and gateway classification with regional aviation impact.

Designed as an archival companion to the decks, the book organizes aviation data into a structured reference for collectors and aviation enthusiasts.

Thank You for Supporting the Gateway Series

Thank you for taking the time to explore the Gateway Series project. Your support helps bring this aviation archive to life and allows the series to grow into a global collection documenting the world’s most important aviation gateways.

If you find the project interesting, please consider sharing it with friends, fellow collectors, aviation enthusiasts, and playing card communities. Every share helps the project reach more people who appreciate aviation history and design.

Your support and participation make this series possible. Thank you for being part of the journey.