Bandera State Airport
Encyclopedia
Bandera State Airport is a public use airport
located in Bandera, Washington, King County
, Washington, United States
. It is owned by the Washington State DOT Aviation Division.
This airport was constructed in 1948
as one of the first state airports. It is located in the upper Snoqualmie Valley
, 14 miles (22.5 km) east of North Bend, Washington
. The airport is a few feet off Interstate 90
. It is an excellent location for mountain flying practice. Though surrounded by mountains, the valley is wide enough for maneuvering most light aircraft. The airport is frequently used by instructors for training students in soft field work and in mountain flying. Glider clubs frequently base out of Bandera.
designated 8/26. The runway has a turf
surface measuring 2,344 by 200 feet (714 x 61 m) which is extremely soft when wet.
Field elevation
is 1,636 feet (499 m) above mean sea level, and some density altitude
problems can be encountered on a summer day. Trees surround the airport close in, and there are trees close to each end of the field in the approaches. Elk
, deer
and motorcyclists may be encountered on the field. The surface is rough. Vehicle ruts, and frost heaved rocks are possible. The south third of the runway is almost always soft, and the runway is generally smoother the farther north you land. Overflight to check for surface damage, presence of obstructions, and height of grass is essential. The airport is usually open from June 1 to October 1.
For the 12-month period ending September 19, 2008, the airport had 300 general aviation
aircraft operations, an average of 25 per month.
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 in Bandera, Washington, King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is owned by the Washington State DOT Aviation Division.
This airport was constructed in 1948
1948 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1948:- Events :* Publication of Nevil Shute's novel No Highway set in the world of research into air safety.-January:...
as one of the first state airports. It is located in the upper Snoqualmie Valley
Snoqualmie Valley
The Snoqualmie Valley is a farming and timber-producing region located along the Snoqualmie River in Western Washington, United States. The valley stretches from the confluence of the three forks of the river at North Bend to the confluence of the Snoqualmie River and the Skykomish River, forming...
, 14 miles (22.5 km) east of North Bend, Washington
North Bend, Washington
North Bend is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The town was made famous by David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks Since the Weyerhaeuser sawmill closed, North Bend has become an upscale bedroom community for the Eastside of Seattle, Washington, with property values more than...
. The airport is a few feet off Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
. It is an excellent location for mountain flying practice. Though surrounded by mountains, the valley is wide enough for maneuvering most light aircraft. The airport is frequently used by instructors for training students in soft field work and in mountain flying. Glider clubs frequently base out of Bandera.
Facilities and aircraft
Bandera State Airport covers an area of 25 acres (10.1 ha) with one 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...
designated 8/26. The runway has a turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
surface measuring 2,344 by 200 feet (714 x 61 m) which is extremely soft when wet.
Field elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
is 1,636 feet (499 m) above mean sea level, and some density altitude
Density altitude
Density altitude is the altitude in the International Standard Atmosphere at which the air density would be equal to the actual air density at the place of observation, or, in other words, the height when measured in terms of the density of the air rather than the distance from the ground...
problems can be encountered on a summer day. Trees surround the airport close in, and there are trees close to each end of the field in the approaches. Elk
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and motorcyclists may be encountered on the field. The surface is rough. Vehicle ruts, and frost heaved rocks are possible. The south third of the runway is almost always soft, and the runway is generally smoother the farther north you land. Overflight to check for surface damage, presence of obstructions, and height of grass is essential. The airport is usually open from June 1 to October 1.
For the 12-month period ending September 19, 2008, the airport had 300 general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
aircraft operations, an average of 25 per month.
External links
- Bandera State Airport page at WSDOT Aviation