John H. Batten Airport

Coordinates: 42°45′38″N 087°48′55″W / 42.76056°N 87.81528°W

John H. Batten Airport
IATA: RAC – ICAO: KRAC – FAA LID: RAC
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Racine Commercial Airport Corp.
Serves Racine, Wisconsin
Elevation AMSL 674 ft / 205 m
Website www.BattenAirport.aero
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4/22 6,556 1,998 Concrete
14/32 4,423 1,348 Asphalt
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations 47,000
Based aircraft 93

John H. Batten Airport (IATA: RAC, ICAO: KRAC, FAA LID: RAC), also known as Batten International Airport, is a public use airport located 2 miles (3 km; 2 nmi) northwest of the central business district of Racine, a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, North America. It is privately owned by the Racine Commercial Airport Corporation.[1]

History

The airport was founded in 1941 by Carlyle Godske on roughly 160 acres (65 ha) of land purchased from local businessman J.A. Horlick. For most of its history, the airport was known as Racine-Horlick Field, but on September 5, 1989, the name was changed to John H. Batten Field. John H. Batten was one of the airport's early founders and supporters as well as the longtime CEO of Racine's Twin Disc, Inc.[2]

During World War II (ca 1941-1945), the newly established airport was used as a flight and ground school for the Army. Students were housed at Racine College on the south side of Racine. Ground school instruction was given at Horlick High School and the actual flight training took place at the airport. Today, the airport is used primarily by local aviation enthusiasts and by the corporate jets of large local companies such as S.C. Johnson & Son and Twin Disc, Inc.[3]

Facilities and aircraft

On 30 July 2010, plans were announced to have a full-time aviation maintenance firm on the field, planned to have opened on 1 September 2010.[4]

John H. Batten Airport covers an area of 467 acres (189 ha), including two paved runways:[1]

For the 12-month period ending September 21, 2006, the airport had 47,000 aircraft operations, an average of 128 per day: 96% general aviation; and 4% air taxi. Around 93 aircraft are based at this airport: 74% single engine; 16% multi-engine; 9% jet aircraft; and 1% helicopters.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 FAA Airport Master Record for RAC (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-07-05
  2. ↑ UW-Parkside Archives, John Sullivan Collection, MC 011
  3. ↑ UW-Parkside Archives, John Sullivan Collection, MC 011
  4. ↑ Burke, Michael (2010-07-30). Aviation maintenance firm coming to Batten Airport. Journal Times, 30 July 2010. Retrieved from http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_3b728e8e-9c12-11df-94b5-001cc4c002e0.html.

External links