Decatur Airport
Encyclopedia
Decatur Airport is a public use airport
located four nautical miles (7 km) east of the central business district
of Decatur
, a city in Macon County, Illinois
, United States
. It is owned by the Decatur Park District.
The airport is used for general aviation
, but mostly for one commercial airline. Service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service
program.
of 682 feet (208 m) above mean sea level. It has three paved runway
s: 6/24 is 8,496 by 150 feet (2,590 x 46 m); 12/30 is 6,799 by 150 feet (2,072 x 46 m); 18/36 is 5,299 by 150 feet (1,615 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008, the airport had 44,614 aircraft operations, an average of 122 per day: 77.5% general aviation
, 16.7% military
.
5.7% air taxi
, and 0.1% scheduled commercial
, At that time there were 90 aircraft based at this airport: 64.4% single-engine
, 7.8% multi-engine, 5.6% jet
, 6.7% helicopter
and 15.6% military
.
Decatur Airport maintains a 24000 square feet (2,229.7 m) passenger terminal building
that contains airline counters, a restaurant, the baggage claim area and a car rental facility.
The Illinois Army National Guard
operates an Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) at the airport. The facility occupies 10 acres (4 ha) and has 3 permanent buildings and 1 temporary building on the site.
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 four nautical miles (7 km) east 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 Decatur
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
, a city in Macon County, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, 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 Decatur Park District.
The airport is used for 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...
, but mostly for one commercial airline. Service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which, prior to deregulation, were served by certificated airlines, maintained commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these...
program.
Facilities and aircraft
Decatur Airport covers an area of 2100 acres (849.8 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 682 feet (208 m) above mean sea level. It has three paved 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: 6/24 is 8,496 by 150 feet (2,590 x 46 m); 12/30 is 6,799 by 150 feet (2,072 x 46 m); 18/36 is 5,299 by 150 feet (1,615 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008, the airport had 44,614 aircraft operations, an average of 122 per day: 77.5% 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...
, 16.7% 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...
.
5.7% 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...
, and 0.1% 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...
, At that time there were 90 aircraft based at this airport: 64.4% 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...
, 7.8% multi-engine, 5.6% 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...
, 6.7% 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...
and 15.6% military
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
.
Decatur Airport maintains a 24000 square feet (2,229.7 m) passenger terminal building
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
that contains airline counters, a restaurant, the baggage claim area and a car rental facility.
The Illinois Army National Guard
Illinois Army National Guard
The Illinois Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
operates an Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) at the airport. The facility occupies 10 acres (4 ha) and has 3 permanent buildings and 1 temporary building on the site.
Airlines and destinations
Accidents and incidents
- On August 3, 1950 a United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Douglas C-47DC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
was destroyed by fire after a take-off related accident. All 5 occupants survived the crash and subsequent fire.
- On October 2, 2006 a United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Learjet C-21A was on a training mission flying a simulated approach to runway 24 when the planes speed unexpectedly dropped and called out "speed" two times. The pilot pulled back the number one engine throttleThrottleA throttle is the mechanism by which the flow of a fluid is managed by constriction or obstruction. An engine's power can be increased or decreased by the restriction of inlet gases , but usually decreased. The term throttle has come to refer, informally and incorrectly, to any mechanism by which...
but the plane began to roll steeply to the right and struck the pavement before proceeding to skid through a grass infield and then across another runway before coming to a stop. Both occupants survived but were also determined to be at fault for the crash.
- On the afternoon of Thursday, December 2, 2010, it was reported by the online edition of the Peoria Journal StarPeoria Journal StarThe Journal Star is the major daily newspaper for Peoria, Illinois and surrounding area. First owned locally, then employee-owned, it became a Copley-owned entity in 1996. In 2007, the paper was sold to Fairport, New York-based GateHouse Media.-History:...
that the Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation AdministrationThe 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...
stated that the pilot of a small airplane was killed after a crash. FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro says the single-engine home-built aircraft took off from Decatur Airport on Thursday afternoon and crashed 1.5 miles east of the airport. Molinaro said the pilot was the only one on board. The pilot's name was not released. The plane was manufactured in 2010 and is called a "Freebird Lite Sport". It was destroyed in the crash. The National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
(NTSB) is investigating.
External links
- Decatur Airport, official site
- Aerial photo as of 14 April 1998 from USGS The National Map