Montgomery Regional Airport

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Montgomery Regional Airport
Dannelly Field
IATA: MGM - ICAO: KMGM
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Montgomery Airport Authority
Serves Montgomery, Alabama
Elevation AMSL 221 ft (67.4 m)
Coordinates 32°18′02″N, 86°23′38″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
10/28 9,010 2,746 Asphalt
3/21 4,010 1,222 Asphalt

Montgomery Regional Airport (IATA: MGM, ICAO: KMGM), also known as Dannelly Field, is a public airport located six miles (9.7 km) southwest of the central business district (CBD) of Montgomery, a city in Montgomery County and the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is mostly used for military and general aviation, but is also served by four commercial airlines.

Contents

[edit] History

From the outset, commercial aviation and military aviation have been intertwined in Montgomery. The first commercial air services in Montgomery operated at Maxwell Field, a military facility founded by the Wright Brothers west of the city. To provide for the separate needs of commercial aviation, the City of Montgomery opened its original municipal airport in 1929 east of the city. This facility was later named Gunter Field and was served by a predecessor of American Airlines. Eastern Air Lines subsequently took over service at Gunter.

In 1940 the War Department chose Gunter for a new pilot training facility. Gunter quickly became congested. Eastern was forced to move temporarily to Maxwell, and the city purchased a tract southwest of downtown on US 80 to replace Gunter. Separately, the Army Air Force identified a need for seven auxiliary fields in the vicinity of Gunter; the city and USAAF agreed that the city's newly purchased site would serve as Gunter's auxiliary field #6. It opened in 1943 and was named for Ens. Clarence Moore Dannelly, Jr., a Navy pilot killed in a 1940 training accident and considered to be the first casualty of World War II from Montgomery. The old Army hangars are now part of the Montgomery Aviation complex. The original three runways, and their original dimensions, were:

  • 3/21: 4,000 x 150 ft. Still exists today.
  • 9/27: 3,500 x 150 ft. Extended to 7,000 ft in 1955. Extended to 9,000 ft in 1963. Redesignated 10/28 in 1992.
  • 15/33: 4,000 x 150 ft. Closed in 1981. Some portions remain as taxiway and apron.

When Dannelly Field opened, Eastern moved its operations there. The city took title to Dannelly in 1946, although joint commercial and military use continued, and erected a permanent passenger terminal and control tower north of Runway 9/27 in 1955. While Runway 9/27 was being rebuilt in 1963, commercial flights were diverted to Maxwell.

[edit] Facilities

Montgomery Regional (Dannelly Field) Airport covers 1,907 acres and has two runways:

  • Runway 10/28: 9,010 x 150 ft. (2,746 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt. CAT I ILS and approach lights on both ends.
  • Runway 3/21: 4,010 x 150 ft. (1,222 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt

The air carrier terminal has been expanded and modified several times since 1955. A $40 million capital program that finished in November 2006 doubled the size of the terminal, completely transformed its appearance, and modernized it with 2nd floor boarding, jetway loading bridges, and a rotunda with a domed ceiling that simulates sunrises, sunsets, and stars at night.

The air carrier apron, as well as the main runway and taxiways, can accommodate aircraft as large as the Boeing 747 and Antonov 124.

There are numerous corporate aviation hangars and support facilities. A proposal to extend Runway 3/21 to 7,200 feet is currently under consideration. A new control tower was built in 1996 south of Runway 10/28.

[edit] Military use

The Alabama Air National Guard 187th Fighter Wing, based on the west side of the airport, operates a squadron of F-16C aircraft. The 187th Fighter Wing evolved from the 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron that began operating at Dannelly Field in 1953. During its history, the 187th and its predecessor have based several types of aircraft at Montgomery, including the RF-51, RF-80, RF-84, RF-4, F-4 and C-131.

The Alabama Army National Guard has an aviation support facility on the south side of the airport. Although primarily oriented to helicopter operations, fixed-wing aircraft can also be accommodated.

An Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) unit is located at the airport, equipped with multiple fire fighting vehicles.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

Past airlines since 1955 included Eastern Air Lines, Southern Airways, Republic Airlines, Piedmont Aviation, American Eagle, Sun Airlines, Southeast Air, South Central Air Transport (SCAT), Air Illinois and Ocean Airways. Although 50-70 passenger regional jets are now the predominant scheduled aircraft, in past years airlines such as Delta operated the DC-9, MD-80, 737, 727, and briefly even the DC-8 on a scheduled basis.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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