Chippewa Valley Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Chippewa Valley Regional Airport is a public-use airport
located in Chippewa County
, Wisconsin
, United States
. It is three nautical miles (6 km) north of the central business district
of Eau Claire
and is owned by Eau Claire County.
It is the largest airport in the 30-county northern Wisconsin area, and serves primarily the Chippewa Valley region, operating on a budget approved by a commission equally representing the interests of Chippewa, Eau Claire
and Dunn counties.
The airport is occasionally used as an alternative landing site for flights bound for Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
. As of April 2010, only one commercial airline, United Airlines, provides service for CVRA to Chicago O'Hare International.
A new $3.9M 65' control tower
was built in 2005. In November 2006, the tower opened, thus making it safer for pilots. Passenger loading is from the tarmac
.
.
In 1939, work on a new airport started north of Eau Claire. In 1940, Eau Claire County Airport started operations at its current site. Eau Claire Municipal Airport opened in 1945, while Chippewa Valley Regional Airport was officially opened in 1947 with the arrival of a Northwest Airlines
DC-3. At this time, Eau Claire had three airports. Upgrades at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport were made in further decades, with a terminal addition in 1981. Another Terminal Remodeling/ expansion was completed in 2009 thus making travel flow faster.
of 913 feet (278 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
s: 4/22 is 8,101 by 150 feet (2,469 x 46 m) with a concrete
surface; 14/32 is 5,000 by 100 feet (1,524 x 30 m) with an asphalt
/concrete surface.
For the 12-month period ending November 18, 2010, the airport had 30,622 aircraft operations, an average of 84 per day: 78% general aviation
, 17% air taxi
, 17% scheduled commercial
and 4% military
. At that time there were 78 aircraft based at this airport: 60 single-engine
, 10 multi-engine, 7 jet
and 1 helicopter
.
corporation uses CVRA to base their fleet of aircraft to serve their stores throughout the midwest.
Throughout the years, numerous airlines have served Eau Claire including North Central Airlines
, Republic Airlines
, Lakeland Airlines
, Northwest Airlines
, Mesaba Airlines
, Skyway Airlines
, Air Wisconsin
, American Central Airlines, Great Lakes Aviation, Lakeland Airlines, Big Sky Airlines
and Charter Airlines Allegiant Airlines and Sun Country often run charter service to popular casino destinations.
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 Chippewa County
Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Chippewa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,195. Its county seat is Chippewa Falls. The United States Census Bureau's Eau Claire Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Chippewa County...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is three nautical miles (6 km) north of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,...
and is owned by Eau Claire County.
It is the largest airport in the 30-county northern Wisconsin area, and serves primarily the Chippewa Valley region, operating on a budget approved by a commission equally representing the interests of Chippewa, Eau Claire
Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population estimate was 98,736. Its county seat is Eau Claire....
and Dunn counties.
The airport is occasionally used as an alternative landing site for flights bound for Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:...
. As of April 2010, only one commercial airline, United Airlines, provides service for CVRA to Chicago O'Hare International.
A new $3.9M 65' control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
was built in 2005. In November 2006, the tower opened, thus making it safer for pilots. Passenger loading is from the tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
.
History
In 1923, 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of land in Putnam Heights were purchased to build an airport. In 1929, Eau Claire Airways was started at the airport, offering training and scheduled taxi service to destinations in Wisconsin and MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
In 1939, work on a new airport started north of Eau Claire. In 1940, Eau Claire County Airport started operations at its current site. Eau Claire Municipal Airport opened in 1945, while Chippewa Valley Regional Airport was officially opened in 1947 with the arrival of a Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
DC-3. At this time, Eau Claire had three airports. Upgrades at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport were made in further decades, with a terminal addition in 1981. Another Terminal Remodeling/ expansion was completed in 2009 thus making travel flow faster.
Facilities and aircraft
Chippewa Valley Regional Airport covers an area of 1100 acres (445.2 ha) at an elevationElevation
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 ....
of 913 feet (278 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
Runway
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: 4/22 is 8,101 by 150 feet (2,469 x 46 m) with a concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
surface; 14/32 is 5,000 by 100 feet (1,524 x 30 m) with an asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt 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...
/concrete surface.
For the 12-month period ending November 18, 2010, the airport had 30,622 aircraft operations, an average of 84 per day: 78% 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...
, 17% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
, 17% scheduled commercial
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
and 4% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 78 aircraft based at this airport: 60 single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 10 multi-engine, 7 jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
and 1 helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
Airlines and destinations
The airport is mainly used for general aviation and business travel. Eau Claire owned MenardsMenards
Menards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and...
corporation uses CVRA to base their fleet of aircraft to serve their stores throughout the midwest.
Throughout the years, numerous airlines have served Eau Claire including North Central Airlines
North Central Airlines
North Central Airlines was founded as Wisconsin Central Airlines in 1944 in Clintonville, Wisconsin. It was headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Early history:...
, Republic Airlines
Republic Airlines
Republic Airline, Inc., operating as Republic Airlines is a regional airline subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings that operates service as Frontier Airlines, Midwest Airlines and US Airways Express using a fleet of Bombardier Q400, Embraer 170, Embraer 175 and Embraer 190 aircraft...
, Lakeland Airlines
Lakeland Airlines
Lakeland Airlines was founded in 1980 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. It served at various times 11 cities, with commuter service to Minneapolis , Superior Ashland Hayward Rice Lake Eau Claire Madison Milwaukee Chicago Wisconsin Rapids and Rhinelander...
, Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
, Mesaba Airlines
Mesaba Airlines
Mesaba Airlines is an American regional airline based in Eagan, Minnesota. The airline operates under Mesaba Aviation, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corporation...
, Skyway Airlines
Skyway Airlines
Skyway Airlines is an American ramp and aircraft ground handling services and catering company based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Until April 5, 2008, it operated as a regional airline under the business name Midwest Connect, feeding Midwest Airlines's hub at General Mitchell International Airport with...
, Air Wisconsin
Air Wisconsin
Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation is an airline based at Outagamie County Regional Airport in the town of Greenville, Wisconsin, United States, near Appleton. Air Wisconsin is the largest privately held regional airline in the United States...
, American Central Airlines, Great Lakes Aviation, Lakeland Airlines, Big Sky Airlines
Big Sky Airlines
Big Sky Airlines was an American regional airline that operated from 1978 to 2008. Headquartered in Billings, Montana, United States. Big Sky was wholly owned by Big Sky Transportation Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of MAIR Holdings....
and Charter Airlines Allegiant Airlines and Sun Country often run charter service to popular casino destinations.
Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chicago O’Hare, IL |
18,000 | United |
| 2 |  Laughlin, NV |
1,000 | - |
External links
- Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, official website
- Airport page at Chippewa County website page from the Wisconsin DOT Airport Directory
- FSS Eau Claire Airport history page
- Private Jet registration at the CVRA