Dillingham Airfield
Encyclopedia
Dillingham Airfield is a public and military use airport
located two nautical miles (3.7 km) west of the central business district
of Mokulēia, in Honolulu County
on the North Shore
of Oahu
in the U.S. state
of Hawaii
. It is operated by the Hawaii Department of Transportation
under a 25-year lease from the United States Army
. The airport is primarily used for gliding
and sky diving operations. Military operations consist largely of night operations for night vision device training.
line.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the railroad transported mobile coast artillery to the site.
By 1941, the Army leased additional land and established Mokulēia Airstrip. Curtiss P-40
fighters were deployed at North Shore airstrips at Kahuku, Haleiwa and Mokulēia when the attack on Pearl Harbor
took place. Aircraft taking off from nearby Haleiwa destroyed several attacking aircraft.
The runway was paved, extended to 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) long, and a crosswind runway added from 1942-1945. By the end of World War II
, Mokulēia Airfield could handle B-29 Superfortress
bombers. In 1946, the Army acquired an additional 583 acres (235.9 ha).
In 1948, the airfield was inactivated and renamed Dillingham Air Force Base in memory of Captain Henry Gaylord Dillingham, a B-29 pilot who was killed in action over Kawasaki, Japan on July 25, 1945. Captain Dillingham was the son of Walter F. Dillingham
and grandson of Benjamin Dillingham
who founded the railroad which evolved into Hawaiian Dredging Company and the Dillingham Corporation.
Nike missiles were installed in the 1950s, but were obsolete by 1970.
In 1962, the State of Hawaii leased Dillingham for general aviation use. In the 1970s the base was transferred from the Air Force back to the Army. The state signed new leases with the Army in 1974 and 1983. In the 1980s, hangar
s, a control tower
, and a fire station were built.
of 14 feet (4 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 8/26 with an asphalt surface measuring 9,007 by 75 feet (2,745 x 23 m).
As a general aviation joint-use facility, the airfield has one runway, a UNICOM
tower, powered aircraft and glider hangars, and a tie down area for recreation aircraft. Jet-A and Avgas are available in a self-serve facility utilizing credit cards for payment. There were plans to extend the taxiway to the end of the 26 runway, but funding was delayed. Air traffic, unless approved prior by the US Army, is limited to daytime operations by general aviation and sport parachuting operations. Although the largest users on the airfield are the sport parachuting operations, the State of Hawaii refuses safety improvements.
For the 12-month period ending December 30, 2006, the airport had 68,553 aircraft operations, an average of 187 per day: 99% general aviation
and 1% military
. At that time there were 57 aircraft based at this airport: 51% single-engine
, 5% multi-engine, 5% helicopter
, 35% glider
and 4% ultralight.
Dillingham Airfield is part of a centralized state structure governing all of the airports and seaports of Hawaii. The official authority of Dillingham Airfield is the Governor of Hawaii
. He or she appoints the Director of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation who has jurisdiction over the Hawaii Airports Administrator.
The Hawaii Airports Administrator oversees six governing bodies: Airports Operations Office, Airports Planning Office, Engineering Branch, Information Technology Office, Staff Services Office, Visitor Information Program Office. Collectively, the six bodies have authority over the four airport districts in Hawaii: Hawaii District
, Kauai District
, Maui District
and the principal Oahu District
. Dillingham Airfield is a subordinate of the Oahu District officials.
filmed several scenes at Dillingham Airfield, due to its remote location close to the North Shore
, where the series was primarily filmed.
The fuselage from the fictional Oceanic Airlines
flight 815 is also stored at Dillingham, and was transported to the beach when needed for filming.
The television series Hawaii Five-0 also used Dillingham Airfield in its second episode, Ohana, originally aired on 27 September 2010.
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 two nautical miles (3.7 km) west 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 Mokulēia, in Honolulu County
Honolulu County, Hawaii
The City and County of Honolulu is a consolidated city–county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The municipality and county includes both the urban district of Honolulu and the rest of the island of Oahu, as well as several minor outlying islands, including all of the Northwestern Hawaiian...
on the North Shore
North Shore (Oahu)
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oahu between Kaena Point and Kahuku Point...
of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It is operated by the Hawaii Department of Transportation
Hawaii Department of Transportation
The Hawaii Department of Transportation is a state government organization which oversees transportation in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The agency is divided into three divisions dealing with aviation, maritime, and roads.-Airports Division:...
under a 25-year lease from the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The airport is primarily used for gliding
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
and sky diving operations. Military operations consist largely of night operations for night vision device training.
History
A communications station called Camp Kawaihapai was established here in 1922 on 67 acres (27.1 ha) along the Oahu Railway and Land CompanyOahu Railway and Land Company
The Oahu Railway and Land Company, or OR&L, was a narrow gauge common carrier railroad that served much of the Hawaiian island of Oahu until its dissolution in 1947.-Origin:...
line.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the railroad transported mobile coast artillery to the site.
By 1941, the Army leased additional land and established Mokulēia Airstrip. Curtiss P-40
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
fighters were deployed at North Shore airstrips at Kahuku, Haleiwa and Mokulēia when the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
took place. Aircraft taking off from nearby Haleiwa destroyed several attacking aircraft.
The runway was paved, extended to 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) long, and a crosswind runway added from 1942-1945. By the end 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...
, Mokulēia Airfield could handle B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bombers. In 1946, the Army acquired an additional 583 acres (235.9 ha).
In 1948, the airfield was inactivated and renamed Dillingham Air Force Base in memory of Captain Henry Gaylord Dillingham, a B-29 pilot who was killed in action over Kawasaki, Japan on July 25, 1945. Captain Dillingham was the son of Walter F. Dillingham
Walter F. Dillingham
Walter Francis Dillingham , called the Baron of Hawaii Industry, was an industrialist and businessman from Honolulu, Hawaii.He gained favors from Hawaii politicians to develop urban Honolulu.-Life:...
and grandson of Benjamin Dillingham
Benjamin Dillingham
Benjamin Franklin Dillingham was a businessman and industrialist during the late Kingdom of Hawaii era, throughout the period of the Republic of Hawaii, and during the first two decades of the Territory of Hawaii.-Life:...
who founded the railroad which evolved into Hawaiian Dredging Company and the Dillingham Corporation.
Nike missiles were installed in the 1950s, but were obsolete by 1970.
In 1962, the State of Hawaii leased Dillingham for general aviation use. In the 1970s the base was transferred from the Air Force back to the Army. The state signed new leases with the Army in 1974 and 1983. In the 1980s, hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s, 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...
, and a fire station were built.
Facilities and aircraft
Dillingham Airfield covers an area of 134 acres (54.2 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 14 feet (4 m) above mean sea level. It 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...
designated 8/26 with an asphalt surface measuring 9,007 by 75 feet (2,745 x 23 m).
As a general aviation joint-use facility, the airfield has one runway, a 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:...
tower, powered aircraft and glider hangars, and a tie down area for recreation aircraft. Jet-A and Avgas are available in a self-serve facility utilizing credit cards for payment. There were plans to extend the taxiway to the end of the 26 runway, but funding was delayed. Air traffic, unless approved prior by the US Army, is limited to daytime operations by general aviation and sport parachuting operations. Although the largest users on the airfield are the sport parachuting operations, the State of Hawaii refuses safety improvements.
For the 12-month period ending December 30, 2006, the airport had 68,553 aircraft operations, an average of 187 per day: 99% 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...
and 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 57 aircraft based at this airport: 51% 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...
, 5% multi-engine, 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...
, 35% glider
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 4% ultralight.
Authority
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
. He or she appoints the Director of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation who has jurisdiction over the Hawaii Airports Administrator.
The Hawaii Airports Administrator oversees six governing bodies: Airports Operations Office, Airports Planning Office, Engineering Branch, Information Technology Office, Staff Services Office, Visitor Information Program Office. Collectively, the six bodies have authority over the four airport districts in Hawaii: Hawaii District
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
, Kauai District
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, Maui District
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
and the principal Oahu District
Honolulu County, Hawaii
The City and County of Honolulu is a consolidated city–county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The municipality and county includes both the urban district of Honolulu and the rest of the island of Oahu, as well as several minor outlying islands, including all of the Northwestern Hawaiian...
. Dillingham Airfield is a subordinate of the Oahu District officials.
Filming location
The television series LostLost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
filmed several scenes at Dillingham Airfield, due to its remote location close to the North Shore
North Shore (Oahu)
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oahu between Kaena Point and Kahuku Point...
, where the series was primarily filmed.
The fuselage from the fictional Oceanic Airlines
Oceanic Airlines
Oceanic Airlines and less frequently Oceanic Airways are fictional airlines used in several films and television programs.The most famous use of this brand is in the TV show Lost, where Oceanic Airlines is featured branded with a highly-stylized logo depicting an Aboriginal dot painting that...
flight 815 is also stored at Dillingham, and was transported to the beach when needed for filming.
The television series Hawaii Five-0 also used Dillingham Airfield in its second episode, Ohana, originally aired on 27 September 2010.
See also
- Hawaii World War II Army Airfields