Olive Branch Airport
Encyclopedia
Olive Branch Airport is a civil, privately-owned airport
open to the public. It is located three nautical mile
s (6 km) northeast of the central business district
of Olive Branch
, a city in DeSoto County
, Mississippi
, United States
.
It is also only about a 30 minute drive from Memphis, Tennessee
, making it an easily-accessible satellite airport for the general aviation
and business air travel communities wanting to access the East Memphis/Germantown/Collierville area. It is owned and operated by Metro Industrial Park Ltd.
announced they would construct what would be called Holiday Inn University and Conference Center in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Simultaneous with construction of the University, Holiday Inn began work on a 3000 acres (12.1 km²) industrial park and the Olive Branch Airport that opened in January, 1973. Today the development is known as Metro Industrial Park. It is an 800 acres (3.2 km²) fully planned, improved, and restricted industrial facility. It includes the Olive Branch Airport -- one of Mississippi's busiest -- offering a 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) paved, lighted runway, and full service fixed base operations (via Metro Aviation Service).
Today the industrial complex and Olive Branch Airport are owned by Belz Enterprises
.
of 402 feet (123 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 18/36 with an asphalt
surface measuring 6,000 by 100 feet (1,829 x 30 m).
Facilities include a general aviation terminal, 25 conventional hangars, 26 T-hangar units, and 140 paved tie-down spaces. The airport also offers on-site car rental through Enterprise Rent-A-Car
and lodging arrangements at the nearby Whispering Woods Conference Center (previously the Holiday Inn University and Conference Center).
Olive Branch Airport has a fully functioning "Class D" control tower with an up-link to Memphis International Airport
's radar. It is staffed from 7am - 9pm CST daily.
Olive Branch Airport has an ILS
to Runway 18 and a LOC/DME to Runway 36.
Metro Aviation Service is the fixed base operator
(FBO) at Olive Branch Airport. They provide both 100LL and Jet-A fuel for aircraft that are both based there and transient.
Air Venture Flight Center is based out of Olive Branch Airport. Air Venture Flight Center is a flight training school and aircraft rental company. They have a full time staff of professional flight instructors and a nice fleet of Cessna aircraft. Air Venture Flight Center is also a Cessna Pilot Center and operates a charter company called Vectair-USA.
Any aircraft from a small training aircraft to a Bombardier Global Express
business jet can operate to, from, and around Olive Branch Airport.
A few charter companies have piston singles and twins, jets, and/or turbojets based at Olive Branch Airport. Vectair-USA uses a Beechcraft King Air 9L for chartered flights. OneSky Jets has one King Air B100 based there.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, the airport had 58,175 aircraft operations, an average of 159 per day: 40% Corporate, 40% Instructional, 18% Pleasure and 2% Military. At that time there were 148 aircraft based at this airport: 105 single engine, 25 multi-engine, 7 jets, 10 turbo-props and 1 helicopter.
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...
open to the public. It is located three 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 (6 km) northeast 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 Olive Branch
Olive Branch, Mississippi
Olive Branch is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 21,054 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 31,830, making it the ninth-largest city in the state of Mississippi...
, a city in DeSoto County
DeSoto County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2005 estimate, there were 137,004 people, 38,792 households, and 30,102 families residing in the county. The population density was 224 people per square mile . There were 40,795 housing units at an average density of 85 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It is also only about a 30 minute drive from Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, making it an easily-accessible satellite airport for the 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 business air travel communities wanting to access the East Memphis/Germantown/Collierville area. It is owned and operated by Metro Industrial Park Ltd.
History
In the early 1970's, Holiday InnHoliday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
announced they would construct what would be called Holiday Inn University and Conference Center in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Simultaneous with construction of the University, Holiday Inn began work on a 3000 acres (12.1 km²) industrial park and the Olive Branch Airport that opened in January, 1973. Today the development is known as Metro Industrial Park. It is an 800 acres (3.2 km²) fully planned, improved, and restricted industrial facility. It includes the Olive Branch Airport -- one of Mississippi's busiest -- offering a 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) paved, lighted runway, and full service fixed base operations (via Metro Aviation Service).
Today the industrial complex and Olive Branch Airport are owned by Belz Enterprises
Belz Enterprises
Belz Enterprises is a major American-based developer of hotels, retail, and commercial properties, including shopping malls.Belz operates throughout much of the country. They are most notably known for owning and operating the Peabody Hotels in Memphis, Little Rock, and Orlando...
.
Facilities and aircraft
Olive Branch Airport covers an area of 412 acres (166.7 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 402 feet (123 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 18/36 with an 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...
surface measuring 6,000 by 100 feet (1,829 x 30 m).
Facilities include a general aviation terminal, 25 conventional hangars, 26 T-hangar units, and 140 paved tie-down spaces. The airport also offers on-site car rental through Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Holdings, Inc. is a privately held company formed in 2009 to operate rental car subsidiaries: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, Alamo Rent A Car, WeCar and its commercial fleet management, used car sales, and commercial truck rental operations.Enterprise Holdings was formed as...
and lodging arrangements at the nearby Whispering Woods Conference Center (previously the Holiday Inn University and Conference Center).
Olive Branch Airport has a fully functioning "Class D" control tower with an up-link to Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States....
's radar. It is staffed from 7am - 9pm CST daily.
Olive Branch Airport has an ILS
ILS
Ils may refer to:*Ils , an electronic music producer and DJ*Them , a French horror filmILS may refer to:In Organizations:...
to Runway 18 and a LOC/DME to Runway 36.
Metro Aviation Service is the 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...
(FBO) at Olive Branch Airport. They provide both 100LL and Jet-A fuel for aircraft that are both based there and transient.
Air Venture Flight Center is based out of Olive Branch Airport. Air Venture Flight Center is a flight training school and aircraft rental company. They have a full time staff of professional flight instructors and a nice fleet of Cessna aircraft. Air Venture Flight Center is also a Cessna Pilot Center and operates a charter company called Vectair-USA.
Any aircraft from a small training aircraft to a Bombardier Global Express
Bombardier Global Express
The Bombardier Global Express is an ultra long range corporate and VIP high speed jet aircraft produced by Bombardier Aerospace. The Bombardier Global 5000 is a slightly shorter version...
business jet can operate to, from, and around Olive Branch Airport.
A few charter companies have piston singles and twins, jets, and/or turbojets based at Olive Branch Airport. Vectair-USA uses a Beechcraft King Air 9L for chartered flights. OneSky Jets has one King Air B100 based there.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, the airport had 58,175 aircraft operations, an average of 159 per day: 40% Corporate, 40% Instructional, 18% Pleasure and 2% Military. At that time there were 148 aircraft based at this airport: 105 single engine, 25 multi-engine, 7 jets, 10 turbo-props and 1 helicopter.
Airlines and destinations
While a few charter operations operate out of Olive Branch Airport, including Vectair-USA and OneSky Jets, no regular service operates there.External links
- Olive Branch History from Olive Branch Chamber of Commerce