| Kissimmee Gateway Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerial view of Kissimmee Gateway Airport | |||
| IATA: ISM – ICAO: KISM – FAA LID: ISM | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner/Operator | City of Kissimmee | ||
| Serves | Orlando, Florida | ||
| Location | Kissimmee, Florida | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 82 ft / 25 m | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 6/24 | 5,000 | 1,524 | Asphalt |
| 15/33 | 6,000 | 1,829 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2001) | |||
| Aircraft operations | 150,388 | ||
| Based aircraft | 206 | ||
| Sources: Airport website[1] and FAA[2] | |||
Kissimmee Gateway Airport (IATA: ISM, ICAO: KISM, FAA LID: ISM), formerly known as Kissimmee Municipal Airport, is a public airport in Kissimmee, a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. The airport is located 16 nautical miles (30 km) southwest of the central business district of Orlando. It is owned and operated by the City of Kissimmee.[1][2]
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Kissimmee Gateway Airport covers an area of 892 acres (361 ha) which contains two asphalt paved runways: 6/24 measuring 5,000 x 150 ft (1,524 x 46 m) and 15/33 measuring 6,000 x 100 ft (1,829 x 30 m).[2] Today it hosts a variety of general aviation aircraft operations, including a major facility for the restoration of classic military aircraft from the World War II era to flying condition. The airport has an operational control tower and a Category I instrument landing system (ILS) on its main runway. It is considered a general aviation reliever airport to Orlando International Airport.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2001, the airport had 150,388 aircraft operations, an average of 412 per day: 98% general aviation, 2% air taxi, <1% military and <1% scheduled commercial. There are 206 aircraft based at this airport: 71% single-engine, 22% multi-engine, 4% jet and 3% helicopter.[2]
Passenger Service:
The airport opened in April 1940 by the United States Army Air Forces. Known as Kissimmee Army Airfield, it was used as part of the Air University Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics (AAFSAT) tactical combat simulation school in Central and Northern Florida.
Headquartered at Orlando Army Air Base, the school's mission was to develop tactics and techniques of aerial warfare and to establish technical and tactical proficiency requirements for combat units to effectively engage and defeat enemy air forces. This was done with a wide variety of aircraft, including heavy strategic bombers; tactical fighters; medium and light bombers; reconnaissance and dive bombers, based at different airfields of the school.
The 99th Bombardment Squadron flew B-25 Mitchells and B-26 Marauder medium bombers from the airfield.
Beginning in January 1943, the mission of the airfield was changed to Night Fighter pilot training, the station coming under the jurisdiction of the AAFSAT Night Fighter Department (Dark). Newly-formed night fighter squadrons at Orlando Army Airfield were transferred to Kissimmee where the received instruction initially in modified Douglas A-20 Havocs for night fighter operations, designated P-70s. The operational training unit was the 349th Night Fighter Squadron, which was reassigned to the airfield from Orlando AAF. Known Night Fighter units that trained at the airfield were:
In September 1943, the P-70s were replaced by the purpose-built Northrup YP-61 Black Widow night fighter and the 420th NFS was moved to Dunnellon Army Air Base in August 1943. The squadron was only at Dunnellon a brief time, being reassigned to IV Fighter Command at Hammer Field, California on 18 January 1944.
Night fighter training was moved to southern California in January 1944, and the military use of the field was phased down. The airfield was closed on 7 July 1945 and returned to civilian use by the end of the year.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.