Kansas City Downtown Airport
Encyclopedia
Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport , also known as Kansas City Downtown Airport, is a public airport
located in Kansas City
, Clay County, Missouri
, United States
. This airport is publicly owned by City of Kansas City.
This airport replaced Richards Field
as Kansas City's main airport. It was dedicated as New Richards Field in 1927 by Charles Lindbergh
. It was quickly renamed Kansas City Municipal Airport. Its most prominent tenant was TWA
which was headquartered in Kansas City because of its central location. The airport was built in the Missouri River bottoms next to the rail tracks at the Hannibal Bridge
. At the time air travel was considered to be handled in conjunction with rail traffic.
The airport had limited area for expansion (in fact, Fairfax Airport
directly across the Missouri River in Kansas City, Kansas
was actually bigger area wise before it closed). Airplanes had to avoid the 200 feet (61 m) Quality Hill and the Downtown Kansas City
skyline at the south end of the main runway. In the early 1960s an FAA memo called it "the most dangerous major airport in the country" and urged that no further federal funds be spent on it. Kansas City replaced the airport in 1972 with Kansas City International Airport
.
The April 1957 OAG shows 40 weekday Braniff departures, 39 TWA, 9 Continental, 4 United, 2 Delta, 2 Ozark and 2 Central.
The downtown airport has been renamed for Charles Wheeler
who was mayor when Kansas City International opened. Richards Road which serves the airport is named for John Francisco Richards II
, a Kansas City airman killed in World War I
(and whose name was also applied to Richards Field and Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base
).
Despite the concerns about the airport's being unsafe, Air Force One
frequently uses it during Presidential visits.
Today, the airport is used chiefly for corporate and recreational aviation. Its location just north of the downtown business center provides excellent highway access.
It is home to the National Airline History Museum which focuses extensively on commercial airlines.
s:
As of October 10, 2006, construction on runway 1-19 is complete and both runways are in use to their full length.
Taxiway H was at one time part of runway 17/35. This runway was closed after an FAA decision on the amount of required separation between terminal buildings and the runway.
The airport is built on the north side of the confluence of the Kansas River
and Missouri River
. Levees protected the airport relatively well during the Great Flood of 1951
and the Great Flood of 1993
although there were issues of standing water. The 1951 flood devastated the Fairfax airport and caused Kansas City to build what would become Kansas City International Airport
away from the river to keep the TWA overhaul base in the area after it had been destroyed in the flood at Fairfax.
Kansas City, MO Aviation Department announced plans on October 17, 2006 to build a $20 million aircraft hangar
complex at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport including: 122 T-hangars, 13 box hangars, a 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) terminal building with offices, a pilots' lounge, meeting rooms and a destination restaurant.
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 in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Clay County, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This airport is publicly owned by City of Kansas City.
History
Richards Field
Richards Field was the first airport in the Kansas City metropolitan area.The field established in 1922 near the border between Kansas City, Missouri and Raytown, Missouri at the southeast corner of Blue Ridge Boulevard and Gregory Boulevard. It was named for John Francisco Richards II, a Kansas...
as Kansas City's main airport. It was dedicated as New Richards Field in 1927 by Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
. It was quickly renamed Kansas City Municipal Airport. Its most prominent tenant was TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
which was headquartered in Kansas City because of its central location. The airport was built in the Missouri River bottoms next to the rail tracks at the Hannibal Bridge
Hannibal Bridge
The First Hannibal Bridge was the first bridge to cross the Missouri River and was to establish Kansas City, Missouri as a major city and rail center....
. At the time air travel was considered to be handled in conjunction with rail traffic.
The airport had limited area for expansion (in fact, Fairfax Airport
Fairfax Airport
Fairfax Airport was an airport in Kansas City, Kansas from 1921 until it closed in 1985. It is most famously associated with the construction of most of the B-25 Mitchell bombers....
directly across the Missouri River in Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
was actually bigger area wise before it closed). Airplanes had to avoid the 200 feet (61 m) Quality Hill and the Downtown Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City
Downtown Kansas City is the central business district of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. It is located between the Missouri River in the north, to 31st Street in the south; and from the Kansas–Missouri state line east to Troost Avenue as defined by officials of the...
skyline at the south end of the main runway. In the early 1960s an FAA memo called it "the most dangerous major airport in the country" and urged that no further federal funds be spent on it. Kansas City replaced the airport in 1972 with Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport , originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, is a public airport located 15 miles northwest of the central business district of Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri, United States. In 2008, 10,469,892 passengers used the airport...
.
The April 1957 OAG shows 40 weekday Braniff departures, 39 TWA, 9 Continental, 4 United, 2 Delta, 2 Ozark and 2 Central.
The downtown airport has been renamed for Charles Wheeler
Charles Wheeler (politician)
Charles Bertan Wheeler, Jr. is a former Missouri state senator and a former mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 1971 to 1979, in addition to having held other elected offices. As of January 2011, he is running once again for Mayor of Kansas City, MO.-Life:Wheeler was born in 1926...
who was mayor when Kansas City International opened. Richards Road which serves the airport is named for John Francisco Richards II
John Francisco Richards II
John Francisco Richards II was a first lieutenant in the 1st Aero Squadron, who was shot down during Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I....
, a Kansas City airman killed in World War I
World 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 whose name was also applied to Richards Field and Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base
Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base
Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force base. It is located south of Kansas City, Missouri. It was closed in 1994....
).
Despite the concerns about the airport's being unsafe, Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
frequently uses it during Presidential visits.
Today, the airport is used chiefly for corporate and recreational aviation. Its location just north of the downtown business center provides excellent highway access.
It is home to the National Airline History Museum which focuses extensively on commercial airlines.
Facilities
Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport covers an area of 700 acres (283 ha) which 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:
- Runway 1/19: 7,002 x 150 ft (2,134 x 46 m), Surface: ConcreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
; EMASEngineered Materials Arrestor SystemAn engineered materials arrestor system or engineered materials arresting system is a bed of engineered materials built at the end of a runway. Engineered materials are defined in FAA Advisory Circular No 150/5220-22A as "high energy absorbing materials of selected strength, which will reliably...
at south end
- Runway 3/21: 5,050 x 150 ft (1,539 x 46 m), Surface: AsphaltAsphaltAsphalt 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...
As of October 10, 2006, construction on runway 1-19 is complete and both runways are in use to their full length.
Taxiway H was at one time part of runway 17/35. This runway was closed after an FAA decision on the amount of required separation between terminal buildings and the runway.
The airport is built on the north side of the confluence of the Kansas River
Kansas River
The Kansas River is a river in northeastern Kansas in the United States. It is the southwestern-most part of the Missouri River drainage, which is in turn the northwestern-most portion of the extensive Mississippi River drainage. Its name come from the Kanza people who once inhabited the area...
and Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
. Levees protected the airport relatively well during the Great Flood of 1951
Great Flood of 1951
In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a great rise of water in the Kansas River and other surrounding areas. Flooding resulted in the Kansas, Neosho, Marais Des Cygnes, and Verdigris river basins. The damage in June and July 1951 exceeded $935 million dollars in an area covering eastern Kansas and...
and the Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
although there were issues of standing water. The 1951 flood devastated the Fairfax airport and caused Kansas City to build what would become Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport
Kansas City International Airport , originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, is a public airport located 15 miles northwest of the central business district of Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri, United States. In 2008, 10,469,892 passengers used the airport...
away from the river to keep the TWA overhaul base in the area after it had been destroyed in the flood at Fairfax.
Kansas City, MO Aviation Department announced plans on October 17, 2006 to build a $20 million aircraft hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
complex at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport including: 122 T-hangars, 13 box hangars, a 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) terminal building with offices, a pilots' lounge, meeting rooms and a destination restaurant.
Incidents
- On August 20, 2011, pilot Bryan Jensen was killed when his plane crashed during the Kansas City Air Expo.
- On March 31, 1931, Notre DameNotre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
Coach Knute RockneKnute RockneKnute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
was killed on Transcontinental & Western AirTwaThe Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
Flight 599TWA Flight 599Transcontinental and Western Air Flight 599 was a Fokker F.10 Trimotor en route from Kansas City, Missouri, to Los Angeles, California, on March 31, 1931. It crashed a few miles north west of Bazaar, Kansas; all eight on board died...
from Kansas City to Los Angeles when the Fokker Trimotor broke up in a storm over Bazaar, KansasBazaar, KansasBazaar is an unincorporated community in Chase County, Kansas, United States. The community is part of the Emporia Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is notable for being near the place of the 1931 Trans World Airlines Flight 599 crash that killed University of Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne...
. Rockne had been visiting his sons at Pembroke-Country Day School. The crash nearly put TWA out of business because it highlighted its aging fleet. The crash ushered in a golden era for TWA when it replaced the aging fleet with state-of-the-art aircraft. - On January 16, 1942, Transcontinental & Western AirTwaThe Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
Flight 3TWA Flight 3TWA Flight 3 was a twin-engine Douglas DC-3-382 propliner, registration NC1946, operated by Transcontinental and Western Air as a scheduled domestic passenger flight from New York, New York, to Burbank, California, via Indianapolis, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri; Albuquerque, New Mexico and Las...
to Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
impacted Mount Potosi in NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
after a refueling stop in Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
killing 22. Actress Carole LombardCarole LombardCarole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
was among the victims. - On June 30, 1956, Trans World AirlinesTrans World AirlinesTrans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
Flight 2, a Lockheed Super ConstellationLockheed ConstellationThe Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
, was headed for Kansas City Downtown Airport. Over the Grand CanyonGrand CanyonThe Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
it collided with a United AirlinesUnited AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
Douglas DC-7Douglas DC-7The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.-Design and...
killing all 128 people on both planes. - On May 22, 1962 Continental Airlines Flight 11Continental Airlines Flight 11Continental Airlines Flight 11, registration N70775, was a Boeing 707 aircraft which exploded in the vicinity of Centerville, Iowa, while en route from O'Hare Airport, Chicago, Illinois, to Kansas City, Missouri, on May 22, 1962...
en route from ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
O'Hare International AirportO'Hare International AirportChicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
to Kansas City Downtown Airport exploded over Unionville, MissouriUnionville, MissouriUnionville is a city in Putnam County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,041 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Putnam County.-Geography:Unionville is located at ....
. All 45 on board were killed. - On July 1, 1965, Continental Airlines Flight 12Continental Airlines Flight 12Continental Airlines Flight 12, is a scheduled domestic passenger flight that on July 1, 1965 was operated by a Boeing 707, registration N70773, aircraft from Los Angeles International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport with an intermediate at Kansas City Downtown Airport...
from Los Angeles International AirportLos Angeles International AirportLos Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
landed in heavy rain and was unable to stop due to hydroplaning. It impacted a blast mound and broke into 3 pieces but all 66 on board survived. - On August 6, 1966, Braniff Airways Flight 250 left Kansas City Downtown Airport headed for Omaha and crashed near Falls City, NebraskaFalls City, NebraskaFalls City is a city in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richardson County.-Geography:Falls City is located at ....
killing all 42 on board.
External links
- Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (official site)