Felts Field
| Felts Field | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Felts Field from air, looking west | |||
| IATA: SFF – ICAO: KSFF – FAA LID: SFF | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Spokane City-County | ||
| Serves | Spokane, Washington | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,957 ft / 596 m | ||
| Coordinates | 47°40′59″N 117°19′21″W / 47.68306°N 117.32250°W | ||
| Website | |||
| Map | |||
  KSFF | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 3L/21R | 4,499 | 1,371 | Concrete |
| 3R/21L | 2,650 | 808 | Asphalt |
| 3W/21W | 6,000 | 1,829 | Water |
| Statistics (2009) | |||
| Aircraft operations | 75,124 | ||
| Based aircraft | 163 | ||
| Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||
Felts Field (IATA: SFF, ICAO: KSFF, FAA LID: SFF) is a public use airport located four nautical miles (4.6 mi, 7.4 km) northeast of the central business district of Spokane, in Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is owned by Spokane City-County.[1]
The airport has two hard surface runways and one runway on the Spokane River. Felts Field is primarily used for general aviation now, however was Spokane's primary passenger airport before the opening of Spokane International Airport.
History
Felts Field, Spokane's historic airfield, is located on the south bank of the Spokane River and east of Spokane proper. Aviation activities began there in 1913. In 1920 the field, then called the Parkwater airstrip, was designated a municipal flying field at the instigation of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce. In 1926, the United States Department of Commerce officially recognized Parkwater as an airport, one of the first in the West. In September 1927, in conjunction with Spokane’s National Air Derby and Air Races, the airport was renamed Felts Field for James Buell Felts (1898–1927), a Washington Air National Guard aviator killed in a crash that May. Parkwater Aviation Field, later Felts Field, was the location for flight instruction, charter service, airplane repair, aerial photography, headquarters of the 116th Observation Squadron of the Washington Air National Guard, and eventually the first airmail and commercial flights in and out of Spokane. After World War II, commercial air traffic moved to Geiger Field (later Spokane International Airport). Felts Field remains a busy regional hub for private and small-plane aviation and related businesses and services. In 1991 it was designated Felts Field Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.[2][3]
Today the airport is used primarily for general aviation activity. No scheduled passenger service remains at Felts, though commercial scheduled Part 135 cargo operations remain via UPS and DHL contracting (Ameriflight LLC and previously Merlin Express Airways).
Facilities and aircraft
Felts Field covers an area of 416 acres (168 ha) at an elevation of 1,957 feet (596 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 4L/22R is 4,499 by 150 feet (1,371 x 46 m) with a concrete surface and 4R/22L is 2,650 by 75 feet (808 x 23 m) with an asphalt surface. It also has a seaplane landing area designated 3W/21W which measures 6,000 by 100 feet (1,829 x 30 m).[1]
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2009, the airport had 75,124 aircraft operations, an average of 205 per day: 89% general aviation, 11% air taxi, and <1% military. At that time there were 163 aircraft based at this airport: 69% single-engine, 22% multi-engine, 1% jet and 8% helicopter.[1]
Accidents and incidents
On November 29, 2003, an Ameriflight LLC cargo aircraft (Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner) (N439AF) crashed on approach while attempting to land on runway 21R at Felts Field using ILS. The pilot's HSI was previously noted as inoperative, deferred, and due for scheduled maintenance. It is unclear whether the pilot was using backup instrumentation as prescribed via the deferral process or using the faulty HSI. The Metro III failed to maintain ILS glide slope and crashed short of the runway into rising terrain and trees. The pilot was killed during the subsequent impact and fire. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 FAA Airport Master Record for SFF (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 25 August 2011.
- ↑ "Felts Field History". Retrieved 2011-07-19.
- ↑ "WASHINGTON - Spokane County". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
- ↑ "Flight 1966 crash". Retrieved 2011-07-19.
External links
- Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective February 6, 2014
- FAA Terminal Procedures for SFF, effective February 6, 2014
- Resources for this airport:
- FAA airport information for SFF
- AirNav airport information for KSFF
- ASN accident history for SFF
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures
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