Chippewa County International Airport
Encyclopedia
Chippewa County International Airport is a public use airport
in Chippewa County
, Michigan
, United States
. It is located 15 nautical miles (28 km) south of the central business district
of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
. The airport is owned by the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation. It was formerly the Kincheloe Air Force Base.
of 800 feet (244 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
s: 16/34 is 7,200 by 200 feet (2,195 x 61 m) with a concrete
surface; 9/27 is 4,999 by 75 feet (1,524 x 23 m) with an asphalt
surface.
The airport opened a new passenger terminal in September 2002. The airport is used mostly for general aviation but is served by one commercial airline. UNICOM
is utilized as a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) on 123.00mhz, since the original USAF air traffic control tower is unmanned and non-operational. Runway 16/34 has a displaced threshold and was originally 12000 feet (3,657.6 m) in length in order to accommodate B-52 and KC-135 aircraft when the airport was an operational Strategic Air Command
base. However, 4800 feet (1,463 m) of the runway has not been maintained and is no longer suitable for takeoffs or landings.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2007, the airport had 2,403 aircraft operations, an average of 200 per month: 61% scheduled commercial
, 29% general aviation
, 8% air taxi
and 2% military
. At that time there were 20 aircraft based at this airport: 70% single-engine
and 30% multi-engine.
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...
in Chippewa County
Chippewa County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge* Hiawatha National Forest * Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located 15 nautical miles (28 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 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
. The airport is owned by the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation. It was formerly the Kincheloe Air Force Base.
Facilities and aircraft
Chippewa County International Airport covers an area of 1850 acres (748.7 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 800 feet (244 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: 16/34 is 7,200 by 200 feet (2,195 x 61 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; 9/27 is 4,999 by 75 feet (1,524 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.
The airport opened a new passenger terminal in September 2002. The airport is used mostly for general aviation but is served by one commercial airline. UNICOM
UNICOM
Universal Communications or as known by its abbreviation, UNICOM, is an air-ground communication facility operated by a private agency to provide advisory service at uncontrolled aerodromes and airports.-Description:...
is utilized as a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) on 123.00mhz, since the original USAF air traffic control tower is unmanned and non-operational. Runway 16/34 has a displaced threshold and was originally 12000 feet (3,657.6 m) in length in order to accommodate B-52 and KC-135 aircraft when the airport was an operational Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
base. However, 4800 feet (1,463 m) of the runway has not been maintained and is no longer suitable for takeoffs or landings.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2007, the airport had 2,403 aircraft operations, an average of 200 per month: 61% 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...
, 29% 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...
, 8% 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 2% 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 20 aircraft based at this airport: 70% 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...
and 30% multi-engine.
Airlines and destinations
External links
- Aerial photo as of 28 April 1998 from USGS The National Map