Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport
Encyclopedia
Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport is a general aviation
airport
located within the city limits of Fort Lauderdale
, in Broward County
, Florida
, United States
, five miles (8 km) north of downtown Fort Lauderdale. It is a division of the Community and Economic Development Department of the City of Fort Lauderdale.
The airport was built in 1941 to train Naval Aviators during World War II
, and named West Prospect Satellite Field. In 1947, the federal government deeded the airport to Fort Lauderdale for use as a public airport.
The airport serves over 250,000 aircraft operations per year, making it the eighth busiest General Aviation center in the United States. The airport is designated as general aviation reliever facility for the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
by the FAA
. The airport is a port of entry
with a full service Customs
facility. The airport also operates a 24 ARFF facility that meets the requirements of index
B, although the airport is not certificated under FAR Part 139. ARFF services are provided by Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue
The airport is home to two rare Florida native species of animal, the Gopher Tortoise
and the Florida Burrowing Owl
.
paved runway
s: 8/26 measuring 6,001 x 100 ft (1,829 x 30 m) and 13/31 measuring 4,000 x 100 ft (1,219 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2001, the airport had 261,163 aircraft operations, an average of 715 per day: 94% general aviation
, 6% air taxi
and <1% military. There are 708 aircraft based at this airport: 52% single-engine, 26% multi-engine, 16% jet and 5% helicopter
.
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...
airport
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 within the city limits of Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, in Broward County
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, five miles (8 km) north of downtown Fort Lauderdale. It is a division of the Community and Economic Development Department of the City of Fort Lauderdale.
The airport was built in 1941 to train Naval Aviators during 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...
, and named West Prospect Satellite Field. In 1947, the federal government deeded the airport to Fort Lauderdale for use as a public airport.
The airport serves over 250,000 aircraft operations per year, making it the eighth busiest General Aviation center in the United States. The airport is designated as general aviation reliever facility for the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale...
by 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...
. The airport is a port of entry
Port of entry
In general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
with a full service Customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
facility. The airport also operates a 24 ARFF facility that meets the requirements of index
B, although the airport is not certificated under FAR Part 139. ARFF services are provided by Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue
Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue
Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue is the fire and rescue service provider for the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.-History:The department was created in 1912 as a volunteer department after a large conflagration destroyed a large portion of what is now the downtown core of Fort Lauderdale...
The airport is home to two rare Florida native species of animal, the Gopher Tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise is a species of the Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for 360 other animal species...
and the Florida Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl
The Burrowing Owl is a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing Owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated...
.
Facilities and aircraft
Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport covers an area of 1050 acres (424.9 ha) which contains two asphaltAsphalt
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 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: 8/26 measuring 6,001 x 100 ft (1,829 x 30 m) and 13/31 measuring 4,000 x 100 ft (1,219 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2001, the airport had 261,163 aircraft operations, an average of 715 per day: 94% 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...
, 6% 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 <1% military. There are 708 aircraft based at this airport: 52% single-engine, 26% multi-engine, 16% jet and 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...
.
Accidents and incidents
- On 12 June 1979, Douglas DC-3DDouglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
N427W of Bradley Aviation crashed shortly after take-off when take-off was attempted at too low an airspeed. Both crew were killed. The pilot did not have a rating to fly the DC-3 and the aircraft did not have a certificate of airworthiness.
- On 20 February 2004 a Learjet 25B owned by Skylinks Jets overran runway 8 by about 1750 feet (533.4 m) feet. The aircraft touched down midway along the runway. A complete loss of brakes and a failed emergency drag-chute resulted in the aircraft overrunning the runway, crashing through the airport perimeter fence, across a four-lane highway and coming to a rest at a warehouse structure. The cause of the accident was the pilot-in-commands mis-calculation of fuel needed and a failure of the flight crew to deploy the emergency drag-chute and main-gear brakes upon landing.
- On 13 June 2005, Douglas R4D-8Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
N3906J of Air Pony Express suffered an engine failure shortly after take-off on an international cargo flight to Marsh Harbour AirportMarsh Harbour AirportMarsh Harbour Airport is an airport serving Marsh Harbour, a town in the Abaco Islands in The Bahamas.Marsh Harbour is a major tourist attraction in the Bahamas. The airport serves Nassau and a few Florida cities...
, Marsh HarbourMarsh HarbourMarsh Harbour is a town in Abaco Islands, Bahamas, with a population of 5,314.With more than five thousand residents, Marsh Harbour is the third largest town in The Bahamas, and the main focus of tourism in the Abacos. Marsh Harbour is a shipbuilding center, but tourism accounts for most of its...
, Bahamas. The aircraft was written off when it was put down on a road in the Coral Ridge Isles neighbourhood, hitting trees and a building and subsequently catching fire. The engine that failed had had maintenance work performed immediately before the accident flight.
- Preliminary reports indicate that a Cessna 421Cessna 421-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Taylor, John W.R. . Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976-77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0-354-00538-3....
crashed shortly after take off from the airport around 11:20 a.m., April 17, 2009. Local authorities stated the aircraft crashed into a vacant home located about two miles (3 km) from the airport. The aircraft was en route to Fernandina Beach, FloridaFernandina Beach, FloridaFernandina Beach is a city in Nassau County in the state of Florida in the United States of America and on Amelia Island. It is a part of Greater Jacksonville and is among Florida's northernmost cities. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe...
near Jacksonville and was due to arrive at 13:00. The Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation AdministrationThe 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...
indicated that one person was on board the aircraft. Sebring Air Charter of Tamarac, Florida is listed on FAA records as the owner of the aircraft. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
External links
- City of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport brochure from CFASPP (June 2007)