Fletcher Field
Encyclopedia
Fletcher Field is a county-owned public-use airport
located seven nautical miles (13 km) northeast of the central business district
of Clarksdale
, a city in Coahoma County
, Mississippi
, United States
. The airport serves the general aviation
community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.
as a contract basic flying training airfield. It was operated by the 2154th Air Base Unit, Contract Elementary Flying School (AAFFTC), Clarksdale School of Aviation. Students were trained on Fairchild PT-23
and Boeing-Stearman PT-17 trainers.
It operated until 14 October 1944 when the last class graduated. The equipment and aircraft at the base were declared excess and sold in November. The airfield was then turned over to civil authorities as an airport.
of 173 feet (53 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt
paved runway
designated 18/36 which measures 5,404 by 100 feet (1,647 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending August 29, 2007, the airport had 29,980 aircraft operations, an average of 82 per day: 99% general aviation
and <1% military
.vAt that time there were 11 aircraft based at this airport:v73% single-engine
, 18% multi-engine and 9% jet
.
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 seven nautical miles (13 km) northeast 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 Clarksdale
Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale is a city in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Coahoma County....
, a city in Coahoma County
Coahoma County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 30,622 people, 10,553 households, and 7,482 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile . There were 11,490 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport serves the 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...
community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.
History
Fletcher Field, was opened on 5 July 1942 and used by the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
as a contract basic flying training airfield. It was operated by the 2154th Air Base Unit, Contract Elementary Flying School (AAFFTC), Clarksdale School of Aviation. Students were trained on Fairchild PT-23
Fairchild PT-19
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II . London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4....
and Boeing-Stearman PT-17 trainers.
It operated until 14 October 1944 when the last class graduated. The equipment and aircraft at the base were declared excess and sold in November. The airfield was then turned over to civil authorities as an airport.
Facilities and aircraft
Fletcher Field covers an area of 252 acres (102 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 173 feet (53 m) above mean sea level. It has one 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...
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...
designated 18/36 which measures 5,404 by 100 feet (1,647 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending August 29, 2007, the airport had 29,980 aircraft operations, an average of 82 per day: 99% 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...
and <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...
.vAt that time there were 11 aircraft based at this airport:v73% 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...
, 18% multi-engine and 9% 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...
.
See also
- Mississippi World War II Army AirfieldsMississippi World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in Mississippi for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....