Pearson Field
Encyclopedia
Pearson Field , is a city-owned public-use airport
located one mile (2 km) southeast of the central business district
of Vancouver
, a city in Clark County, Washington
, United States
.
Pearson Field is the oldest operating airfield in the United States dating to the landing of the dirigible Gelatine, piloted by Lincoln Beachey
, upon the polo grounds of the Vancouver Barracks in 1905. Located in the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
, it is also the only airport in the United States that operates totally within the boundaries of a national historic reserve. Primarily used for general aviation
, the airfield's lone runway is located directly beneath the final approach to nearby Portland International Airport
. The airport lies next to the Lewis and Clark Highway and the Columbia River
. It is the only airport in Washington that is a satellite airport.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, Pearson Field is assigned VUO by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
Alexander Pearson Jr.
of the United States Army
.
1905 : Lincoln Beachey
pilots the dirigible Gelatine
from the grounds of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition on the shores of Guild's Lake
in Portland, Oregon
to Vancouver Barracks in the first aerial crossing of the Columbia River
. This flight also set an endurance record for flight at the time. Carrying a letter from Theodore Hardee, an official of the fair, to the commandant of the Vancouver Barracks, General Constant Williams, the flight is also the recognized as the first time an airship is used to deliver a letter.
1911 : First airplane lands at Pearson Field.
1923-1941 : Pearson Field is home to the US Army Air Service.
1923 : Commander Lt. Oakley G. Kelly
makes the first non-stop transcontinental flight.
1924 : Pearson Field is a stopover point on the army's first round-the-world flight
.
1925 : Pearson Field is named after Lt. Alexander Pearson by order of Major General John L. Hines
1937 : Soviet aviator Valery Chkalov
lands at the end of the first non-stop transpolar flight.
1994 : City of Vancouver and National Park Service enter into agreement governing the future of Pearson Field.
2005 : Pearson Field celebrates its 100-year anniversary.
designated 8/26 with a 3,275 x 60 ft (998 x 18 m) asphalt
pavement. For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2006, the airport had 52,200 aircraft operations, an average of 143 per day: 97% general aviation
, 2% military
and 1% air taxi
. At that time there were 175 aircraft based at this airport: 97% single-engine
and 3% multi-engine.
The airfield has a 150 T-hangars and tiedown facilities, with capacity for 175 light aircraft. Located at the airport are the Pearson Air Museum
and the Jack Murdock Aviation Center. Located nearby are the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter
and the Portland International Raceway
.
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 one mile (2 km) southeast 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 Vancouver
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, a city in Clark County, Washington
Clark County, Washington
Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Pearson Field is the oldest operating airfield in the United States dating to the landing of the dirigible Gelatine, piloted by Lincoln Beachey
Lincoln Beachey
Lincoln J. Beachey was a pioneer American aviator and barnstormer. He became famous and wealthy from flying exhibitions, staging aerial stunts, helping invent aerobatics, and setting aviation records....
, upon the polo grounds of the Vancouver Barracks in 1905. Located in the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located in the states of Washington and Oregon. The National Historic Site consists of two units, one located on the site of Fort Vancouver in modern-day Vancouver, Washington; the other being the former residence of...
, it is also the only airport in the United States that operates totally within the boundaries of a national historic reserve. Primarily used for 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...
, the airfield's lone runway is located directly beneath the final approach to nearby Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
. The airport lies next to the Lewis and Clark Highway and the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. It is the only airport in Washington that is a satellite airport.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, Pearson Field is assigned VUO by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
History
Pearson Field's history dates back to the early 1900s and is named for local resident First LieutenantFirst Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
Alexander Pearson Jr.
Alexander Pearson, Jr.
Lieutenant Alexander Pearson, Jr. was a prominent aviation figure in the Army Air Service from 1919 until his death in 1924. He is credited with setting the world speed record in March 1923. Pearson Field in Vancouver, Washington was dedicated in his honor on by order of the Secretary of War Major...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
1905 : Lincoln Beachey
Lincoln Beachey
Lincoln J. Beachey was a pioneer American aviator and barnstormer. He became famous and wealthy from flying exhibitions, staging aerial stunts, helping invent aerobatics, and setting aviation records....
pilots the dirigible Gelatine
Gelatine (airship)
Gelatine was an airship operated by the United States Army Signal Corps. Gelatine was built by Thomas Scott Baldwin's company Baldwin's Airships, Balloons, Aeroplanes of New York City. On the morning of September 19, 1905, the Gelatine, piloted by Lincoln J...
from the grounds of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition on the shores of Guild's Lake
Guild's Lake
Guild's Lake was historically a flood-prone lowland near the confluence of Balch Creek with the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Indigenous Multnomah people established villages on nearby Sauvie Island but not in the swampy area along the Balch Creek side of the river in what later...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
to Vancouver Barracks in the first aerial crossing of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. This flight also set an endurance record for flight at the time. Carrying a letter from Theodore Hardee, an official of the fair, to the commandant of the Vancouver Barracks, General Constant Williams, the flight is also the recognized as the first time an airship is used to deliver a letter.
1911 : First airplane lands at Pearson Field.
1923-1941 : Pearson Field is home to the US Army Air Service.
1923 : Commander Lt. Oakley G. Kelly
Oakley G. Kelly
Oakley George Kelly was a record setting pilot for the United States Army Air Service.-Biography:He was born on December 3, 1891 in Pennsylvania.In May 1922, Lieutenant Oakley G...
makes the first non-stop transcontinental flight.
1924 : Pearson Field is a stopover point on the army's first round-the-world flight
Douglas World Cruiser
-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I. London: Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-87021-428-4.* Swanborough, F.G. and Peter M. Bowers. United States Military Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam, 1963....
.
1925 : Pearson Field is named after Lt. Alexander Pearson by order of Major General John L. Hines
John L. Hines
John Leonard Hines was an American soldier who served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army from 1924 to 1926.-Biography:...
1937 : Soviet aviator Valery Chkalov
Valery Chkalov
Valery Pavlovich Chkalov was a Russian aircraft test pilot and a Hero of the Soviet Union .-Early life:...
lands at the end of the first non-stop transpolar flight.
1994 : City of Vancouver and National Park Service enter into agreement governing the future of Pearson Field.
2005 : Pearson Field celebrates its 100-year anniversary.
Facilities and aircraft
Pearson Field covers an area of 140 acres (56.7 ha) which contains one 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...
designated 8/26 with a 3,275 x 60 ft (998 x 18 m) 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...
pavement. For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2006, the airport had 52,200 aircraft operations, an average of 143 per day: 97% 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...
, 2% 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...
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...
. At that time there were 175 aircraft based at this airport: 97% 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...
and 3% multi-engine.
The airfield has a 150 T-hangars and tiedown facilities, with capacity for 175 light aircraft. Located at the airport are the Pearson Air Museum
Pearson Air Museum
The Pearson Air Museum is an aviation museum at Pearson Field in Vancouver, Washington, USA. The museum specializes in aircraft made before or during World War II. The displays are housed in the U.S.'s second oldest wooden aircraft hangar, built in 1918 and used as a hangar since 1921. During World...
and the Jack Murdock Aviation Center. Located nearby are the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter
Jantzen Beach SuperCenter
Jantzen Beach SuperCenter is a shopping mall located in Portland, Oregon on Hayden Island in the Columbia River. Opened in 1972 as Jantzen Beach Mall, it was largely torn down in the mid-1990s for big box development...
and the Portland International Raceway
Portland International Raceway
Portland International Raceway is located in Portland, Oregon, USA's, Delta Park complex on the former site of Vanport, just south of the Columbia River. It is west of a light rail station and less than a mile west of Interstate 5....
.
Economic impact
The state of Washington provides economic impact studies of airports within the state. Pearson Field contributes about 600 jobs to the area. Salaries drawn in relation to business at Pearson total about $11M USD. The total economic activity related to Pearson totals about $38M USD.See also
- Portland International AirportPortland International AirportPortland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
- Hillsboro AirportHillsboro AirportHillsboro Airport , also known as Portland-Hillsboro Airport, is the name of a corporate, general aviation and flight-training airport serving the city of Hillsboro, in Washington County, Oregon, USA. It is one of four airports in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area owned and operated by the...
- Portland-Troutdale Airport
- Grove FieldGrove FieldGrove Field is a public airport located three miles north of the central business district of Camas, a city in Clark County, Washington, United States. It is located near Lacamas Lake which has a seaplane base...
External links
- Pearson Field at City of Vancouver website
- Pearson Air Museum
- A video about Pearson Field, on Youtube
- Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
- Aviation photos of Pearson Field at Airliners.netAirliners.netAirliners.net is an aviation website founded by Johan Lundgren, Sweden, in 1997, evolving from his previous Pictures of Modern Airliners site started in 1994...