Marfa Airport
Encyclopedia
Marfa Municipal Airport is a county-owned public-use airport
located three nautical mile
s (6 km) north of the central business district
of Marfa
, a city in Presidio County
, Texas
, United States
. The airport serves private aircraft and has no scheduled airlines service.
of 4,849 feet (1,478 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 12/30 is 6,214 by 75 feet (1,894 x 23 m) and 3/21 is 5,307 by 75 feet (1,618 x 23 m). It also has a third runway with a dirt
surface: 8/26 is 2,825 by 60 feet (861 x 18 m).
For the 12-month period ending April 23, 2007, the airport had 15,000 aircraft operations, an average of 41 per day, all of which were general aviation
. At that time there were 18 aircraft based at this airport: 61% single-engine
, 6% multi-engine and 33% glider
.
by the National Soaring Museum
.
Marfa Gliders offers sailplane flight training and glider rides throughout the year and hosts a soaring camp in spring.
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...
located three nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (6 km) north 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 Marfa
Marfa, Texas
Marfa is a town in the high desert of far West Texas in the Southwestern United States. Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, it is also the county seat of Presidio County. The population was 1,981 at the 2010 census....
, a city in Presidio County
Presidio County, Texas
Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 7,304. Its county seat is Marfa. Presidio County is in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas and is named for the ancient border settlement of Presidio del Norte.-Geography:Presidio County is triangular in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport serves private aircraft and has no scheduled airlines service.
Facilities and aircraft
Marfa Municipal Airport covers an area of 816 acres (330.2 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 4,849 feet (1,478 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: 12/30 is 6,214 by 75 feet (1,894 x 23 m) and 3/21 is 5,307 by 75 feet (1,618 x 23 m). It also has a third runway with a dirt
Dirt
Dirt is unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin or possessions when they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include:* dust — a general powder of organic or mineral matter...
surface: 8/26 is 2,825 by 60 feet (861 x 18 m).
For the 12-month period ending April 23, 2007, the airport had 15,000 aircraft operations, an average of 41 per day, all of which were 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...
. At that time there were 18 aircraft based at this airport: 61% 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...
, 6% multi-engine and 33% glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
.
Gliders
In April 2008, the Marfa Airport was recognized as the 15th National Landmark of SoaringNational Landmark of Soaring
The National Landmark of Soaring program acknowledges people, places and events significant in the history of gliders and motorless aviation in the United States.It is administered by the National Soaring Museum. The program was established in 1980....
by the National Soaring Museum
National Soaring Museum
The National Soaring Museum is an aviation museum whose stated aim is to preserve the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near Elmira, New York, USA.The NSM is the Soaring Society of America's official repository...
.
Marfa Gliders offers sailplane flight training and glider rides throughout the year and hosts a soaring camp in spring.