North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport
Encyclopedia
North Palm Beach County Airport , also known as North County Airport, is an uncontrolled general aviation
airport
located 12 nautical mile
s (22 km) northwest of West Palm Beach
off the Bee Line Highway in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
. The airport is owned by Palm Beach County and operated by the Palm Beach County Airports Department.
The field is in proximity to, and shares services with, William P. Gwinn Airport (more commonly referred to as Gwinn Airfield) which is owned by United Technologies Corporation
(UTC). It was previously operated by its Pratt & Whitney
jet engine business unit and is currently operated by its Sikorsky Aircraft
business unit. Due to its proximity to the Sikorsky test grounds, North County is often used to test ILS
approaches on experimental
or prototype helicopter
s such as the RAH-66 Comanche
, SH-60 Seahawk
and the S-92
.
DayJet
previously provided an on-demand jet air taxi
service from this airport
to Jacksonville, Lakeland, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Gainesville, Boca Raton, Opa-Locka/Miami Dade County, Naples, Sarasota/Bradenton, Savannah, Macon, and Montgomery until its liquidation in bankruptcy in 2008.
of 22 feet (7 m) above mean sea level. It has one turf
runway designated 8L/26R which measuring 3,700 by 75 feet (1,128 x 23 m), plus two asphalt
paved runways: 8R/26L measuring 4,300 by 100 feet (1,311 x 30 m) and 13/31 measuring 4,303 by 75 feet (1,312 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending June 20, 2002, the airport had 35,532 aircraft operations, an average of 97 per day, all of which were general aviation
. At that time there were 215 aircraft based at this airport: 60% single-engine
, 31% multi-engine, 3% jet
, 4% glider
and 2% helicopter
.
There are two active helicopter landing pads
.
The airport has one fixed base operator
, Landmark Aviation.
North County is home to Ocean Helicopters and Cloud 9 Helicopters Both maintain a fleet of Robinson helicopters and both are FAA Certified Part 141 Flight Schools. There are also 2 fixed wing schools, Sunquest Aviation and Aeronautix.
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
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 12 nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (22 km) northwest of West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
off the Bee Line Highway in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida. The city is in the center of a rapidly-developing area north of West Palm Beach in the northern part of the county and the South Florida metropolitan area. , the population was 48,452...
. The airport is owned by Palm Beach County and operated by the Palm Beach County Airports Department.
The field is in proximity to, and shares services with, William P. Gwinn Airport (more commonly referred to as Gwinn Airfield) which is owned by United Technologies Corporation
United Technologies Corporation
United Technologies Corporation is an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in the United Technologies Building in Hartford, Connecticut...
(UTC). It was previously operated by its Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
jet engine business unit and is currently operated by its Sikorsky Aircraft
Sikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
business unit. Due to its proximity to the Sikorsky test grounds, North County is often used to test ILS
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
approaches on experimental
Experimental aircraft
An experimental aircraft is an aircraft that has not yet been fully proven in flight. Often, this implies that new aerospace technologies are being tested on the aircraft, though the label is more broad....
or prototype helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s such as the RAH-66 Comanche
RAH-66 Comanche
The Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche was an advanced five-blade armed reconnaissance and attack helicopter designed for the United States Army. The RAH-66 program was canceled in 2004, before mass production began, after nearly $7 billion was spent on the program.During the early 1980s, the U.S...
, SH-60 Seahawk
SH-60 Seahawk
The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant airframe modification is a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.The...
and the S-92
Sikorsky S-92
The Sikorsky S-92 is a four-bladed twin-engine medium-lift helicopter built by Sikorsky Aircraft for the civil and military helicopter market. The S-92 was developed from the Sikorsky S-70 helicopter and has similar parts such as flight control and rotor systems.The H-92 Superhawk is a military...
.
DayJet
DayJet
DayJet was an American commercial aviation operation that provided on-demand jet travel using Eclipse 500 Very Light Jets. The company began operations in Florida in October 2007 and suspended operations on September 19, 2008....
previously provided an on-demand jet 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...
service from this airport
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...
to Jacksonville, Lakeland, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Gainesville, Boca Raton, Opa-Locka/Miami Dade County, Naples, Sarasota/Bradenton, Savannah, Macon, and Montgomery until its liquidation in bankruptcy in 2008.
Facilities and aircraft
North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport covers an area of 1832 acres (741.4 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 22 feet (7 m) above mean sea level. It has one turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
runway designated 8L/26R which measuring 3,700 by 75 feet (1,128 x 23 m), plus two 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 runways: 8R/26L measuring 4,300 by 100 feet (1,311 x 30 m) and 13/31 measuring 4,303 by 75 feet (1,312 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending June 20, 2002, the airport had 35,532 aircraft operations, an average of 97 per day, all of which were 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...
. At that time there were 215 aircraft based at this airport: 60% 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...
, 31% multi-engine, 3% jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
, 4% glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
and 2% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
There are two active helicopter landing pads
Helipad
Helipad is a common abbreviation for helicopter landing pad, a landing area for helicopters. While helicopters are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where a helicopter can safely...
.
The airport has one fixed base operator
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...
, Landmark Aviation.
North County is home to Ocean Helicopters and Cloud 9 Helicopters Both maintain a fleet of Robinson helicopters and both are FAA Certified Part 141 Flight Schools. There are also 2 fixed wing schools, Sunquest Aviation and Aeronautix.