Stillwater Regional Airport

Stillwater Regional Airport
Searcy Field
IATA: SWO – ICAO: KSWO – FAA LID: SWO
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner City of Stillwater
Serves Stillwater, Oklahoma
Elevation AMSL 1,000 ft / 305 m
Coordinates 36°09′40″N 097°05′08″W / 36.16111°N 97.08556°W
Website stillwater.org/government/city_facilities/stillwater_regional_airport/
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
17/35 7,401 2,256 Concrete
4/22 5,002 1,525 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Aircraft operations 71,707
Based aircraft 72

Stillwater Regional Airport (IATA: SWO, ICAO: KSWO, FAA LID: SWO) (Searcy Field) is in Payne County, Oklahoma, three miles northwest of Stillwater, which owns it.[1]

History

After World War II the airfield was one of six locations in the nation that stored surplus bombers, fighters, trainers, and transports. About 475 aircraft were flown to the airport starting in 1945. In 1946 Paul Mantz bought them all, keeping 12 for use as stunt planes and camera ships, and selling the rest for scrap.[2]

One of the aircraft processed through Stillwater - and purchased by Mantz - was B-17 41-24577 "Hells Angels," which was the first B-17 to complete 25 missions (even before the Memphis Belle).[3]

Central DC-3s landed at Stillwater starting in 1953; successor Frontier pulled out in 1975-76.

Stillwater was home to an Essential Air Service airline named Exec Express,Inc.. It operated Piper PA-31 Navajos.

Facilities

The airport covers 1,571 acres (636 ha) at an elevation of 1,000 feet (305 m). It has two runways: 17/35 is 7,401 by 100 feet (2,256 x 30 m) concrete; 4/22 is 5,002 by 75 feet (1,525 x 23 m) asphalt.[1]

In the year ending 31 May 2009 the airport had 71,707 aircraft operations, average 196 per day: 95% general aviation, 3% military, 2% air taxi, and <1% airline. 72 aircraft were then based at the airport: 86% single-engine, 11% multi-engine, 1% helicopter and 1% ultralight.[1]

The airport is home to the Stillwater Airport Memorial Museum.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 FAA Airport Master Record for SWO (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 29 July 2010.
  2. ↑ FAA Inspector Sees Stories in Old Planes Ponca City News, accessed 30 December 2010
  3. ↑ Aerovintage.com, accessed 30 December 2010
  4. ↑ VisitStillwater.org, accessed 13 January 2014

External links