Dothan Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Dothan Regional Airport is a public use airport
in the Dale County
portion of Dothan, Alabama
, located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the central business district
of Dothan
, a city primarily in Houston County
, Alabama
, United States
. It is mostly used for military aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline.
constructed Napier Field, named in honor of Major Edward L. Napier of Union Springs, Alabama
. One of the Army's first flight surgeons, he was killed in the crash of of a Fokker D.VII
, AS-5382, at McCook Field
, Dayton, Ohio
, on 15 September 1923. He had been a Medical Corps Officer in the Great War and had transferred to the Army Air Corps
. He was receiving training as a flight surgeon at the time of his death. The official report states that he was piloting the plane himself and there was a structural failure of a wing.
Napier was assiged to the Southeast Training Center of the Army Air Force Training Command. It was commanded by the 73d Army Air Force Base Unit.
The 29th Flying Training Wing was activated at Napier on 26 December 42. The 2116th (Pilot School, Advanced, Single-Engine) was main operational group at Napier Field. The group flew mostly AT-6 Texans
as well as providing advanced & specialized training in single engine aircraft, including P-40 fighters. The first aircraft began operating on the field on October 1, 1941.
On 20 December 1941, the first group of British cadets arrived for training. The first American cadets graduated on July 3, 1942 (42-F). In late May 1945, officers from the Mexican Army began P-40 training at Napier Field.
The field was deactivated on 31 October 1945, and the airfield and its improvements were subsequently made available to the City of Dothan and Houston County under an Agreement in 1946 which was jointly accepted at that time. The airport lands lay dormant for about 20 years and Houston County later turned its share of Napier Field to the City.
In the early 1960s, a complete overhaul of the facility commenced with the old AAF airfield layout being largely dug up and turned into hardcore for new jet runways, buildings and other facilities built for a civilian airport. Dothan Regional Airport opened to commercial activity on February 15, 1965.
of 401 feet (122 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 14/32 is 8,498 by 150 feet (2,590 x 46 m) and 18/36 is 5,500 by 100 feet (1,676 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2009, the airport had 86,319 aircraft operations, an average of 236 per day: 58% military
, 38% general aviation
, 3% scheduled commercial
, and 1% air taxi
. At that time there were 91 aircraft based at this airport: 53% single-engine
, 38% multi-engine, 8% jet
and 1% helicopter
.
operated by Lloyd Aereo Boliviana was damaged beyond repair in a hangar fire.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in the Dale County
Dale County, Alabama
Dale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,251...
portion of Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
, located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Dothan
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
, a city primarily in Houston County
Houston County, Alabama
Houston County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of 2010 the population was 101,547. Its county seat is Dothan.Houston County is part of the Dothan Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is mostly used for military aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline.
History
In 1941 the United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
constructed Napier Field, named in honor of Major Edward L. Napier of Union Springs, Alabama
Union Springs, Alabama
Union Springs is a town in Bullock County, Alabama, United States. The population was 3,670 at the 2000 census.-History:The area that became Union Springs was first settled by white men after the Creek Indian removal of the 1830s. Twenty-seven springs watered the land, giving rise to the name of...
. One of the Army's first flight surgeons, he was killed in the crash of of a Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
, AS-5382, at McCook Field
McCook Field
McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917-1927...
, Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, on 15 September 1923. He had been a Medical Corps Officer in the Great War and had transferred to the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. He was receiving training as a flight surgeon at the time of his death. The official report states that he was piloting the plane himself and there was a structural failure of a wing.
Napier was assiged to the Southeast Training Center of the Army Air Force Training Command. It was commanded by the 73d Army Air Force Base Unit.
The 29th Flying Training Wing was activated at Napier on 26 December 42. The 2116th (Pilot School, Advanced, Single-Engine) was main operational group at Napier Field. The group flew mostly AT-6 Texans
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
as well as providing advanced & specialized training in single engine aircraft, including P-40 fighters. The first aircraft began operating on the field on October 1, 1941.
On 20 December 1941, the first group of British cadets arrived for training. The first American cadets graduated on July 3, 1942 (42-F). In late May 1945, officers from the Mexican Army began P-40 training at Napier Field.
The field was deactivated on 31 October 1945, and the airfield and its improvements were subsequently made available to the City of Dothan and Houston County under an Agreement in 1946 which was jointly accepted at that time. The airport lands lay dormant for about 20 years and Houston County later turned its share of Napier Field to the City.
In the early 1960s, a complete overhaul of the facility commenced with the old AAF airfield layout being largely dug up and turned into hardcore for new jet runways, buildings and other facilities built for a civilian airport. Dothan Regional Airport opened to commercial activity on February 15, 1965.
Facilities and aircraft
Dothan Regional Airport covers an area of 1150 acres (465.4 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 401 feet (122 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s: 14/32 is 8,498 by 150 feet (2,590 x 46 m) and 18/36 is 5,500 by 100 feet (1,676 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2009, the airport had 86,319 aircraft operations, an average of 236 per day: 58% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
, 38% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, 3% scheduled commercial
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
, and 1% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
. At that time there were 91 aircraft based at this airport: 53% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 38% multi-engine, 8% jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
and 1% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
Scheduled passenger service
Accidents and Incidents
31 August 1991 - A Boeing 707Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
operated by Lloyd Aereo Boliviana was damaged beyond repair in a hangar fire.
External links
- Dothan Regional Airport, official site
- Airfield photos for DHN from Civil Air PatrolCivil Air PatrolCivil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...