Stuttgart Municipal Airport
Encyclopedia
Stuttgart Municipal Airport is a public-use airport
located in Prairie County, Arkansas
, United States
. It is seven nautical mile
s (13 km
) north of the central business district
of Stuttgart
, which owns the airport and is the county seat of Arkansas County
. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
for 2009–2013, it is categorized
as a general aviation
facility.
and was used as an advanced twin engine aircraft training school during World War II
. Stuttgart AAF was administered by the 426th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron and flying training was conducted by the 34th Two Engine Flying Training Group and the 891st through 896th Two Engine Flying Training Squadrons until April 1944, then by the 2141st Army Air Force Base Unit, assigned to the AAF Southeast Training Center (later the AAF Eastern Flying Training Command). In 1945, the base transferred to the II Tactical Air Division of Third Air Force and was home to the 69th and 74th Reconnaissance Groups and the 369th Fighter Group. The last tactical unit of the AAF, the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron left the field in February 1946.
Improvements to the site included an airport with four 5000 ft (1,524 m). runways and facilities for 6,000 personnel. The USAAF trained pilots in the use of gliders from October 1942 to May 1943 and twin-engine airplanes from May 1943 to December 1944.
At the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the War Department on 5 August 1946, 2635.7 acres (10.7 km²) were assumed by the War Assets Administration (WAA). Custody of the remaining 46.2 acres (186,964.9 m²), which contained the housing units and the water and sewage facilities, was transferred to the Housing and Home Finance Agency, Public Housing Administration, on 31 January 1947.
In 1949, the WAA land and improvements were deeded to the City of Stuttgart, Arkansas, to establish the municipal airport. The city subsequently obtained the remaining 46.2 acres (186,964.9 m²) from the Public Housing Administration and now owns the entire 2681.9 acres (10.9 km²) used in connection with the former Stuttgart AAF. The transfer included a recapture clause by which the Government reserved specific rights of use and possession during a national emergency.
of 224 feet (68 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
s: 9/27 is 5,002 by 150 feet (1,525 x 46 m) with a concrete
surface; 18/36 is 6,015 by 100 feet (1,833 x 30 m) with an asphalt
surface.
For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008, the airport had 40,200 aircraft operations, an average of 110 per day: 87% general aviation
, 7.5% military
, and 5.5% air taxi
. At that time there were 34 aircraft based at this airport: 82% single-engine
, 12% multi-engine, 3% jet
and 3% 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...
located in Prairie County, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is seven 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 (13 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...
) north 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 Stuttgart
Stuttgart, Arkansas
Stuttgart is a city in and the county seat of the northern district of Arkansas County, Arkansas, United States. It is located on U.S. Route 79 about miles southeast of Little Rock. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 9,376.The town proclaims itself the "Rice...
, which owns the airport and is the county seat of Arkansas County
Arkansas County, Arkansas
Arkansas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,019. The county has two county seats, De Witt and Stuttgart...
. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. It is developed and maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration . Its purposes are:* to identify all the airports in the U.S...
for 2009–2013, it is categorized
FAA airport categories
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has a system for categorizing public-use airports that is primarily based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. It is used to determine if an airport is eligible for funding through the federal government's Airport...
as a 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...
facility.
History
The airport was opened in September 1942 as Stuttgart Army Airfield by the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
and was used as an advanced twin engine aircraft training school during World War II
World 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...
. Stuttgart AAF was administered by the 426th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron and flying training was conducted by the 34th Two Engine Flying Training Group and the 891st through 896th Two Engine Flying Training Squadrons until April 1944, then by the 2141st Army Air Force Base Unit, assigned to the AAF Southeast Training Center (later the AAF Eastern Flying Training Command). In 1945, the base transferred to the II Tactical Air Division of Third Air Force and was home to the 69th and 74th Reconnaissance Groups and the 369th Fighter Group. The last tactical unit of the AAF, the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron left the field in February 1946.
Improvements to the site included an airport with four 5000 ft (1,524 m). runways and facilities for 6,000 personnel. The USAAF trained pilots in the use of gliders from October 1942 to May 1943 and twin-engine airplanes from May 1943 to December 1944.
At the end of the war the airfield was determined to be excess by the War Department on 5 August 1946, 2635.7 acres (10.7 km²) were assumed by the War Assets Administration (WAA). Custody of the remaining 46.2 acres (186,964.9 m²), which contained the housing units and the water and sewage facilities, was transferred to the Housing and Home Finance Agency, Public Housing Administration, on 31 January 1947.
In 1949, the WAA land and improvements were deeded to the City of Stuttgart, Arkansas, to establish the municipal airport. The city subsequently obtained the remaining 46.2 acres (186,964.9 m²) from the Public Housing Administration and now owns the entire 2681.9 acres (10.9 km²) used in connection with the former Stuttgart AAF. The transfer included a recapture clause by which the Government reserved specific rights of use and possession during a national emergency.
Facilities and aircraft
Stuttgart Municipal Airport covers an area of 2560 acres (1,036 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 224 feet (68 m) above mean sea level. It has two 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: 9/27 is 5,002 by 150 feet (1,525 x 46 m) with a 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...
surface; 18/36 is 6,015 by 100 feet (1,833 x 30 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 June 30, 2008, the airport had 40,200 aircraft operations, an average of 110 per day: 87% 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...
, 7.5% 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 5.5% 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 34 aircraft based at this airport: 82% 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...
, 12% 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...
and 3% 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...
.
Motorsports
A 3 miles (4.8 km) SCCA road course was designed using the runways, with the first race in 1959. The last sports car race was held in 1978. A drag strip also existed from 1970 to 1972, operating as Stuttgart Dragway.External links
- Stuttgart Municipal Airport
- Google Maps Page of Stuttgart AFB. Features layout of 2.6 miles (4.2 km) road course.