Eaker Field
Encyclopedia
Durant Regional Airport - Eaker Field is a public airport
located three miles (5 km) south of the City of Durant
, Oklahoma
, established in September 1943. It is three miles (5 km) south of Durant's central business district
, off of U.S. 69
/75
. Its field elevation is 698 feet (212.8 m). The airport is home to Southeastern Oklahoma State University
's Aviation Sciences Institute.
and World War II
. During WWII, General Eaker was commander of the Eighth Air Force
in England
and led several historic bombing missions against Nazi targets in occupied Europe
and Germany
.
The City of Durant named an airfield west of the town in honor of then Captain Eaker in the 1930s. The U.S. Navy built the current airfield as an auxiliary field during WWII and it became Durant Municipal Airport after the war. It was later renamed Eaker Field.
s designated 12/30 and 17/35. Runway 12/30 is 3,000 x 75 ft (914.4 x 22.9 m) and runway 17/35 is 5,001 x 100 ft (1,524.3 x 30.5 m), both with asphalt pavement.
For a 12-month period ending August 25, 2005, the airport had 46,355 aircraft operations, an average of 127 per day: 97.8% general aviation
, 2.2% general aviation itinerant, 0.1% military
. At that time there were 21 aircraft based at this airport: 17 single-engine
, 3 multi-engine, and 1 jet
.
building design for Eaker Field up for bid. According to city officials, the need for a terminal building is drived by the growing economy
in Durant and surrounding areas. The terminal building will be approximately 8000 sq ft (743.2 m²).
The terminal design initially called for an air traffic control tower
, but was later dropped due to the cost.
A new taxiway
is also in the early bidding process for Eaker Field. The taxiway project will be done in two phases along runway 17/35. Phase 1 will cover about half of the distance, around 2500 feet (762 m), and is set to be completed in 2010. Phase II will include the remaining footage of the runway.
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 three miles (5 km) south of the City of Durant
Durant, Oklahoma
Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 at the 2010 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, established in September 1943. It is three miles (5 km) south of Durant's 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"...
, off of U.S. 69
U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69 is a north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87...
/75
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...
. Its field elevation is 698 feet (212.8 m). The airport is home to Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.-History:...
's Aviation Sciences Institute.
History
The airport is named in honor of SOSU alum General Ira Eaker. General Eaker was a 1917 graduate of Southeastern and served in both World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and 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...
. During WWII, General Eaker was commander of the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and led several historic bombing missions against Nazi targets in occupied Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The City of Durant named an airfield west of the town in honor of then Captain Eaker in the 1930s. The U.S. Navy built the current airfield as an auxiliary field during WWII and it became Durant Municipal Airport after the war. It was later renamed Eaker Field.
Facilities and aircraft
Eaker Field covers an area of 840 acres (3.4 km²) and contains 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 designated 12/30 and 17/35. Runway 12/30 is 3,000 x 75 ft (914.4 x 22.9 m) and runway 17/35 is 5,001 x 100 ft (1,524.3 x 30.5 m), both with asphalt pavement.
For a 12-month period ending August 25, 2005, the airport had 46,355 aircraft operations, an average of 127 per day: 97.8% 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...
, 2.2% general aviation itinerant, 0.1% 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 21 aircraft based at this airport: 17 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...
, 3 multi-engine, and 1 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...
.
Expansion
The Durant Industrial Authority is currently in the process of putting the new airport terminalAirport 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....
building design for Eaker Field up for bid. According to city officials, the need for a terminal building is drived by the growing economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
in Durant and surrounding areas. The terminal building will be approximately 8000 sq ft (743.2 m²).
The terminal design initially called for an air traffic 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...
, but was later dropped due to the cost.
A new taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
is also in the early bidding process for Eaker Field. The taxiway project will be done in two phases along runway 17/35. Phase 1 will cover about half of the distance, around 2500 feet (762 m), and is set to be completed in 2010. Phase II will include the remaining footage of the runway.