Terre Haute International Airport

Terre Haute International Airport
Hulman Field

FAA airport diagram
IATA: HUF – ICAO: KHUF – FAA LID: HUF
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Terre Haute International Airport Authority
Serves Terre Haute, Indiana
Elevation AMSL 589 ft / 180 m
Coordinates 39°27′05″N 87°18′27″W / 39.45139°N 87.30750°WCoordinates: 39°27′05″N 87°18′27″W / 39.45139°N 87.30750°W
Website www.HUF.com
Maps

Location of Vigo County in Indiana
HUF

Location of airport in Vigo County

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 9,020 2,749 Asphalt
14/32 7,200 2,195 Asphalt/Concrete
18/36 4,001 1,220 Asphalt/Concrete

Terre Haute International Airport (IATA: HUF, ICAO: KHUF, FAA LID: HUF) is a civil-military public airport six miles east of Terre Haute, in Vigo County, Indiana.[1] The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation facility.[2]

History

Originally called Hulman Field, the airport dates to 1943 when ground was broken on a 638-acre (2.58 km2) site donated to the city of Terre Haute by businessman Anton "Tony" Hulman, Jr. The airport was dedicated on October 3, 1944 and had three runways, taxiways, apron area, and a terminal building. In 1953 a new terminal and control tower were completed and the apron expanded. Since 1954 the 181st Intelligence Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard has been stationed at the airport.

In 1976 the city of Terre Haute and Vigo County jointly formed an authority to manage the airport. The Terre Haute International Airport Authority has six board members, with three members appointed by the Mayor of Terre Haute and three members appointed by the Vigo County Commissioners. The terminal was expanded in 1977 and 1981. In 1998 the name was changed from Hulman Regional Airport to Terre Haute International Airport - Hulman Field, primarily due to U.S Postal Service contractor Evergreen Airlines using the airport as a hub which has since closed.

In years past Hulman Field has hosted the Terre Haute Air Fair. Performers have included the USAF Thunderbirds, the Red Baron Pizza Squadron, and Michael Hunter, the world's only insulin-dependent aerobatics pilot. The Air Fair was run almost entirely by volunteers, but also by community and school organizations looking for fundraising opportunities.

Airlines and destinations

Trans World Airlines stopped at Terre Haute from 1944 to 1967, and Lake Central Airlines from 1954 (when it replaced Delta-C&S) until its merger with Allegheny Airlines. Britt Airways took over from Allegheny in 1973 and operated there until the late 1980s. Britt was based in Terre Haute until its sale in 1985. Great Lakes Aviation operating for United Express flew Terre Haute to Chicago 1995-1999.[3]

No airline now stops at Terre Haute. Branson Air Express announced service in February 2010 but later cancelled plans, citing weak demand.[4]

Air National Guard

The airport is home to the 181st Intelligence Wing (181 IW) of the Indiana Air National Guard. As an Air National Guard unit, it is operationally gained by the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AFISRA).

The unit served in World War II, flying anti-submarine patrol along the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. It was also activated for the Korean War and the Berlin Crisis of 1961. In 1962 it was established as a fighter unit, the 181st Tactical Fighter Group (181 TFG), operationally-gained by the Tactical Air Command (TAC). Initially using the RF-84F Thunderstreak, the unit transitioned to the F-84F Thunderstreak in 1964, the F-100D/F Super Sabre in 1971, the F-4 Phantom II in 1979 and the F-16 Fighting Falcon in 1991. Known as the Racers, the then-181 TFG participated in the first Gulf War from 1990 to 1991. With the disestablishment of TAC in 1992, the unit was redesignated the 181st Fighter Group (181 FG) and operationally-gained by the Air Combat Command (ACC). In 1995, it was redesignated as the 181st Fighter Wing (181 FW) and deployed to Kuwait on two separate occasions in support of Operation Southern Watch.

On September 11, 2001, the 181 FW flew combat air patrols over the Midwestern United States less than four hours after the attacks on New York City and Washington, DC. The wing drastically increased its operations tempo, deployed members and equipment to 19 countries, and simultaneously supported seven different military operations, including Operation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Joint Forge, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Deep Freeze, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2005, concurrent with an Air Force initiative to phase out F-16C/D aircraft Block 30 and older, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission mandated the end of flying operations for the 181 FW. On September 8, 2007, the wing's F-16C Block 30s flew their last training mission out of Terre Haute International Airport/Hulman Field Air National Guard Base. The wing's squadrons were redesignated as a Distributive Ground Station (DGS) and an Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS) and on May 3, 2008 the 181st Fighter Wing was re-designated as the 181st Intelligence Wing (181 IW).

Facilities

The airport covers 1,475 acres (597 ha) and has three runways:[1]

Indiana State University and Ivy Tech use Hulman Field for their aviation program. The USAF uses Hulman Field for worldwide command and control of remote control surveillance aircraft. Hulman Field can also support the
F-16 and larger military aircraft on an “as needed” basis.”

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 FAA Airport Master Record for HUF (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration.
  2. ↑ National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015: Appendix A (PDF, 2.03 MB). Federal Aviation Administration. Updated 4 October 2010.
  3. ↑ Airport History, Terre Haute International Airport, Retrieved 2013-11-12
  4. ↑ "Branson Airport Says Dropping Service to Terre Haute Was a Must". AirportBusiness.com. January 12, 2011.

External links