Independence Municipal Airport (Kansas)
Encyclopedia
Independence Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport
located 5 NM southwest of the central business district
of Independence
, a city in Montgomery County
, Kansas
, United States
.
, the facility was known as Independence Army Airfield and was used as a United States Army Air Forces
Second Air Force
training base for pilots. Operations started in 1942 and continued through 1945. It served as a storage facility for excess equipment and supplies after the war. The airfield was closed by the Air Force
in 1947 and ownership was turned over to the City of Independence for use as a municipal airport. The Independence Municipal Airport has been annexed by the city, and also serves as one of the city's industrial parks. In 2008 tower operations commenced with the first takeoff clearance given to a newly built Cessna 172R
. Industries located at the airport include Cessna
and Kansas Aviation.
paved runway
s: 17/35 measuring 5,501 x 100 ft (1,677 x 30 m) and 4/22 measuring 3,402 x 60 ft (1,037 x 18 m). For the 12-month period ending September 12, 2005, the airport had 10,600 aircraft operations, an average of 29 per day: 86% general aviation
, 13% air taxi
and <1% military.
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 5 NM southwest 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 Independence
Independence, Kansas
Independence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,483.-Geography:...
, a city in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Kansas
Montgomery County is a county located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 35,471. Its county seat is Independence, and its most populous city is Coffeyville. The Coffeyville Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Montgomery...
, 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...
.
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 Independence 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....
training base for pilots. Operations started in 1942 and continued through 1945. It served as a storage facility for excess equipment and supplies after the war. The airfield was closed by the Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
in 1947 and ownership was turned over to the City of Independence for use as a municipal airport. The Independence Municipal Airport has been annexed by the city, and also serves as one of the city's industrial parks. In 2008 tower operations commenced with the first takeoff clearance given to a newly built Cessna 172R
Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
. Industries located at the airport include Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
and Kansas Aviation.
Facilities and aircraft
Independence Municipal Airport has an elevation of 825 feet (251.5 m) and covers an area of 1433 acres (579.9 ha). It contains two asphaltAsphalt
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...
s: 17/35 measuring 5,501 x 100 ft (1,677 x 30 m) and 4/22 measuring 3,402 x 60 ft (1,037 x 18 m). For the 12-month period ending September 12, 2005, the airport had 10,600 aircraft operations, an average of 29 per day: 86% 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...
, 13% 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 <1% military.
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...