Sanderson Field
Encyclopedia
Sanderson Field is a public lighted-land airport
located in Shelton
, a city in Mason County, Washington, United States
. It is located just outside the City of Shelton corporate limits, and is owned and operated by the Port of Shelton. It is bordered on the south by the Mason County Fairgrounds, on the north by a business park and Dayton Airport Road, on the west by the Washington State Patrol
Training Academy, and on the east by U.S. Highway 101. The airport was named after Major General Lawson H. Sanderson of the United States Marine Corps
.
of 273 feet (83 m) above mean sea level. It has one active runway
(5/23), running in an east-west orientation with a 5,005 by 100 ft (1,526 x 30 m) asphalt
pavement. The active runway has medium-intensity runway edge lighting, installed in 1986, that operates from dusk to dawn. The primary approach is on Runway 23, which has a four-light Precision Approach Path Indicator system. A former runway (17/35) runs in a north-south orientation and has been deactivated since the early 1960s. Remnants of the former runway's markings are visible from the air and in high-resolution satellite imagery.
Services at Sanderson include minor airframe and powerplant repair by Olympic Air. Additionally, a 24-hour fuel station offers 100LL and JET-A grades of aircraft fuel. There are parking tiedowns for up to 36 aircraft on a spacious parking ramp adjacent to the Olympic Air maintenance shop. In 2006, a new 10000 sq ft (929 m²) hangar was built to the north of Olympic Air, housing the airport's newest FBO (Fixed Base Operator
) Kapowsin Air Sports. The new facility was built to house two planes equipped for skydiving operations as well as an on-site pilot's cafe.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2007, the airport had 44,209 aircraft operations, an average of 121 per day: 50.2% general aviation
, 49.5% military
and <0.2% air taxi
. At that time there were 107 aircraft based at this airport: 93% single-engine
, 2% multi-engine, 1% jet
, 2% helicopter
and 3% 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 in Shelton
Shelton, Washington
Shelton is the county seat, of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington...
, a city in Mason County, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located just outside the City of Shelton corporate limits, and is owned and operated by the Port of Shelton. It is bordered on the south by the Mason County Fairgrounds, on the north by a business park and Dayton Airport Road, on the west by the Washington State Patrol
Washington State Patrol
The Washington State Patrol is the state police agency for the State of Washington. The first six motorcycle patrolmen of the Highway Patrol were commissioned September 1, 1921. The agency was renamed to Washington State Patrol in June 1933. In 1925 William Cole was appointed as the first...
Training Academy, and on the east by U.S. Highway 101. The airport was named after Major General Lawson H. Sanderson of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
History
Sanderson Field originally operated under the name Mason County Airport. and opened in the late 1920s. In 1941, the United States Navy took over operations of Mason County Airport for use as a Naval Air Station during World War II and became Naval Air Station Shelton. Under the ownership of the Navy, a new runway was added, and the facilities expanded. The airport closed down as a naval air installation in 1955 and sat unused for eleven years until reopening in August 1966. At the reopening dedication on August 28, it was deeded back to the Port of Shelton (who owns the airport today), christened "Sanderson Field" and the facilities improved. The largest of two runways (north-south; designated 17-35) was closed, and runway 5-23 (east-west) was expanded and kept open. The closed runway has occasionally been used as a drag strip. In late 1993, a chainlink security fence was added to the perimeter of the airport and in 1994 five new hangars were built at the southeast corner. A large number of buildings today are remnants of the WWII era.Facilities and aircraft
Sanderson Field covers an area of 1054 acres (426.5 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 273 feet (83 m) above mean sea level. It has one active 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...
(5/23), running in an east-west orientation with a 5,005 by 100 ft (1,526 x 30 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. The active runway has medium-intensity runway edge lighting, installed in 1986, that operates from dusk to dawn. The primary approach is on Runway 23, which has a four-light Precision Approach Path Indicator system. A former runway (17/35) runs in a north-south orientation and has been deactivated since the early 1960s. Remnants of the former runway's markings are visible from the air and in high-resolution satellite imagery.
Services at Sanderson include minor airframe and powerplant repair by Olympic Air. Additionally, a 24-hour fuel station offers 100LL and JET-A grades of aircraft fuel. There are parking tiedowns for up to 36 aircraft on a spacious parking ramp adjacent to the Olympic Air maintenance shop. In 2006, a new 10000 sq ft (929 m²) hangar was built to the north of Olympic Air, housing the airport's newest FBO (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...
) Kapowsin Air Sports. The new facility was built to house two planes equipped for skydiving operations as well as an on-site pilot's cafe.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2007, the airport had 44,209 aircraft operations, an average of 121 per day: 50.2% 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...
, 49.5% 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 <0.2% 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 107 aircraft based at this airport: 93% 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...
, 2% multi-engine, 1% 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...
, 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...
and 3% ultralight.