Talladega Municipal Airport

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Coordinates: 33°34′12″N 086°03′03″W / 33.57, -86.05083

Talladega Municipal Airport
Talladega Municipal Airport, 4 March 1998
IATA: ASN – ICAO: KASN – FAA: ASN
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		City of Talladega
Location		Talladega, Alabama
Elevation AMSL		529 ft / 161 m
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
3/21	6,001	1,829	Asphalt
Statistics (2004)
Aircraft operations			41,000
Source: Federal Aviation Administration^[1]

Archive photo of the former Anniston AFB, 12 February 1949

Talladega Municipal Airport (IATA: ASN, ICAO: KASN, FAA LID: ASN) is a public-use airport located eight miles (13 km) northeast of the central business district of Talladega, a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. This general aviation airport is publicly owned by City of Talladega.^[1]

1 Facilities and aircraft
2 History
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Facilities and aircraft

Talladega Municipal Airport covers an area of 1,029 acres (416 ha) which contains one asphalt paved runway (3/21) measuring 6,001 x 100 ft. (1,829 x 30 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2004, the airport had 41,000 aircraft operations, an average of 112 per day: 92% general aviation, 7% military and 2% air taxi.^[1]

[edit] History

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces used Talladega airport as a training airfield by Third Air Force. It was known as Anniston Army Airfield and was headquartered by the 343d Army Air Force Base Unit.

The earliest reference to Anniston AAF which has been located was on the March 1944 US Army/Navy Directory of Airfields. It described Anniston AAF as having a 5,300' hard-surfaced runway. The earliest depiction of Anniston AAF which has been located was on the November 1944 Birmingham Sectional Chart.

The airfield consisted of three 5,300' concrete runways, taxiways, and a ramp & building complex on the northeast side of the field. The role of Anniston AAF has not been determined. Anniston AAF was still depicted as an active military airfield on the 1945 Birmingham Sectional Chart.

At some point between 1945-47, Anniston was apparently closed by the military, as it was labeled Anniston Air Force Base (Inactive) on a 1947 USGS topo map. The former Anniston AFB was eventually reused as the Talladega Airport. It was described on the Aerodromes table of the August 1954 Birmingham Sectional Chart as a jointly operated (civil & Air Force) airfield. The 1959 Jeppesen Airway Manual depicted Talladega Airport as having three 5,300' paved runways. Taxiways led to a ramp on the north side of the field. Only a single building was depicted The 1962 AOPA Airport Directory described Talladega Municipal Airport as having three 5,300' concrete runways, and listed the operator as Vinson Flying Service.

The former Anniston AAF was selected as the site for a new auto racing track by NASCAR founder Bill France & Bill Ward, and the track was opened in 1969. It "was built to be the biggest, fastest, and most competitive speedway in the world."

The date of closure of the Talladega Municipal Airport has not been determined. At an unknown date, a new airport, the Talladega Municipal Airport, was built to the east of the Speedway & former military airfield. A new 6,000' paved runway was constructed for the new airport - it did not reuse any runways from the former military airfield.