Sioux Falls Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Sioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a joint civil and military use airport
located three nautical mile
s (6 km
) northwest of the central business district
of Sioux Falls
, a city in Minnehaha County
, South Dakota
, United States
. Named in honor of aviator Joe Foss
, it serves the greater Sioux Falls area, as well as communities throughout eastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota
and northwestern Iowa
.
Also located here is the Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station
, home to Headquarters, South Dakota Air National Guard
and its 114th Fighter Wing
(114 FW), an Air Combat Command
gained unit known as the "Fighting Lobos" and operating F-16C/D
aircraft.
Although the South Dakota Adjutant General is based in Camp Rapid
in Rapid City, South Dakota
, the South Dakota Air National Guard is effectively headquartered with the 114 FW.
FSD has public Wi-Fi
available provided by Midcontinent Communications.
and closed permanently in the mid-1960s. The base was a logistical supply center and its grid of streets now make up a distinct industrial area in northwest Sioux Falls. The Air National Guard
Base portion of the airport is located south and west of the commercial and general aviation areas, north of Russell Street, and has all the standard facilities of any small USAF installation except for family housing. The 114th's F-16C
and F-16D
aircraft are a frequent sight over the Sioux Falls area, conducting training flights and routine operations.
of 1,429 feet (436 m) above mean sea level. It has three concrete
paved runway
s 3/21 is 8,999 by 150 feet (2,743 x 46 m); 15/33 is 8,000 by 150 feet (2,438 x 46 m); 9/27 is 3,152 by 75 feet (961 x 23 m). It also one helipad
designated H1 which is 50 by 50 feet (15 x 15 m) with an asphalt
surface.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008, the airport had 86,107 aircraft operations, an average of 235 per day: 54% general aviation
, 31% air taxi
, 10% scheduled commercial
, and 5% military
. At that time there were 111 aircraft based at this airport: 50% single-engine
, 31% multi-engine, 4% jet
and 16% military
.
. Initially, a lawsuit was filed by several other local contractors that challenged the legitimacy of Hoogendorns' bid on the basis that the company did not have enough experience to undertake the project. In early July 2009, a judge dismissed the lawsuit against the airport authority allowing Hoogendorn Construction to begin work immediately. Groundbreaking took place in late July 2009 and the project is expected to take 18 months to complete. As of May 2010, the first phase of the terminal renovation was completed. The second phase of the renovation which included a new gift shop is now completed as well. The aging concourse is also undergoing a major renovation both inside and out with an estimated price tag of $5,500,000 that started in early July 2010. Among the improvements being made, two new jetbridges will be installed to help accommodate additional traffic, a new restaurant and lounge area are also being added, and new restrooms and waiting areas are being built to accommodate more travelers. The concourse renovations should be complete within 18 to 24 months. A runway repaving project was completed in mid-2009 and discussions are now underway to add a new cross-field taxiway and also to repair and repave the intersection where the two longest runways meet. The airport's parking operations will be updated beginning in late 2010-early 2011 at a cost of approximately $4,000,000; this will include repaving nearly all of the 3 parking lots, adding new parking spaces, and reconfiguring the entrances and exits to the parking lots.
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 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
Kilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
) northwest 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 Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
, a city in Minnehaha County
Minnehaha County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 148,281 people, 57,996 households, and 37,581 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 60,237 housing units at an average density of 74 per square mile...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Named in honor of aviator Joe Foss
Joe Foss
Joseph Jacob "Joe" Foss was the leading fighter ace of the United States Marine Corps during World War II and a 1943 recipient of the Medal of Honor, recognizing his role in the air combat during the Guadalcanal Campaign...
, it serves the greater Sioux Falls area, as well as communities throughout eastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and northwestern Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
Also located here is the Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station
Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station
Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station is the home base of the South Dakota Air National Guard 114th Fighter Wing.-Overview:South Dakota's 114th Fighter Wing, nicknamed the Lobos, is stationed at Joe Foss Field, Sioux Falls, South Dakota....
, home to Headquarters, South Dakota Air National Guard
South Dakota Air National Guard
The South Dakota Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of South Dakota. It is, along with the South Dakota Army National Guard, an element of the South Dakota National Guard...
and its 114th Fighter Wing
114th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 114th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at Joe Foss Field, South Dakota.-Mission:To provide combat capable aircraft, air crew, support personnel, and equipment to augment existing active forces during times of crisis, national emergencies or...
(114 FW), an Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
gained unit known as the "Fighting Lobos" and operating F-16C/D
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
aircraft.
Although the South Dakota Adjutant General is based in Camp Rapid
Camp Rapid
Camp Rapid is a South Dakota Army National Guard installation located in Westside, Rapid City, South Dakota just inside the edge of the Black Hills...
in Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, the South Dakota Air National Guard is effectively headquartered with the 114 FW.
FSD has public Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
available provided by Midcontinent Communications.
History
Sioux Falls Regional Airport was originally the Sioux Falls Army Air Base constructed during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and closed permanently in the mid-1960s. The base was a logistical supply center and its grid of streets now make up a distinct industrial area in northwest Sioux Falls. The Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
Base portion of the airport is located south and west of the commercial and general aviation areas, north of Russell Street, and has all the standard facilities of any small USAF installation except for family housing. The 114th's F-16C
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
and F-16D
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
aircraft are a frequent sight over the Sioux Falls area, conducting training flights and routine operations.
Facilities and aircraft
Joe Foss Field covers an area of 1570 acres (635.4 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 1,429 feet (436 m) above mean sea level. It has three concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
paved 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...
s 3/21 is 8,999 by 150 feet (2,743 x 46 m); 15/33 is 8,000 by 150 feet (2,438 x 46 m); 9/27 is 3,152 by 75 feet (961 x 23 m). It also one helipad
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...
designated H1 which is 50 by 50 feet (15 x 15 m) 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.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2008, the airport had 86,107 aircraft operations, an average of 235 per day: 54% 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...
, 31% 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...
, 10% scheduled commercial
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
, and 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...
. At that time there were 111 aircraft based at this airport: 50% 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, 4% 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...
and 16% military
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
.
Airport renovation and expansion
Beginning in spring 2009, the Sioux Falls Regional Airport started expanding and remodeling the Costello Terminal. Tasks at hand included adding more windows, opening up more room in the check-in area, moving all TSA screening equipment behind the ticket counters, adding more electronic ticket kiosks, and expanding floor space on the entire main level. The estimated cost of the terminal renovation and expansion is approximately $7,000,000. The contract for this project was awarded in April 2009 to Hoogendorn Construction of Canton, South DakotaCanton, South Dakota
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, South Dakota, United States. The city was named by Norwegian settler and former legislator James M. Wahl...
. Initially, a lawsuit was filed by several other local contractors that challenged the legitimacy of Hoogendorns' bid on the basis that the company did not have enough experience to undertake the project. In early July 2009, a judge dismissed the lawsuit against the airport authority allowing Hoogendorn Construction to begin work immediately. Groundbreaking took place in late July 2009 and the project is expected to take 18 months to complete. As of May 2010, the first phase of the terminal renovation was completed. The second phase of the renovation which included a new gift shop is now completed as well. The aging concourse is also undergoing a major renovation both inside and out with an estimated price tag of $5,500,000 that started in early July 2010. Among the improvements being made, two new jetbridges will be installed to help accommodate additional traffic, a new restaurant and lounge area are also being added, and new restrooms and waiting areas are being built to accommodate more travelers. The concourse renovations should be complete within 18 to 24 months. A runway repaving project was completed in mid-2009 and discussions are now underway to add a new cross-field taxiway and also to repair and repave the intersection where the two longest runways meet. The airport's parking operations will be updated beginning in late 2010-early 2011 at a cost of approximately $4,000,000; this will include repaving nearly all of the 3 parking lots, adding new parking spaces, and reconfiguring the entrances and exits to the parking lots.
Airlines and destinations
Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:... |
111,000 | Delta |
| 2 |  Chicago O’Hare, IL |
74,000 | American, United |
| 3 |  Denver, CODenver International Airport Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel... |
70,000 | Frontier, United |
| 4 |  Las Vegas, NVMcCarran International Airport McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and... |
29,000 | Allegiant |
| 5 |  Phoenix-Mesa, AZPhoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport , formerly Williams Gateway Airport and Williams Air Force Base , is a commercial airport located in the southeastern area of the city of Mesa, Arizona, and southeast of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The airport is owned and operated by the... |
26,000 | Allegiant |
| 6 |  Dallas/Fort Worth, TX |
21,000 | American |
| 7 |  Los Angeles, CALos Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually... |
14,000 | Allegiant |
| 8 |  Detroit, MIDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport.... |
14,000 | Delta |
| 9 |  Orlando-Sanford, FLOrlando Sanford International Airport Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance... |
12,000 | Allegiant |
| 10 |  Atlanta, GAHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States... |
3,000 | - |
Incidents
On December 20, 1983, Ozark Airlines Flight 650 struck a snow plow while landing, killing the driver.External links
- Sioux Falls Regional Airport, official web site