Kempen Airport
Encyclopedia
Kempen Airport also just called Budel
after the nearby town, is a general aviation
airport in the south-east of the Netherlands
located 5 NM west of Weert
and near the border with Belgium
. Its main runway, 03/21, is a 1199 m (3,934 ft) long asphalt runway. There is a second runway for microlight aircraft
only, located next to the main runway, and is 600 m (1,969 ft).
The airport opened in 1970, initially only with a grass runway. An asphalt runway was created in 1991 of 930 m (3,051 ft), which was expanded later up to its current length. Approach and runway lighting followed, making the airport suitable for IFR
flights. With around 80,000 movements (a movement being a takeoff
or landing
) a year, it is now amongst the largest general aviation airports in the Netherlands. International flights are allowed to and from the airport and it is used extensively by business aircraft, accounting for 80% of all aircraft movements.
Budel
Budel is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Cranendonck, 25 km outside Eindhoven. Kempen Airport is located near Budel.Budel used to be a separate municipality...
after the nearby town, is 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...
airport in the south-east of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
located 5 NM west of Weert
Weert
Weert is a municipality and city in the southeastern Netherlands. As of 2010, Weert had a population of 48,405. It lies on the Eindhoven–Maastricht railway line, and is also astride the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal.- Population centres :* Altweerterheide...
and near the border with Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Its main runway, 03/21, is a 1199 m (3,934 ft) long asphalt runway. There is a second runway for microlight aircraft
Ultralight aviation
The term "ultralight aviation" refers to light-weight, 1- or 2-person airplanes., also called microlight aircraft in the UK, India and New Zealand...
only, located next to the main runway, and is 600 m (1,969 ft).
The airport opened in 1970, initially only with a grass runway. An asphalt runway was created in 1991 of 930 m (3,051 ft), which was expanded later up to its current length. Approach and runway lighting followed, making the airport suitable for IFR
Instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
flights. With around 80,000 movements (a movement being a takeoff
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
or landing
Landing
thumb|A [[Mute Swan]] alighting. Note the ruffled feathers on top of the wings indicate that the swan is flying at the [[Stall |stall]]ing speed...
) a year, it is now amongst the largest general aviation airports in the Netherlands. International flights are allowed to and from the airport and it is used extensively by business aircraft, accounting for 80% of all aircraft movements.
Accidents
- On October 26, 2009, a Pilatus PC-12Pilatus PC-12The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators.-Design and development:...
on its way to Frankfurt Egelsbach AirportFrankfurt Egelsbach AirportFrankfurt Egelsbach Airport is a busy general aviation airport located near Egelsbach, a city in the German state of Hesse. It is just southeast of Frankfurt Airport.-History:...
crashed in a field shortly after take-off from Kempen Airport, killing the two people on board. The cause is as of yet unknown.