Grundy Municipal Airport
Encyclopedia
Grundy Municipal Airport is a public-use airport
located three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of the central business district
of Grundy
, a town in Buchanan County
, Virginia
, United States
. It is publicly owned by the Town of Grundy
and is operated by the Grundy Municipal Airport Commission. Grundy Municipal is the only airport operating in Buchanan County. Small personal and charter planes use the facility. It is a 3 miles (5 km) drive from Grundy
, the county seat
of Buchanan County.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this airport is assigned GDY by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
of 2,304 feet (702 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt
paved runway
designated 4/22 which measures 2,256 by 60 feet (688 x 18 m). For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2008, the airport had 4,177 general aviation
aircraft operations, an average of 11 per day.
, after surface mining
created the new flat land. The lack of flat terrain in the mountainous region made it difficult to find a location suitable to sustain a proper airport facility. After 35 years of operation, many local leaders want to replace the current airport for a larger regional airport. Leaders on a local, state, and federal level have been working on creating a new regional airport serving Buchanan and Dickenson Counties
. Currently, work is in the alpha stages to develop a new regional airport with the relocation of residents.
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 three nautical miles (6 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 Grundy
Grundy, Virginia
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buchanan County. The town is noted for its educational institutions and their role in the town's economic rebirth. In the past, the town served as a stopover for Union...
, a town in Buchanan County
Buchanan County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,978 people, 10,464 households, and 7,900 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 11,887 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is publicly owned by the Town of Grundy
Grundy, Virginia
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buchanan County. The town is noted for its educational institutions and their role in the town's economic rebirth. In the past, the town served as a stopover for Union...
and is operated by the Grundy Municipal Airport Commission. Grundy Municipal is the only airport operating in Buchanan County. Small personal and charter planes use the facility. It is a 3 miles (5 km) drive from Grundy
Grundy, Virginia
Grundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buchanan County. The town is noted for its educational institutions and their role in the town's economic rebirth. In the past, the town served as a stopover for Union...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Buchanan County.
Although most 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 airport is assigned GDY by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA.
Facilities and aircraft
Grundy Municipal Airport covers an area of 89 acres (36 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 2,304 feet (702 m) above mean sea level. It has one 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...
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...
designated 4/22 which measures 2,256 by 60 feet (688 x 18 m). For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2008, the airport had 4,177 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...
aircraft operations, an average of 11 per day.
Future of the airport
Grundy Municipal Airport was completed in 1969 when the property it lies on was donated to the town by the United Coal CompanyUnited Coal Company
United Coal Company , a nonunion coal mining company headquartered in Blountville, Tennessee, is a leading producer of high grade metallurgical coals, with operations in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky and a subsidiary of the United Management Company, headquartered at Blountville,...
, after surface mining
Surface mining
Surface mining , is a type of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed...
created the new flat land. The lack of flat terrain in the mountainous region made it difficult to find a location suitable to sustain a proper airport facility. After 35 years of operation, many local leaders want to replace the current airport for a larger regional airport. Leaders on a local, state, and federal level have been working on creating a new regional airport serving Buchanan and Dickenson Counties
Dickenson County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,395 people, 6,732 households, and 4,887 families residing in the county. The population density was 49 people per square mile . There were 7,684 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
. Currently, work is in the alpha stages to develop a new regional airport with the relocation of residents.
See also
- Buchanan County, VirginiaBuchanan County, VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 26,978 people, 10,464 households, and 7,900 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 11,887 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
- Grundy, VirginiaGrundy, VirginiaGrundy is a town in Buchanan County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,105 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Buchanan County. The town is noted for its educational institutions and their role in the town's economic rebirth. In the past, the town served as a stopover for Union...
- Prater, VirginiaPrater, VirginiaPrater is an unincorporated community located in Buchanan County, Virginia. It is near the intersection of Virginia State Route 83 and County Route 604 in the western portion of the county. The community is the home of Russell Prater Elementary School....
- List of airports in Virginia