Cobb County Airport
Encyclopedia
Cobb County Airport - McCollum Field is a public airport
located 21 miles (33.8 km) northwest of the central business district
of Atlanta
, immediately south of the city of Kennesaw
in Cobb County
, Georgia
, United States
. It is also designated as a weather station, although it does not operate between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. (EST/EDT
).
The airport is located on nearly 320 acre
s (1.3 km²) of land, has one runway
which is 6,305 feet (1,921 m) long, and is east-west oriented, with heading
s of 089 and 269. Cobb Place
is at the east end, with Cobb Parkway
(U.S. 41) and old 41 intersecting McCollum Parkway on the west end. The airfield sits at 1,040 feet (317 m) above mean sea level
somewhat above average terrain for the area.
There are over 350 aircraft
based at McCollum, most of them being single-engine. The airport has a control tower
.
The airport has 358 aircraft based on it: 251 single engine, 55 multi-engine, 39 jet aircraft and 13 helicopters. 49 percent of operations are single engine and 49 percent are multi-engine. Only 1 percent of operations are air taxi
. No major commercial airlines service Cobb County Airport, but there are two charter companies and two major fixed-base operators. Aerial tours are very popular at the airport, as the Appalachian Mountains
are less than a 30-minute flight away.
McCollum Field is owned by Cobb County, operated by the County Department of Transportation characterizing it as a municipal airport. It is managed by a full-time, professional airport manager. The airport employs almost 185 people, and had an annual economic impact of more than US$47 million to the local economy in 2002.
s, and a single administration building. The airport steadily grew over the next 30 years with the greatest developments occurring in the early 1990s.
In 1991, the airport layout plan was first revised. The first full service fixed base operator opened in 1992. A second full service fixed base operator opened a year later. That same year, the Georgia State Patrol
Hangar was constructed. The Air Traffic Control Tower was opened in 1995, followed by an Instrument Landing System
glide slope the next year. Over the course of the decade, there were four major purchases of new land at a total cost of US$
3.8 million in grants and an unspecified amount in local funds. In addition, 6 new hangars were built.
McCollum Field was first designed as a small field for general aviation. It is designated as a reliever airport for Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
and DeKalb-Peachtree Airport
. Cobb County is also the primary general aviation airport for the Atlanta suburban population. With an average of 475 takeoffs and landings each day, it is the third most trafficked airport in Georgia.
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 21 miles (33.8 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 Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, immediately south of the city of Kennesaw
Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It had a population of 29,783 according to the 2010 census. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Founded in 1887, Kennesaw has a past surrounded with railroad history...
in Cobb County
Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is also designated as a weather station, although it does not operate between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. (EST/EDT
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
).
The airport is located on nearly 320 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (1.3 km²) of land, has one 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...
which is 6,305 feet (1,921 m) long, and is east-west oriented, with heading
Heading
Heading can refer to:*Heading , a process which incorporates the extruding and upsetting processes*Headline, text at the top of a newspaper article*The direction a person or vehicle is facing, usually similar to its course...
s of 089 and 269. Cobb Place
Cobb Place
Cobb Place is a shopping center at 840 Barrett Parkway in northern Cobb County, Georgia, just southeast of Kennesaw...
is at the east end, with Cobb Parkway
Cobb Parkway
Cobb Parkway is a major arterial road which runs northwest and southeast through Cobb County, Georgia. It concurrently carries both U.S. 41, and the much less-recognized Georgia 3...
(U.S. 41) and old 41 intersecting McCollum Parkway on the west end. The airfield sits at 1,040 feet (317 m) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
somewhat above average terrain for the area.
There are over 350 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...
based at McCollum, most of them being single-engine. The airport has a control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
.
The airport has 358 aircraft based on it: 251 single engine, 55 multi-engine, 39 jet aircraft and 13 helicopters. 49 percent of operations are single engine and 49 percent are multi-engine. Only 1 percent of operations are 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...
. No major commercial airlines service Cobb County Airport, but there are two charter companies and two major fixed-base operators. Aerial tours are very popular at the airport, as the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
are less than a 30-minute flight away.
McCollum Field is owned by Cobb County, operated by the County Department of Transportation characterizing it as a municipal airport. It is managed by a full-time, professional airport manager. The airport employs almost 185 people, and had an annual economic impact of more than US$47 million to the local economy in 2002.
History
McCollum Field opened in 1960 with a single 4,000-foot (1,219 m) runway. There was a stub taxiway connecting the runway with the ramp area, 60,000 square feet (5,570 m²) of apronAirport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
s, and a single administration building. The airport steadily grew over the next 30 years with the greatest developments occurring in the early 1990s.
In 1991, the airport layout plan was first revised. The first full service fixed base operator opened in 1992. A second full service fixed base operator opened a year later. That same year, the Georgia State Patrol
Georgia State Patrol
The Georgia State Patrol is the highway patrol agency for the U.S. state of Georgia. The GSP has statewide jurisdiction with the exception of federal military installations...
Hangar was constructed. The Air Traffic Control Tower was opened in 1995, followed by an Instrument Landing System
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
glide slope the next year. Over the course of the decade, there were four major purchases of new land at a total cost of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3.8 million in grants and an unspecified amount in local funds. In addition, 6 new hangars were built.
McCollum Field was first designed as a small field for general aviation. It is designated as a reliever airport for Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
and DeKalb-Peachtree Airport
DeKalb-Peachtree Airport
DeKalb-Peachtree Airport is a municipal general aviation airport located in Chamblee, Georgia, just northeast of Atlanta. It is operated by the local government of DeKalb County, Georgia, and is also known commonly as Peachtree-DeKalb Airport, or simply PDK. Other names include Peachtree...
. Cobb County is also the primary general aviation airport for the Atlanta suburban population. With an average of 475 takeoffs and landings each day, it is the third most trafficked airport in Georgia.