Arcata-Eureka Airport
Encyclopedia
Arcata/Eureka Airport , also known as Arcata Airport, is an airport
located 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Eureka
in the unincorporated town of McKinleyville, California
. This regional airport serves Humboldt County
, including the two primary regional cities that compose its name: Arcata
and Eureka. The airport is a federally designated port of entry for civil aircraft arriving in the United States. It is the largest airport (with the longest runway) on the Pacific Coast between the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, Oregon.
during World War II
for the purpose of testing defogging systems for aircraft.
In December 1947
a Southwest Airways DC-3 flying into the airport made the world's first blind landing on a scheduled commercial airliner using Ground-Controlled Approach
(GCA) radar, Instrument Landing System
(ILS) devices and Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO)
oil-burning units adjacent to the runway. By the following year the airline had made 1,200 routine instrument landings at the often fog-shrouded
airport.
For the year of 2005, the Arcata-Eureka Airport serviced 102,000 arriving commercial passengers and 104,000 departing on 4,370 departing flights. Horizon carried 66.29% of the passengers with United carrying the remainder. 78% of the 2005 flights departed on time and 79% of the arriving flights were on time. In addition to passenger traffic, the airport also shipped 457,000 pounds (207,291 kg) of cargo.
Current utilization is now a mixture of general and commercial aviation with one commercial airline providing scheduled service: United Express
operated by SkyWest Airlines
. In the past, ACV was served commercially by Eureka Aero
(mid-1970's) (Eureka
, Crescent City
), American Eagle
(San Jose
), Pacific Southwest Airlines
(San Francisco), Horizon Air
(from 1994-2011) (Redding
, Portland, Los Angeles
and briefly Seattle), Delta Connection
(2009-2010) operated by SkyWest Airlines
(Salt Lake City), Hughes Airwest (Crescent City
, Medford
, San Francisco
, Eugene
, and Los Angeles
), and Arcata Flying Service (early 1980's) (Redding
, Portland
, and Oakland
).
s:
Being located on the Pacific coast of California, the airport falls under the jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission and major changes to the airport such as rezoning or fencing in the airport require approval by the Commission.
The approach flight path for runway 32 passes over Central Avenue, a highly travelled road in the area. The strobe lights that direct planes onto the runway were creating a visual hazard for drivers on Central Avenue as the strobe lights were creating a glare. The problem was especially noticeable during inclement weather when the strobes' intensity was increased and the roadways were reflective from water on the surface. The Federal Aviation Administration
's Office of Aviation Research, Airport Technology Research and Development Branch responded to the hazard by installing baffles on the strobes that block the lights from shining on the road while still providing visual guidance for aircraft.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
in the unincorporated town of McKinleyville, California
McKinleyville, California
McKinleyville is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California, United States. McKinleyville is located north of Arcata, at an elevation of . The population was 15,177 at the 2010 census, up from 13,599 at the 2000 census. This unincorporated community is the third largest community,...
. This regional airport serves Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, including the two primary regional cities that compose its name: Arcata
Arcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
and Eureka. The airport is a federally designated port of entry for civil aircraft arriving in the United States. It is the largest airport (with the longest runway) on the Pacific Coast between the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, Oregon.
History
The airport was originally constructed by the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for the purpose of testing defogging systems for aircraft.
In December 1947
1947 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1947:-January:* January 11 – The BOAC Douglas C-47A G-AGJX crashes into a hill at Stowting in southeast England, killing eight of the 16 people on board and injuring all eight survivors...
a Southwest Airways DC-3 flying into the airport made the world's first blind landing on a scheduled commercial airliner using Ground-Controlled Approach
Ground-controlled approach
In aviation a ground-controlled approach , is a type of service provided by air-traffic controllers whereby they guide aircraft to a safe landing in adverse weather conditions based on radar images...
(GCA) radar, Instrument Landing System
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
(ILS) devices and Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO)
Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO)
Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation was a system used for dispersing fog from an airfield so that aircraft could land safely...
oil-burning units adjacent to the runway. By the following year the airline had made 1,200 routine instrument landings at the often fog-shrouded
Marine layer
A marine layer is an air mass which develops over the surface of a large body of water such as the ocean or large lake in the presence of a temperature inversion. The inversion itself is usually initiated by the cooling effect of the water on the surface layer of an otherwise warm air mass...
airport.
For the year of 2005, the Arcata-Eureka Airport serviced 102,000 arriving commercial passengers and 104,000 departing on 4,370 departing flights. Horizon carried 66.29% of the passengers with United carrying the remainder. 78% of the 2005 flights departed on time and 79% of the arriving flights were on time. In addition to passenger traffic, the airport also shipped 457,000 pounds (207,291 kg) of cargo.
Current utilization is now a mixture of general and commercial aviation with one commercial airline providing scheduled service: United Express
United Express
United Express is a brand name under which eight regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. They primarily connect smaller cities with United's domestic hub airports and “focus cities,” although they offer some point-to-point service such as Sacramento to Eureka.As of Sept...
operated by SkyWest Airlines
Skywest Airlines
Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory and Melbourne, Victoria; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia....
. In the past, ACV was served commercially by Eureka Aero
Eureka Aero
Eureka Aero was a small airline based in Eureka, California at Murray Field that served California. Beginning service around 1972, it later changed its name to Air Pacific in 1979.-Cities Served:*Arcata, California*Chico, California...
(mid-1970's) (Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
, Crescent City
Crescent City, California
Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
), American Eagle
American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...
(San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
), Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
(San Francisco), Horizon Air
Horizon Air
Horizon Air Industries, Inc. is a regional low-cost airline based in SeaTac, Washington, United States. It is the eighth largest regional airline in the USA, serving 52 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico....
(from 1994-2011) (Redding
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
, Portland, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and briefly Seattle), Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
(2009-2010) operated by SkyWest Airlines
Skywest Airlines
Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory and Melbourne, Victoria; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia....
(Salt Lake City), Hughes Airwest (Crescent City
Crescent City, California
Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
, Medford
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
, San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, and Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
), and Arcata Flying Service (early 1980's) (Redding
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
, Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
).
Facilities
The Arcata-Eureka Airport covers 745 acres (301 ha) and has two runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s:
- Runway 1/19: 4,499 x 150 ft. (1,371 x 46 m), Surface: AsphaltAsphaltAsphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
- Runway 14/32: 6,000 x 150 ft. (1,829 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt
Being located on the Pacific coast of California, the airport falls under the jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission and major changes to the airport such as rezoning or fencing in the airport require approval by the Commission.
The approach flight path for runway 32 passes over Central Avenue, a highly travelled road in the area. The strobe lights that direct planes onto the runway were creating a visual hazard for drivers on Central Avenue as the strobe lights were creating a glare. The problem was especially noticeable during inclement weather when the strobes' intensity was increased and the roadways were reflective from water on the surface. The Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
's Office of Aviation Research, Airport Technology Research and Development Branch responded to the hazard by installing baffles on the strobes that block the lights from shining on the road while still providing visual guidance for aircraft.
Airlines and destinations
Ground transportation
- Airport transit bus stop times - service by Redwood Transit SystemRedwood Transit SystemThe Redwood Transit System is a commuter transit service that operates Monday-Saturday on the Highway 101 corridor between Trinidad and Garberville in Humboldt County, California, also serving Westhaven, McKinleyville, Arcata, Eureka, Fields Landing, Loleta, Fortuna, and Scotia...
- For taxi and rental car information, see Humboldt County Convention and Visitor's Bureau page
Other local airports
- Eureka Municipal Airport (California)Eureka Municipal Airport (California)Eureka Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located two miles west of the central business district of Eureka, a city in Humboldt County, California, United States. The airport is on the northern peninsula of Humboldt Bay....
- Kneeland AirportKneeland AirportKneeland Airport is a public airport operated by Humboldt County and located 10 miles southeast of the central business district of Eureka, USA. The airport is co-located with a California Dept. of Forestry Helitack Station. Located on a mountain ridge line at over 2,700 ft...
- located ten miles (16 km) southeast of EurekaEureka, CaliforniaEureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census.... - Murray FieldMurray FieldMurray Field is a county-owned public-use airport in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is three nautical miles east of the central business district of Eureka....
- located in EurekaEureka, CaliforniaEureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....