| Palatka Municipal Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: none – ICAO: none – FAA LID: 28J | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public use | ||
| Owner | City of Palatka | ||
| Operator | Glenn A. Ball | ||
| Serves | Palatka, Florida | ||
| Location | Putnam County, Florida | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 49 ft / 15 m | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 9/27 | 6,000 | 1,829 | Asphalt |
| 12/30 | 3,000 | 914 | Asphalt |
| 17/35 | 3,500 | 1,067 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (1999) | |||
| Aircraft operations | 40,596 | ||
| Based aircraft | 77 | ||
| Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||
Palatka Municipal Airport (FAA LID: 28J), also known as Lieutenant Kay Larkin Field, is a public-use airport located 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of the central business district of the city of Palatka in Putnam County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned.[1]
Palatka Municipal Airport was originally founded in 1938 with just 214 acres (0.87 km2). On June 1, 1942, the U.S. Navy, under a government lease, acquired the airport from the City of Palatka, and in 1943, acquired additional land in support of naval air training operations, primarily Navy and Marine Corps F4U Corsair fighter training, under the cognizance of the Naval Air Station Jacksonville complex to the north. On August 21, 1942, the airport was officially named Kay Larkin Field for 1st Lieutenant J. K. "Kay" Larkin, a U.S. Army Air Forces instructor pilot and Palatka native killed during the Second World War. In 1946, the War Assets Administration turned the airport back over to the City of Palatka.[2]
In the early 1960s, it appeared likely that commercial air service would be initiated in the Palatka area. To accommodate this service, a terminal building of approximately 1,400 square feet (130 m2) was constructed and dedicated in January 1963. In September 1963, South Central Airlines started servicing Palatka and the Central Florida area and continued for approximately two years, discontinuing service in 1965. That terminal building remains in operation today, primarily in support of general aviation operations. Shortly following discontinuance of commercial air service, the City leased operation to outside fixed base operators (FBOs), but resumed complete operation in the early 1980s. In 2010, the city opened a new 4,000 sq ft (370 m2). terminal building.[3]
Palatka Municipal Airport currently consists of over 730 acres (3.0 km2) with three (3) active paved runways, the longest of which is 6,003 feet (1,830 m) in length.