Opa-locka West Airport
Encyclopedia
Opa-locka West Airport was a county-owned public airport
located 12 miles (19 km) northwest of the central business district
of Miami
, a city in Miami-Dade County
, Florida
, United States
. It covered an area of 420 acres (170 ha) which contained two asphalt
paved runway
s: 9/27 measuring 3,000 x 60 ft (914 x 18 m) and 18/36 measuring 3,000 x 60 ft (914 x 18 m).
The airport opened in 1970 and was designed to relieve congestion at the nearby Opa-locka Airport
. There was no public access to the airfield by land and it served as a remote area for touch-and-go training. Light twin-engine aircraft such as the Cessna 310
were the largest used at this airport. There were no storage facilities and no aircraft based at the airport. Expansion was limited due to the presence of wetland
s. The airport had 12,100 general aviation
aircraft operations in the year 2002.
The airport was badly damaged by Hurricane Wilma
in October 2005. Miami-Dade County announced in June 2006 that the airport would be decommissioned. The county planned to use the land as a quarry
, with an estimated yield of 47 million cufts (1,330,891.8 m³) of limestone
worth between $500 million and $1.2 billion.
Countyline Dragway, a one-eighth mile drag racing
strip sanctioned by the International Hot Rod Association
(IHRA), opened at the former airport site in January 2007. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 27
(Okeechobee Road) and Krome Avenue, just south of the Miami-Dade/Broward
county line.
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 12 miles (19 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 Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, a city in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It covered an area of 420 acres (170 ha) which contained 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: 9/27 measuring 3,000 x 60 ft (914 x 18 m) and 18/36 measuring 3,000 x 60 ft (914 x 18 m).
The airport opened in 1970 and was designed to relieve congestion at the nearby Opa-locka Airport
Opa-locka Airport
Opa-locka Airport , also known as Opa-locka Executive Airport, is a general aviation airport and joint civil-military airfield 10 miles north of Downtown Miami, primarily in metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States, with a portion within the city proper of Opa-locka.The airport's control tower...
. There was no public access to the airfield by land and it served as a remote area for touch-and-go training. Light twin-engine aircraft such as the Cessna 310
Cessna 310
The Cessna 310 is an American six-seat, low-wing, twin-engined monoplane that was produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engined aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.-Development:...
were the largest used at this airport. There were no storage facilities and no aircraft based at the airport. Expansion was limited due to the presence of wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s. The airport had 12,100 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...
aircraft operations in the year 2002.
The airport was badly damaged by Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season...
in October 2005. Miami-Dade County announced in June 2006 that the airport would be decommissioned. The county planned to use the land as a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, with an estimated yield of 47 million cufts (1,330,891.8 m³) of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
worth between $500 million and $1.2 billion.
Countyline Dragway, a one-eighth mile drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
strip sanctioned by the International Hot Rod Association
International Hot Rod Association
The International Hot Rod Association, also known as IHRA, is the 2nd largest drag racing sanctioning body after the NHRA.-The Carrier Era:The IHRA was formed in November 1970 by businessman Larry Carrier. Throughout this period the organization was operated primarily in the south-eastern United...
(IHRA), opened at the former airport site in January 2007. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
(Okeechobee Road) and Krome Avenue, just south of the Miami-Dade/Broward
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
county line.