Venango Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Venango Regional Airport , also known as Chess Lamberton Field, is a public airport
in western Pennsylvania
, two miles (3 km) southwest of the central business district
of Franklin and about 10 miles (16.1 km) southwest of Oil City
. Both cities are located in Venango County
, which operates the airport. The airport covers 420 acres (1.7 km²) and has two runway
s. It offers limited commercial service, subsidized by the Essential Air Service
program.
As per Federal Aviation Administration
records, the airport had 3,066 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year
2004 and 2,939 in 2005. In the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (2007-2011) it was a categorized as a commercial service
airport, which requires at least 2,500 passenger boardings per year. However, enplanements for 2006 declined to 1,978 which caused it to be categorized as a general aviation
airport.
. The airport was supported by local businessmen who formed a corporation some time later, under their stewardship the airport continued in existence until its abandonment in 1938. Thereafter, local aviators flew from the Splane Memorial Airport in Oil City from 1941 until 1950.
The construction of Chess Lamberton Airport as it was originally known, commenced in 1950. The airport was named after the grandson of the honourable Judge Robert Lamberton
of Franklin, Pa., founder of the first bank in Venango County and later reformed as The Lamberton Savings Bank in 1887.
paved runway
s: 3/21 measuring 5,200 x 150 ft (1,585 x 46 m) and 12/30 measuring 3,698 x 100 ft (1,127 x 30 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 23,593 aircraft operations, an average of 64 per day: 93% general aviation
and 7% air taxi
.
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...
in western Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, two miles (3 km) southwest 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 Franklin and about 10 miles (16.1 km) southwest of Oil City
Oil City, Pennsylvania
Oil City is a city in Venango County, Pennsylvania that is known in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. After the first oil wells were drilled nearby in the 1850s, Oil City became central in the petroleum industry while hosting headquarters for the Pennzoil, Quaker...
. Both cities are located in Venango County
Venango County, Pennsylvania
Venango County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,984. Its county seat is Franklin.-History:Venango County was created on March 12, 1800 from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties...
, which operates the airport. The airport covers 420 acres (1.7 km²) and 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. It offers limited commercial service, subsidized by the Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which, prior to deregulation, were served by certificated airlines, maintained commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these...
program.
As per Federal Aviation Administration
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...
records, the airport had 3,066 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year
Calendar year
Generally speaking, a calendar year begins on the New Year's Day of the given calendar system and ends on the day before the following New Year's Day. By convention, a calendar year consists of a natural number of days. To reconcile the calendar year with an astronomical cycle , certain years...
2004 and 2,939 in 2005. In the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (2007-2011) it was a categorized as a commercial service
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...
airport, which requires at least 2,500 passenger boardings per year. However, enplanements for 2006 declined to 1,978 which caused it to be categorized 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...
airport.
History
Aviation in Franklin area originated in 1929 when two local businessmen, Wayne W. Bleakley and Joseph McElhinney, Jr. became interested in aviation and went on to construct the first airport in what was then Sugarcreek TownshipSugarcreek, Pennsylvania
Sugarcreek is a borough in Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,331 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sugarcreek is located at ....
. The airport was supported by local businessmen who formed a corporation some time later, under their stewardship the airport continued in existence until its abandonment in 1938. Thereafter, local aviators flew from the Splane Memorial Airport in Oil City from 1941 until 1950.
The construction of Chess Lamberton Airport as it was originally known, commenced in 1950. The airport was named after the grandson of the honourable Judge Robert Lamberton
Judge Robert Lamberton
Judge Robert Lamberton was an associate Judge of the Courts of Venango County, Pennsylvania, who founded the first bank in the County later known as the Lamberton Savings Bank...
of Franklin, Pa., founder of the first bank in Venango County and later reformed as The Lamberton Savings Bank in 1887.
Airline and destinations
Facilities and aircraft
Venango Regional Airport covers an area of 420 acres (170 ha) which contains two asphaltAsphalt
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...
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 measuring 5,200 x 150 ft (1,585 x 46 m) and 12/30 measuring 3,698 x 100 ft (1,127 x 30 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 23,593 aircraft operations, an average of 64 per day: 93% 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 7% 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...
.
External links
- Venango Regional Airport at Venango County web site
- Venango Regional Airport at Pennsylvania Bureau of Aviation
- Tom's Aircraft Service
- Essential Air Service documents (Docket Number 2523) from the U.S. Department of TransportationUnited States Department of TransportationThe United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
:- Order 2007-3-12: Reselects Air Midwest to provide subsidized EAS for the two-year period ending March 31, 2009
- Order 2005-4-5: Selects Mesa Air Group (d/b/a Air Midwest) to provide essential air service through March 31, 2007
- Order 2004-12-14: Request for proposals to provide essential air service for a new two-year period