Folsom Field (Alabama)
Encyclopedia
Folsom Field is a public-use airport
located five nautical mile
s (6 mi
, 9 km
) north of the central business district
of Cullman
, a city in Cullman County
, Alabama
, United States
. It is owned by the City and County of Cullman.
This airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
for 2011–2015 and 2009–2013, both of which categorized
it as a general aviation
facility.
s (36 ha
) at an elevation
of 969 feet (295 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 2/20 with an asphalt
surface measuring 5,500 by 100 feet (1,676 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending July 28, 2010, the airport had 37,830 aircraft operations, an average of 103 per day: 99.7% general aviation
and 0.3% military
.
At that time there were 57 aircraft based at this airport: 86% single-engine
, 5% multi-engine and 9% helicopter
.
(USPA) affiliated drop zone that operates year-round, maintaining a fleet of two jump aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air
, and a Cessna 182
. Most skydives take place from an altitude of around 14,000 feet. SA maintains USPA certified instructors on staff to provide tandem
and Accelerated Freefall
(AFF) training for beginning skydivers, as well providing coaching, rigging
services, gear sales and rental, and camping areas for experienced skydivers.
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 five nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (6 mi
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
, 9 km
Kilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
) 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 Cullman
Cullman, Alabama
Cullman is a city in Cullman County, State of Alabama. Cullman is located along Interstate 65, about north of Birmingham, and about south of Huntsville. According to the U.S...
, a city in Cullman County
Cullman County, Alabama
Cullman County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Colonel John G. Cullmann. As of 2010, the population was 80,406. Its county seat is the town of the same name, Cullman, Alabama. It is a "moist" county in terms of availablity of alcoholic beverages, which means...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, 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 City and County of Cullman.
This airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. It is developed and maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration . Its purposes are:* to identify all the airports in the U.S...
for 2011–2015 and 2009–2013, both of which categorized
FAA airport categories
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has a system for categorizing public-use airports that is primarily based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. It is used to determine if an airport is eligible for funding through the federal government's Airport...
it as a 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...
facility.
Facilities and aircraft
Folsom Field covers an area of 90 acreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (36 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
) at an 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 ....
of 969 feet (295 m) above mean sea level. It has one 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 2/20 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...
surface measuring 5,500 by 100 feet (1,676 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending July 28, 2010, the airport had 37,830 aircraft operations, an average of 103 per day: 99.7% 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 0.3% 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 57 aircraft based at this airport: 86% 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...
, 5% multi-engine and 9% 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...
.
Skydive Alabama
Skydive Alabama, a civilian skydiving center, is operated out of Folsom Field. Skydive Alabama (SA) is a United States Parachute AssociationUnited States Parachute Association
thumb|180px|right|USPA logoThe United States Parachute Association is a self-governing body for the sport of skydiving. Its headquarters are located in Fredericksburg, Virginia parallel to I-95...
(USPA) affiliated drop zone that operates year-round, maintaining a fleet of two jump aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air
Beechcraft King Air
The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation...
, and a Cessna 182
Cessna 182
The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area....
. Most skydives take place from an altitude of around 14,000 feet. SA maintains USPA certified instructors on staff to provide tandem
Tandem skydiving
Tandem skydiving or tandem parachuting refers to a type of skydiving where a student skydiver is connected via a harness to a tandem instructor. The instructor guides the student through the whole jump from exit through freefall, piloting the canopy, and landing. The student needs only minimal...
and Accelerated Freefall
Accelerated Freefall
Accelerated freefall is a method of skydiving training. This method of skydiving training is called "accelerated" because the progression is the fastest way to experience solo freefall, normally from 10,000 to 15,000 feet "Above Ground Level"...
(AFF) training for beginning skydivers, as well providing coaching, rigging
Parachute rigger
A parachute rigger is a person who is trained or licensed to pack, maintain or repair parachutes. A rigger is required to understand fabrics, hardware, webbing, regulations, sewing, packing, and other aspects related to the building, packing, repair, and maintenance of parachutes.- Military...
services, gear sales and rental, and camping areas for experienced skydivers.
External links
- Cullman Airport - Folsom Field at Cullman County website
- Skydive Alabama
- Aerial image as of 6 March 1997 from USGS The National Map
- Airfield photos for 3A1 from Civil Air PatrolCivil Air PatrolCivil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...