Woodward Field (airport)
Encyclopedia
Woodward Field is a county-owned public-use airport
located three nautical miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district
of Camden
, a city in Kershaw County, South Carolina
, United States
. It is also known as the Kershaw County Airport. The airport serves the general aviation
community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.
In 1941 the United States Army Air Forces
indicated a need for the airfield as a training airfield. Activated on 22 March 1941, Woodward Field was used by the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command
, Southeast Training Center (later Eastern Flying Training Command) as a basic flying training airfield, with instruction being carried out by the 64th Flying Training Detachment. The Camden-based Southern Aviation School was the civilian contractor performing the basic flight training. Flying training was performed with Fairchild PT-19
s as the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks assigned.
Robert K. Morgan, pilot of the Memphis Belle B-17 aircraft, had his primary training at Woodward Field. Along with the USAAF flying cadets, Royal Air Force
personnel were also trained at Woodward. Two small turf airfields were also used by the training school during the war.
Flying training ended on 4 August 1944 and afterwords the airfield returned to civil control
of 302 feet (92 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 6/24 is a 5000 by lighted runway and 14/32 is 2998 by crosswind runway.
For the 12-month period ending March 14, 2008, the airport had 36,400 aircraft operations, an average of 99 per day: 98% general aviation
, 1% air taxi
and 1% military
. At that time there were 37 aircraft based at this airport: 86% single-engine
, 5% multi-engine, 3% jet
and 5% ultralight.
The airport has two aviation related businesses: Camden Jet Center, a full-service FBO
, and Aircraft Maintenance Services.
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 miles (6 km) northeast 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 Camden
Camden, South Carolina
Camden is the fourth oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was an estimated 7,103 in 2009...
, a city in Kershaw County, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is also known as the Kershaw County Airport. The airport serves the 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...
community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.
History
Woodward Field is named for philanthropist and equestrian Ernest Woodward, who donated 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of land for an airport in 1929. The airport was opened in November 1937.In 1941 the United States Army Air Forces
United 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....
indicated a need for the airfield as a training airfield. Activated on 22 March 1941, Woodward Field was used by the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
, Southeast Training Center (later Eastern Flying Training Command) as a basic flying training airfield, with instruction being carried out by the 64th Flying Training Detachment. The Camden-based Southern Aviation School was the civilian contractor performing the basic flight training. Flying training was performed with Fairchild PT-19
Fairchild PT-19
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II . London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4....
s as the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks assigned.
Robert K. Morgan, pilot of the Memphis Belle B-17 aircraft, had his primary training at Woodward Field. Along with the USAAF flying cadets, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
personnel were also trained at Woodward. Two small turf airfields were also used by the training school during the war.
Flying training ended on 4 August 1944 and afterwords the airfield returned to civil control
Facilities and aircraft
Woodward Field covers an area of 396 acres (160.3 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 302 feet (92 m) above mean sea level. It has two 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...
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: 6/24 is a 5000 by lighted runway and 14/32 is 2998 by crosswind runway.
For the 12-month period ending March 14, 2008, the airport had 36,400 aircraft operations, an average of 99 per day: 98% 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...
, 1% 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 1% 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 37 aircraft based at this airport: 86% 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...
, 5% 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 5% ultralight.
The airport has two aviation related businesses: Camden Jet Center, a full-service FBO
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...
, and Aircraft Maintenance Services.
External links
- Camden Jet Center, the Fixed Base OperatorFixed base operatorA 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...
(FBO)