Arlington Municipal Airport (Washington)
Encyclopedia
Arlington Municipal Airport is a public airport
located three miles (5 km) southwest of the central business district
of Arlington
, a city
in Snohomish County, Washington
, United States
. It is owned and operated by the City of Arlington.
U.S. Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Arlington, Washington
was established in 1940, when the United States Navy
leased the airstrip from the town of Arlington to supplement training facilities at Seattle. However, no important construction took place until 1942. In that year the Navy permitted the Army to develop the field as a strategic base for medium bombers
to counteract the Japanese
invasion
of the Aleutian Islands. Early in 1943 the Japanese threat in the Aleutians diminished and at the same time the Naval carrier
program required additional training fields within reach of gunnery ranges in the Puget Sound
area. By August 14, 1945 Arlington was a well-balanced station equipped to support two light carrier Air groups for either day or night operations. No major projects were pending at that time, and it was felt that none remained to be undertaken unless a significant addition was made to the functions of the station.
At the close of World War II
, the U.S. military
reduced funding and operations around the United States. On October 10, 1945 notification was received from the Chief of Naval Operations
that Arlington would be reduced to a caretaker status on December 1, 1945.
The airport is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
industry
. Some activities include flight instruction, emergency parachute
manufacturing
, kit plane
and sailplane sales/manufacturing, historic and decommissioned aircraft
restoration, aircraft upholstery, aircraft cover manufacturing, and much more. The airport is home to corporate
& decommissioned military jets
, vintage aircraft, experimental aircraft
, aerobatic aircraft, helicopter
s, gliders
, and ultralights
. The grassroots aviation presence at Arlington is very strong, rivaling that of many larger airports across the United States, including nearby Paine Field
(KPAE).
The City continues to support general aviation
through financing, planning and development. During the 1995 Master Plan update, the City planned and developed the airport specifically for general aviation use. Items specific to general aviation included in the 2002 Master Plan Update were additional T-hangars, a 100’ by 1,000’ (50’ pavement / 50’ turf) ultralight runway
, and a compass rose.
of 1189 acres (481.2 ha) which contains two asphalt
paved runways: 16/34 measuring 5,332 x 100 ft (1,625 x 30 m) and 11/29 measuring 3,498 x 75 ft (1,066 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending January 31, 2007, the airport had 190,000 aircraft operations, an average of 520 per day: 99.7% general aviation, 0.3% air taxi
and <0.1% military. On January 15, 2009, there were 397 aircraft based at Arlington: 72% single-engine, 5% multi-engine, 2% jet
, 3% helicopter, 8% glider and 11% ultralight.
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 miles (5 km) southwest 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 Arlington
Arlington, Washington
Arlington is a city in northern Snohomish County, Washington, United States, bordered by the city of Marysville to the south. The population was 17,926 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is owned and operated by the City of Arlington.
History
Construction of Arlington Municipal Airport was approved on February 23, 1934. The first airplane took off on June 13, 1934 and the airport was officially dedicated on July 4, 1935.U.S. Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Arlington, Washington
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
was established in 1940, when the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
leased the airstrip from the town of Arlington to supplement training facilities at Seattle. However, no important construction took place until 1942. In that year the Navy permitted the Army to develop the field as a strategic base for medium bombers
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
to counteract the Japanese
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
invasion
Invasion
An invasion is a military offensive consisting of all, or large parts of the armed forces of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of either conquering, liberating or re-establishing control or authority over a...
of the Aleutian Islands. Early in 1943 the Japanese threat in the Aleutians diminished and at the same time the Naval carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
program required additional training fields within reach of gunnery ranges in the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
area. By August 14, 1945 Arlington was a well-balanced station equipped to support two light carrier Air groups for either day or night operations. No major projects were pending at that time, and it was felt that none remained to be undertaken unless a significant addition was made to the functions of the station.
At the close of World War II
World 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 U.S. military
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
reduced funding and operations around the United States. On October 10, 1945 notification was received from the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
that Arlington would be reduced to a caretaker status on December 1, 1945.
The airport is listed on 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...
.
Today
Currently, the airport is host to several businesses making significant contributions to the aviationAviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
. Some activities include flight instruction, emergency parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, kit plane
Homebuilt aircraft
Also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, homebuilt aircraft are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch," from plans, or from assembly kits.-Overview:...
and sailplane sales/manufacturing, historic and decommissioned aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
restoration, aircraft upholstery, aircraft cover manufacturing, and much more. The airport is home to corporate
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
& decommissioned military jets
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
, vintage aircraft, experimental aircraft
Experimental aircraft
An experimental aircraft is an aircraft that has not yet been fully proven in flight. Often, this implies that new aerospace technologies are being tested on the aircraft, though the label is more broad....
, aerobatic aircraft, 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...
s, gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
, and ultralights
Ultralight aviation
The term "ultralight aviation" refers to light-weight, 1- or 2-person airplanes., also called microlight aircraft in the UK, India and New Zealand...
. The grassroots aviation presence at Arlington is very strong, rivaling that of many larger airports across the United States, including nearby Paine Field
Paine Field
Paine Field, also known as Snohomish County Airport is a public airport located in unincorporated Snohomish County, between Mukilteo and Everett, Washington...
(KPAE).
The City continues to support 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...
through financing, planning and development. During the 1995 Master Plan update, the City planned and developed the airport specifically for general aviation use. Items specific to general aviation included in the 2002 Master Plan Update were additional T-hangars, a 100’ by 1,000’ (50’ pavement / 50’ turf) ultralight 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...
, and a compass rose.
Facilities and aircraft
Arlington Municipal Airport covers an areaArea
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 1189 acres (481.2 ha) which contains 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 runways: 16/34 measuring 5,332 x 100 ft (1,625 x 30 m) and 11/29 measuring 3,498 x 75 ft (1,066 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending January 31, 2007, the airport had 190,000 aircraft operations, an average of 520 per day: 99.7% general aviation, 0.3% 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. On January 15, 2009, there were 397 aircraft based at Arlington: 72% single-engine, 5% multi-engine, 2% jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
, 3% helicopter, 8% glider and 11% ultralight.
External links
- Arlington Airport web cam at Washington State DOT