Safford Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Safford Regional Airport is a city-owned public-use airport
located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district
of Safford
, a city in Graham County
, Arizona
, United States
. The airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
for 2009–2013, which categorizes
it as a general aviation
facility. It is the only paved airport in Graham County.
. On November 11, 1941, a 20-year lease for the airport site was given to the City of Safford
by the U.S. Government. By March 8, 1946 the airport site was transferred to the City of Safford on a permanent basis.
of 3,179 feet (969 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 12/30 is 6,006 by 100 feet (1,831 x 30 m) and 8/26 is 4,800 by 75 feet (1,463 x 23 m). It also has one helipad
designated H1 with a 72 by 72 ft (22 x 22 m) concrete
surface.
For the 12-month period ending March 31, 2009, the airport had 8,690 aircraft operations, an average of 23 per day: 93% general aviation
, 7% military
and <1% air taxi
. At that time there were 32 aircraft based at this airport: 56% single-engine
, 41% multi-engine and 3% helicopter
.
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 miles (6 km) east 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 Safford
Safford, Arizona
- History :Safford was founded by Joshua Eaton Bailey, Hiram Kennedy and Edward Tuttle, who came from Gila Bend, in southwestern Arizona. They left Gila Bend in the winter of 1873-74; their work on canals and dams having been destroyed by high water the previous summer...
, a city in Graham County
Graham County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.1% White*1.8% Black*14.4% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.8% Two or more races*8.3% Other races*30.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. It is developed and maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration . Its purposes are:* to identify all the airports in the U.S...
for 2009–2013, which categorizes
FAA airport categories
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has a system for categorizing public-use airports that is primarily based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. It is used to determine if an airport is eligible for funding through the federal government's Airport...
it as a 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...
facility. It is the only paved airport in Graham County.
History
Originally the Civilian Pilot Training Airport or Wickersham Airport was 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Safford, where the fairgrounds are today. Safford Regional Airport as we know it was built as a military auxiliary field during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. On November 11, 1941, a 20-year lease for the airport site was given to the City of Safford
Safford, Arizona
- History :Safford was founded by Joshua Eaton Bailey, Hiram Kennedy and Edward Tuttle, who came from Gila Bend, in southwestern Arizona. They left Gila Bend in the winter of 1873-74; their work on canals and dams having been destroyed by high water the previous summer...
by the U.S. Government. By March 8, 1946 the airport site was transferred to the City of Safford on a permanent basis.
- 1949: Land acquisition, construction of access road and cattle guard, fencing.
- 1950: Installation of medium intensity runway lighting (MIRL) on NE/SW runway, modification of lighting service and control segmented circle and lighted wind cone, construction of curbs for auto parking, fencing. Installation of 10 inches (254 mm) clear- green rotating beacon.
- 1952: Construct water supply and distribution system, convert single phase electrical system to 3 phase.
- 1974: Overlay and mark Runway 12/30 (approximately 4800 feet (1,463 m) by 75 feet) and taxiway (approximately 2800 feet (853.4 m) by 40 feet); pave aircraft parking apron (approximately 22,000 sq yd).
- 1981: Install MIRL; 12/30. Construction of parking Apron.
- 1983: Construct medium intensity taxiway lighting (MITL), place guidance signs and mark parallel taxiway (approximately 370 feet (112.8 m) by 35 feet), install Visual Approach Slope Indicators (VASI-2) and runway edge identifier lights (REIL), runway ends 12/30. Grading, drainage and surfacing of taxiway 12/30.
- 1986: Slurry seal runway 12/30.
- 1987: Reconstruct and mark runway 8/26 (approximately 75 feet (22.9 m) by 4,800 feet), mark taxiway hold lines and grade 200 by 125 feet (38.1 m) at both ends of the runway.
- 1992: Extend taxiway B to runway 12/30 eastern end, crack seal and overlay existing taxiway A and B, install MITL along Taxiway C and extend taxiway B.
- 1994: Reconstruct runway 12/30 excluding recent extension and construction of terminal parking lot.
- 1995: Pave auto parking lot.
- 1996: Reconstruct and expand existing terminal apron.
- 1997: ASOS Weather Station installed.
- 1998: Construct heliport, provide runway 8/26 pavement and airport fencing.
Facilities and aircraft
Safford Regional Airport covers an area of 630 acres (255 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 3,179 feet (969 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 6,006 by 100 feet (1,831 x 30 m) and 8/26 is 4,800 by 75 feet (1,463 x 23 m). It also has one helipad
Helipad
Helipad is a common abbreviation for helicopter landing pad, a landing area for helicopters. While helicopters are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where a helicopter can safely...
designated H1 with a 72 by 72 ft (22 x 22 m) concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
surface.
For the 12-month period ending March 31, 2009, the airport had 8,690 aircraft operations, an average of 23 per day: 93% 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...
, 7% 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...
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 32 aircraft based at this airport: 56% 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...
, 41% multi-engine and 3% 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...
.
Operations
- Sectional chart: PHOENIX
- Control tower: no
- ARTCC: ALBUQUERQUE CENTER
- FSS: PRESCOTT FLIGHT SERVICE STATION [1-866-226-3763]
- NOTAMs facility: SAD (NOTAM-D service available)
- Attendance: MON-SAT 0700-1730, SUN 0700-1530
- Pattern altitude: 4177 ft (1,273.1 m) MSL
- Wind indicator: lighted
- Segmented circle: yes
- Lights: DUSK-DAWN
- Beacon: white-green (lighted land airport)
Communications
- CTAF/UNICOM: 122.8
- WX ASOS: 124.175 (928-428-5178)
- APCH/DEP SERVICE PRVDD BY ALBUQUERQUE ARTCC ON FREQS 134.45/327.15 (SILVER CITY RCAG).
Services
- Fuel available: 100LL JET-A
- FUEL AVBL AFTER HRS CTC (928) 552-0543.
- Parking: tiedowns
- Airframe service: MAJOR
- Powerplant service: MAJOR
- Bottled oxygen: NONE
- Bulk oxygen: NONE
External links
- Ponderosa Aviation, the fixed base operatorFixed base operatorA Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
(FBO) - Safford Regional Airport (SAD) at Arizona DOT airport directory
- Aerial image as of 15 May 1998 from USGS The National Map