Stillwater Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Stillwater Regional Airport is a city-owned public-use airport
located three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of the central business district
of Stillwater
, a city in Payne County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. It is also known as Searcy Field.
, the airfield was one of six locations in the nation that received and stored surplus bombers, fighters, trainers, and transports. Approximately 475 aircraft were flown into the airport starting in 1945. In 1946, Paul Mantz
bought all the aircraft, keeping 12 for use as stunt planes and camera ships, and selling the rest for scrap.
One of the aircraft processed through Stillwater - and eventually purchased by Mantz - was B-17 41-24577 "Hells Angels," which was the first B-17 to complete 25 missions (even before the Memphis Belle).
Stillwater Regional Airport was home to an Essential Air Service
airline named Exec Express,Inc.
. It operated Piper PA-31 Navajo
s.
of 1,000 feet (305 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
s: 17/35 is 7,401 by 100 feet (2,256 x 30 m) with a concrete
surface; 4/22 is 5,002 by 75 feet (1,525 x 23 m) with an asphalt
surface.
For the 12-month period ending 31 May 2009, the airport had 71,707 aircraft operations, an average of 196 per day: 95% general aviation
, 3% military
, 2% air taxi
, and <1% scheduled commercial
. At that time there were 72 aircraft based at this airport: 86% single-engine
, 11% multi-engine, 1% helicopter
and 1% ultralight.
The airport is home to the Stillwater Airport Memorial Museum.
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) 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 Stillwater
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
, a city in Payne County
Payne County, Oklahoma
Payne County is a county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population as of 2010 was 77,350. Its county seat is Stillwater, and the county is named for Capt. David L. Payne...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is also known as Searcy Field.
History
After 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...
, the airfield was one of six locations in the nation that received and stored surplus bombers, fighters, trainers, and transports. Approximately 475 aircraft were flown into the airport starting in 1945. In 1946, Paul Mantz
Paul Mantz
Albert Paul Mantz was a noted air racing pilot, movie stunt pilot and consultant from the late 1930s until his death in the mid-1960s. He gained fame on two stages: Hollywood and in air races.-Early years:...
bought all the aircraft, keeping 12 for use as stunt planes and camera ships, and selling the rest for scrap.
One of the aircraft processed through Stillwater - and eventually purchased by Mantz - was B-17 41-24577 "Hells Angels," which was the first B-17 to complete 25 missions (even before the Memphis Belle).
Stillwater Regional Airport was home to an Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which, prior to deregulation, were served by certificated airlines, maintained commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these...
airline named Exec Express,Inc.
Lone Star Airlines
Lone Star Airlines was an American regional airline that operated both domestic and international flights. For much of the airline's life its headquarters were located in the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas. The airline's largest hub was located at Dallas-Fort Worth International...
. It operated Piper PA-31 Navajo
Piper PA-31 Navajo
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
s.
Facilities and aircraft
Stillwater Regional Airport covers an area of 1571 acres (635.8 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 1,000 feet (305 m) above mean sea level. It has two 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: 17/35 is 7,401 by 100 feet (2,256 x 30 m) with a 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; 4/22 is 5,002 by 75 feet (1,525 x 23 m) with an 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...
surface.
For the 12-month period ending 31 May 2009, the airport had 71,707 aircraft operations, an average of 196 per day: 95% 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% 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...
, 2% 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...
, and <1% 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...
. At that time there were 72 aircraft based at this airport: 86% 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...
, 11% multi-engine, 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...
and 1% ultralight.
The airport is home to the Stillwater Airport Memorial Museum.
External links
- Stillwater Regional Airport at City of Stillwater web site
- Stillwater Flight Center, 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) - Aerial image as of 17 February 1995 from USGS The National Map