Lawrence County Airpark
Encyclopedia
Lawrence County Airpark is a public use airport
located two nautical miles (3.7 km) west of the central business district
of Chesapeake
, a village in Lawrence County
, Ohio
, United States
. It is publicly owned by Lawrence County Board of Commissioners. The airport lies across the Ohio River
from Huntington, West Virginia
.
of the Cincinnati-based Embry-Riddle Company completed negotiations for the establishment of an airport for the cities of the Kentucky
, Ohio, West Virginia tri-state area. The company sought to expand their growing air mail and passenger routes east, via the Ohio River valley. The Embry-Riddle Company put up $100,000 dollars, with another $25,000 contributed by the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, $25,000 from the Huntington Bridge Company, and $25,000 from a local aviation booster club. The club enrolled 250 members, charging a membership fee of $100. This money was used to fund the airport project. The land was purchased primarily from a Mr. Williams, who had used it for farmland.
Development of the land began in June, but was slowed due to high levels of rain. Eventually several houses and a barn were removed, though two structures were initially left intact on the north side of the field for use as office and flight crew facilities. The new Huntington-Ironton-Chesapeake Airport opened on August 31, 1929, with a 3600 feet (1,097 m) east-west sod
landing strip (current site of runway 8/26) and a north-south strip 2500 feet (762 m) in length (partially still in use as the airfield's only taxiway
). The opening fell on Labor Day weekend, and massive celebrations were planned. Approximately 45,000 people attended the opening events throughout the weekend, which included aerial stunts and rides ($10 each). Ten planes, owned by the Embry-Riddle Company were stationed at the field. These included several Wacos. A Ford Tri-Motor was on display for opening day. There was a raffle for a free flight to Cincinnati's Lunken Field, and a folded-wing aircraft carrying local government and civic leaders Taxied across the bridge, led a parade around Huntington, West Virginia, then returned to the airport, extended its wings, and took them on an aerial tour.
At the time of opening, the Embry-Riddle Company was to run the field and FBO. The company also opened a flight school. Embry-Riddle closed its flight school and withdrew service the next year, the result of disputes with the Huntington Chamber of Commerce over the building of a hangar
facility.
The 1930s were marked by repeated attempts to establish passenger and mail service to the H-I-C Airport. 1932 and 1936 saw relatively short attempts by American Airlines to set up service. In 1938, a permanent, regular service was begun. This was in part due to an agreement to lengthen and pave the main runway. As part of this deal, land was purchased for a 1,000' runway extension to the west in 1937. Air service lasted until April, 1945, when American closed their weather office and stopped mail and passenger services. The airline had been stopping an H-I-C when weight conditions allowed - by 1945 the runway was too short for AA's DC-3s to take off fully loaded. The runway had deteriorated markedly by 1945, and the main runway still had not been extended. This ultimately resulted in the 1947 creation of a Huntington Airport Authority to establish the current Tri-State Airport
(HTS) in Wayne County, West Virginia.
of 568 feet (173 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 8/26 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,001 by 70 feet (915 x 21 m).
There is one FBO
on-field, Attitude Aviation. They currently have 3 C-172 Skyhawks and one Beechcraft Bonanza available for rent, as well as maintenance and repair facilities, 100LL fuel, oil, and assorted charts and supplies for sale in addition to flight instruction. There is also a jump zone, Tri-State Skydivers. They operate a modified C-182, have instructors and parachutes available for rent, and operate most weekends throughout the year.
For the 12-month period ending June 12, 2007, the airport had 41,910 aircraft operations, an average of 114 per day: 98% general aviation
and 1% air taxi
, and <1% military
. At that time there were 34 aircraft based at this airport: 88% single-engine
, 6% multi-engine and 6% 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...
located two nautical miles (3.7 km) west 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 Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Ohio
Chesapeake is a village in Lawrence County, Ohio, United States. The population was listed as 842 in the 2000 census. It lies across the Ohio River from Huntington, West Virginia, at the mouth of Symmes Creek....
, a village in Lawrence County
Lawrence County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,319 people, 24,732 households, and 17,807 families residing in the county. The population density was 137 people per square mile . There were 27,189 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is publicly owned by Lawrence County Board of Commissioners. The airport lies across the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
from Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
.
History
Lawrence County Airpark, originally known as Huntington Airport, was established in 1929. In June of that year, John Paul RiddleJohn Paul Riddle
John Paul Riddle was a pilot and an aviation enthusiast, most well known for co-founding what later became Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University .- Personal life :...
of the Cincinnati-based Embry-Riddle Company completed negotiations for the establishment of an airport for the cities of the Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Ohio, West Virginia tri-state area. The company sought to expand their growing air mail and passenger routes east, via the Ohio River valley. The Embry-Riddle Company put up $100,000 dollars, with another $25,000 contributed by the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, $25,000 from the Huntington Bridge Company, and $25,000 from a local aviation booster club. The club enrolled 250 members, charging a membership fee of $100. This money was used to fund the airport project. The land was purchased primarily from a Mr. Williams, who had used it for farmland.
Development of the land began in June, but was slowed due to high levels of rain. Eventually several houses and a barn were removed, though two structures were initially left intact on the north side of the field for use as office and flight crew facilities. The new Huntington-Ironton-Chesapeake Airport opened on August 31, 1929, with a 3600 feet (1,097 m) east-west sod
Sod
Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of thin material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
landing strip (current site of runway 8/26) and a north-south strip 2500 feet (762 m) in length (partially still in use as the airfield's only taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
). The opening fell on Labor Day weekend, and massive celebrations were planned. Approximately 45,000 people attended the opening events throughout the weekend, which included aerial stunts and rides ($10 each). Ten planes, owned by the Embry-Riddle Company were stationed at the field. These included several Wacos. A Ford Tri-Motor was on display for opening day. There was a raffle for a free flight to Cincinnati's Lunken Field, and a folded-wing aircraft carrying local government and civic leaders Taxied across the bridge, led a parade around Huntington, West Virginia, then returned to the airport, extended its wings, and took them on an aerial tour.
At the time of opening, the Embry-Riddle Company was to run the field and FBO. The company also opened a flight school. Embry-Riddle closed its flight school and withdrew service the next year, the result of disputes with the Huntington Chamber of Commerce over the building of a 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...
facility.
The 1930s were marked by repeated attempts to establish passenger and mail service to the H-I-C Airport. 1932 and 1936 saw relatively short attempts by American Airlines to set up service. In 1938, a permanent, regular service was begun. This was in part due to an agreement to lengthen and pave the main runway. As part of this deal, land was purchased for a 1,000' runway extension to the west in 1937. Air service lasted until April, 1945, when American closed their weather office and stopped mail and passenger services. The airline had been stopping an H-I-C when weight conditions allowed - by 1945 the runway was too short for AA's DC-3s to take off fully loaded. The runway had deteriorated markedly by 1945, and the main runway still had not been extended. This ultimately resulted in the 1947 creation of a Huntington Airport Authority to establish the current Tri-State Airport
Tri-State Airport
Tri-State Airport , also known as Milton J. Ferguson Field, is a public-use airport in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States. The airport is located three nautical miles south of the central business district of Huntington, West Virginia, near the cities of Ceredo and Kenova...
(HTS) in Wayne County, West Virginia.
Facilities and aircraft
Lawrence County Airpark covers an area of 86 acres (34.8 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 568 feet (173 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 8/26 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,001 by 70 feet (915 x 21 m).
There is one FBO
Fixed base operator
A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
on-field, Attitude Aviation. They currently have 3 C-172 Skyhawks and one Beechcraft Bonanza available for rent, as well as maintenance and repair facilities, 100LL fuel, oil, and assorted charts and supplies for sale in addition to flight instruction. There is also a jump zone, Tri-State Skydivers. They operate a modified C-182, have instructors and parachutes available for rent, and operate most weekends throughout the year.
For the 12-month period ending June 12, 2007, the airport had 41,910 aircraft operations, an average of 114 per day: 98% 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 1% 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
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 34 aircraft based at this airport: 88% 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...
, 6% multi-engine and 6% ultralight.
External links
- Attitude Aviation, the airport's fixed base operatorFixed base operatorA Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
- Aerial photo as of 29 April 1995 from USGS The National Map