Herington Municipal Airport
Encyclopedia
Herington Regional Airport , formerly known as Herington Municipal Airport, is a public use airport
in Morris County
, Kansas
, United States
. The airport is owned by the City of Herington
and is located seven nautical miles (13 km) northeast of its central business district
. Although the airport is in Morris County, most of Herington is located in Dickinson County
. The airport is located on the former site of Herington Army Airfield.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this airport is assigned HRU by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
, the facility was known as Herington Army Airfield and was used as a United States Army Air Forces
Second Air Force
as a staging area for overseas deployment of heavy bombers and their crews. These bombers included the models B-17, B-24, and B-29. The facilities at the field included runways, hangars, fuel storage tanks, barracks, administration buildings, and other related structures necessary for airfield operations. Construction started in 1942, and the field was completed over a 14 month period.
In 1945 Herington AAF was deactivated and then declared surplus in 1946. All the property was eventually disposed of and became the Herington Municipal Airport
of 1,480 feet (451 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt
paved runway
designated 17/35 which measures 4,184 by 75 feet (1,275 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending July 14, 2008, the airport had 11,600 general aviation
aircraft operations, an average of 31 per day. At that time there were 11 aircraft based at this airport: 82% single-engine
and 18% ultralight.
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...
in Morris County
Morris County, Kansas
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 5,923. The largest city and county seat is Council Grove.-19th century:...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport is owned by the City of Herington
Herington, Kansas
Herington is a city in Dickinson and Morris counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. Named after its founder, Monroe Davis Herington. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,526.-19th century:...
and is located seven nautical miles (13 km) northeast of its 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"...
. Although the airport is in Morris County, most of Herington is located in Dickinson County
Dickinson County, Kansas
Dickinson County is a county located in Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 19,754. Its county seat and most populous city is Abilene. It was named in honor of Daniel S. Dickinson.-19th century:In 1887, Mr. Herington successfully got...
. The airport is located on the former site of Herington Army Airfield.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The 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...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, this airport is assigned HRU by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
History
During World War IIWorld 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...
, the facility was known as Herington Army Airfield and was used as a United States Army Air Forces
United 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....
Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
as a staging area for overseas deployment of heavy bombers and their crews. These bombers included the models B-17, B-24, and B-29. The facilities at the field included runways, hangars, fuel storage tanks, barracks, administration buildings, and other related structures necessary for airfield operations. Construction started in 1942, and the field was completed over a 14 month period.
In 1945 Herington AAF was deactivated and then declared surplus in 1946. All the property was eventually disposed of and became the Herington Municipal Airport
Facilities and aircraft
Herington Regional Airport covers an area of 1709 acres (691.6 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 1,480 feet (451 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 17/35 which measures 4,184 by 75 feet (1,275 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending July 14, 2008, the airport had 11,600 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...
aircraft operations, an average of 31 per day. At that time there were 11 aircraft based at this airport: 82% 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...
and 18% ultralight.
See also
- Kansas World War II Army AirfieldsKansas World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, Kansas was a major United States Army Air Force training center for pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Kansas was a favored because it has excellent, year-round flying conditions...