El Reno Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
El Reno Regional Airport is a city-owned public-use airport
located four nautical miles (7 km) southwest of the central business district
of El Reno
, a city in Canadian County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
for 2009–2013, it is categorized
as a general aviation
facility.
Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this facility is assigned RQO by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
World War II
primary (stage 1) pilot training airfield by the Army Air Forces Training Command
Gulf Coast Training Center (later Central Flying Training Command). It was known as El Reno Field or Mustang Field.
It was operated by the 320th Flying Training detachment, with the Midwest Air School as a contract flying training provider. The Oklahoma Air College, Inc. also was a contractor to the USAAF at El Reno. Flying training was performed with Fairchild PT-19
s as the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks assigned.
During its wartime use, the airfield had three turf runways, their alignment now being undetermined. It also had several (between 3 to 6) local axillary landing fields emergency or overflow landings. Known auxiliaries were located at Calumet and Union City with several others in the El Reno area.
Pilot training at the airfield apparently ended during the summer of 1944, with the reduced demand for new pilots. The airfield was then turned over to the local government at the end of the war.
of 1,420 feet (433 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
s: 17/35 is 5,600 by 75 feet (1,707 x 23 m) with a concrete
surface and 18/36 is 4,630 by 190 feet (1,411 x 58 m) with a turf
surface.
For the 12-month period ending February 12, 2008, the airport had 24,825 aircraft operations, an average of 68 per day: 99.9% general aviation
and 0.1% military
. At that time there were 24 aircraft based at this airport: 79% single-engine
and 21% 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...
located four nautical miles (7 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 El Reno
El Reno, Oklahoma
El Reno is a city in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States, in the central part of the state. A part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, El Reno is west of downtown Oklahoma City...
, a city in Canadian County
Canadian County, Oklahoma
Canadian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 115,541. Its county seat is El Reno. Canadian County is also part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Canadian County is named for the Canadian River.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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
FAA airport categories
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has a system for categorizing public-use airports that is primarily based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. It is used to determine if an airport is eligible for funding through the federal government's Airport...
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...
facility.
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 facility is assigned RQO by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
History
The airport was opened in 1943 as a United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
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...
primary (stage 1) pilot training airfield by the Army Air Forces Training Command
Army Air Forces Training Command
Army Air Forces Training Command was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was redesignated Air Training Command on 1 July 1946 as part of the reorganization of the Army Air Forces after World War II....
Gulf Coast Training Center (later Central Flying Training Command). It was known as El Reno Field or Mustang Field.
It was operated by the 320th Flying Training detachment, with the Midwest Air School as a contract flying training provider. The Oklahoma Air College, Inc. also was a contractor to the USAAF at El Reno. Flying training was performed with Fairchild PT-19
Fairchild PT-19
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II . London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4....
s as the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks assigned.
During its wartime use, the airfield had three turf runways, their alignment now being undetermined. It also had several (between 3 to 6) local axillary landing fields emergency or overflow landings. Known auxiliaries were located at Calumet and Union City with several others in the El Reno area.
Pilot training at the airfield apparently ended during the summer of 1944, with the reduced demand for new pilots. The airfield was then turned over to the local government at the end of the war.
Facilities and aircraft
El Reno Regional Airport covers an area of 698 acres (282.5 ha) 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 1,420 feet (433 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: 17/35 is 5,600 by 75 feet (1,707 x 23 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 and 18/36 is 4,630 by 190 feet (1,411 x 58 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 ...
surface.
For the 12-month period ending February 12, 2008, the airport had 24,825 aircraft operations, an average of 68 per day: 99.9% 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 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 24 aircraft based at this airport: 79% 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 21% multi-engine.