Wainwright Airport (Alaska)
Encyclopedia
Wainwright Airport is a public use airport
located in Wainwright
, a city in the North Slope Borough
of the U.S. state
of Alaska
. The airport is owned by the North Slope Borough.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this airport is assigned AWI by the FAA and AIN by the IATA. The airport's ICAO
identifier is PAWI.
designated 5/23 with a gravel
surface measuring 4,494 by 90 feet (1,370 x 27 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2005, the airport had 1,100 aircraft operations, an average of 91 per month: 73% air taxi
and 27% general aviation
.
Radar station at Wainwright (LIZ-3). The station was logistically supported by the 711th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron based at Cape Lisburne Air Force Station
, although Point Lay was operated by civilian contract workers.
The radar station was upgraded in the late 1980s with new radars and in 1989 was re-designated part of the North Warning System
(NWS) as a Long Range Radar Site, A-16, controlled by the Pacific Air Forces 611th Air Support Group
, based at Elmendorf AFB.
The LRR site was inactivated in 2007 due to soil erosion and budget concerns. The airport remains open to support the small settlement.
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 Wainwright
Wainwright, Alaska
Wainwright or Ulguniq or Kuuk is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 546, making it the third largest city in the North Slope Borough. The community was named after Wainwright Lagoon, which in turn was named an officer under Capt. F.W....
, a city in the North Slope Borough
North Slope Borough, Alaska
-National protected areas:* Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge ** Cape Lisburne** Cape Thompson* Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ** Mollie Beattie Wilderness * Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. The airport is owned by the North Slope Borough.
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...
, this airport is assigned AWI by the FAA and AIN by the IATA. The airport's ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
identifier is PAWI.
Facilities and aircraft
Wainwright Airport has 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 5/23 with a gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
surface measuring 4,494 by 90 feet (1,370 x 27 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2005, the airport had 1,100 aircraft operations, an average of 91 per month: 73% 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...
and 27% 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...
.
Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Barrow, AKWiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport is a public airport located in Barrow, a city in the North Slope Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is owned by the state. Situated on the Chukchi Sea at a latitude of 71.29°N, the airport is the farthest north of any in US territory... |
3,000 | Hageland, Era Alaska |
History
The airport was built in 1957 to support the Distant Early Warning LineDistant Early Warning Line
The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the North Coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska, in addition to the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland...
Radar station at Wainwright (LIZ-3). The station was logistically supported by the 711th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron based at Cape Lisburne Air Force Station
Cape Lisburne Air Force Station
Cape Lisburne Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located west-southwest of Point Barrow, Alaska....
, although Point Lay was operated by civilian contract workers.
The radar station was upgraded in the late 1980s with new radars and in 1989 was re-designated part of the North Warning System
North Warning System
The North Warning System is a joint United States and Canadian radar system for the atmospheric air defense of North America. It provides surveillance of airspace from potential incursions or attacks from across North America's polar region...
(NWS) as a Long Range Radar Site, A-16, controlled by the Pacific Air Forces 611th Air Support Group
611th Air Support Group
The 611th Air Support Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the Eleventh Air Force, stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.-Overview:...
, based at Elmendorf AFB.
The LRR site was inactivated in 2007 due to soil erosion and budget concerns. The airport remains open to support the small settlement.
See also
- North Warning SystemNorth Warning SystemThe North Warning System is a joint United States and Canadian radar system for the atmospheric air defense of North America. It provides surveillance of airspace from potential incursions or attacks from across North America's polar region...
- Distant Early Warning LineDistant Early Warning LineThe Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the North Coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska, in addition to the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland...
- Alaskan Air CommandAlaskan Air CommandAlaskan Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1945 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise direct control of all active measures, and coordinate all passive means of...
- Eleventh Air ForceEleventh Air ForceThe Eleventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska....