Tappahannock-Essex County Airport
Encyclopedia
Tappahannock-Essex County Airport is a public-use airport
located five nautical miles (9 km) south of the central business district
of Tappahannock
, a town in Essex County
, Virginia
, United States. It is owned by the Tappahannock Essex County Airport Authority.
Opened in 2007 and located near Route 360 at St. Paul's Crossroads, this airport replaced the former Tappahannock Municipal Airport
which was located near the intersection of Route 17 & Airport Road.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, Tappahannock-Essex County Airport is assigned XSA by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
paved runway
(10/28) measuring 4,300 x 75 ft (1,311 x 23 m).
, and was turned over for local government use by the War Assets Administration (WAA).
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 five nautical miles (9 km) south 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 Tappahannock
Tappahannock, Virginia
Tappahannock is the oldest town in Essex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,068 at the 2000 census. Located on the Rappahannock River, Tappahannock is the county seat of Essex County...
, a town in Essex County
Essex County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,989 people, 3,995 households, and 2,740 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 4,926 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States. It is owned by the Tappahannock Essex County Airport Authority.
Opened in 2007 and located near Route 360 at St. Paul's Crossroads, this airport replaced the former Tappahannock Municipal Airport
Tappahannock Municipal Airport
Tappahannock Municipal Airport was a town-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile west of the central business district of Tappahannock, a town in Essex County, Virginia, United States...
which was located near the intersection of Route 17 & Airport Road.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, Tappahannock-Essex County Airport is assigned XSA by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
Facilities
Tappahannock-Essex County Airport covers an area of 423 acres (171.2 ha) which contains one asphaltAsphalt
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...
(10/28) measuring 4,300 x 75 ft (1,311 x 23 m).
History
The airport was built by the United States Army Air Force about 1942, and was known as Tappahannock Flight Strip. It was an emergency landing airfield for military aircraft on training flights. It was closed 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...
, and was turned over for local government use by the War Assets Administration (WAA).