Taunton Municipal Airport
Encyclopedia
Taunton Municipal Airport , also known as King Field, is a public use airport
located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district
of Taunton
, a city in Bristol County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. It is located in the East Taunton neighborhood of the city. The city-owned airport is maintained and operated by the Taunton Airport Commission. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
for 2009–2013, it is categorized as a general aviation
airport.
Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this airport is assigned TAN by the FAA and no designation from the IATA (which assigned TAN to Tangalooma Airport in Tangalooma, Queensland
, Australia
).
. Some of the hangars still on the airport grounds are registered with the National Register of Historic Places
, since they date back to the earliest days of aviation.
of 43 feet (13 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
s:
12/30 is 3,500 by 75 feet (1,067 x 23 m) with an asphalt
pavement and 4/22 is 1,900 by 60 feet (579 x 18 m) with a turf
and gravel
surface. Available instrument approaches are non-precision.
The facility of the airport comprises an aircraft refueling area, designated aircraft and land vehicle parking areas, historic and private hangars, a small terminal (building), and a signal tower light.
For the 12-month period ending April 1, 2009, the airport had 33,615 aircraft operations, an average of 92 per day: 99.7% general aviation
, 0.2% air taxi
, and 0.1% military
. At that time there were 111 aircraft based at this airport: 93.7% single-engine
, 1.8% multi-engine and 4.5% helicopter
.
and American Auto Auctions constantly use the airport as a means of exporting their goods and/or personnel elsewhere. Also, the airport provides flight training through Atlantic Aviation, which has a base of operations and various air services at the airport. Atlantic Aviation is a full service flight school, providing FAA approved flight training from certified instructors.
American Aero Services Inc. www.americanaero.net,provides a full service Maintenance Shop for General Aviation aircraft. They provide service to many types of Antique aircraft and seaplanes as well as Cessna,Piper and Beechcraft contemporary type aircraft.
Various non-profit organizations and associations such as the Taunton Airport Association, the Brockton Flying Club, and the Civil Air Patrol
.
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 Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, a city in Bristol County
Bristol County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile . There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located in the East Taunton neighborhood of the city. The city-owned airport is maintained and operated by the Taunton Airport Commission. According to 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, it is categorized 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...
airport.
Although many 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...
, this airport is assigned TAN by the FAA and no designation from the IATA (which assigned TAN to Tangalooma Airport in Tangalooma, Queensland
Tangalooma, Queensland
Originally a whaling station, Tangalooma is a resort township on the west side of Moreton Island in Queensland, Australia. It lies on the eastern shore of Moreton Bay and is known for its resort accommodation, dolphin-feeding program, sand dunes and wreck diving. Swimming is popular along the...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
).
History
The Taunton Municipal Airport was established in 1919 by Henry King, who was at that time a skilled pilot in the early years of aviation. He preserved and maintained the airport until 1960, when it was handed over to the city of TauntonTaunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
. Some of the hangars still on the airport grounds are registered with the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, since they date back to the earliest days of aviation.
Facilities and aircraft
Taunton Municipal - King Field covers an area of 256 acres (103.6 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 43 feet (13 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:
12/30 is 3,500 by 75 feet (1,067 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...
pavement and 4/22 is 1,900 by 60 feet (579 x 18 m) with a turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
surface. Available instrument approaches are non-precision.
The facility of the airport comprises an aircraft refueling area, designated aircraft and land vehicle parking areas, historic and private hangars, a small terminal (building), and a signal tower light.
For the 12-month period ending April 1, 2009, the airport had 33,615 aircraft operations, an average of 92 per day: 99.7% 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...
, 0.2% 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 0.1% 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...
. At that time there were 111 aircraft based at this airport: 93.7% 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...
, 1.8% multi-engine and 4.5% 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...
.
Commerce and industry
The airport plays a large role in the transport of goods from industries around the local region to outbound locations. Prominent businesses and corporations such as Ocean SprayOcean Spray (cooperative)
Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative of growers of cranberries and grapefruit headquartered in Lakeville/Middleborough, Massachusetts. It currently has over 600 member growers . The cooperative employs about 2,000 people, with sales of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2005...
and American Auto Auctions constantly use the airport as a means of exporting their goods and/or personnel elsewhere. Also, the airport provides flight training through Atlantic Aviation, which has a base of operations and various air services at the airport. Atlantic Aviation is a full service flight school, providing FAA approved flight training from certified instructors.
American Aero Services Inc. www.americanaero.net,provides a full service Maintenance Shop for General Aviation aircraft. They provide service to many types of Antique aircraft and seaplanes as well as Cessna,Piper and Beechcraft contemporary type aircraft.
Various non-profit organizations and associations such as the Taunton Airport Association, the Brockton Flying Club, and the Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
.
See also
- Bristol County (MA)Bristol County, Massachusetts-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile . There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile...
- Greater Taunton AreaGreater Taunton Arearight|thumb|200px|A map of the Greater Taunton AreaThe Greater Taunton Area is the suburban area surrounding the city of Taunton, in northeastern Bristol County, Massachusetts. It comprises various present-day municipalities that were once under the jurisdiction of Taunton in Colonial America...
- Taunton, MassachusettsTaunton, MassachusettsTaunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
External links
- Taunton Municipal Airport
- American Aero Services
- Aerial image as of 3 April 1995 from USGS The National Map