Hector International Airport
Encyclopedia
Hector International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport
located three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district
of Fargo
, a city in Cass County, North Dakota
, United States
. It is owned by the City of Fargo Municipal Airport Authority.
The airport was named after Martin Hector, who donated the land the airport is situated on. Customs service is available for aircraft arriving from Canada
and other countries. Hector International has no scheduled passenger airline service out of the country but receives its international title (like many other airports) because of this customs service.
The airport is also home to the Happy Hooligans of the 119th Wing
(119 WG), a unit of the North Dakota Air National Guard
that operates the C-21A Lear Jet and MQ-1 Predator.
The airport was the intended destination for the airplane carrying Buddy Holly
, Ritchie Valens
, and J.P. Richardson
on February 3, 1959. The airplane crashed shortly after takeoff
from Clear Lake, Iowa
, killing the 3 musicians and the pilot.
s: 18/36 measuring 9,000 x 150 ft (2,743 x 46 m), 9/27 measuring 6,300 x 100 ft (1,920 x 30 m), and 13/31 measuring 3,800 x 150 ft (1,158 x 46 m). Hector International has the longest public runway in North Dakota and can receive Boeing 747
s.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2009, the airport had 84,694 aircraft operations, an average of 230 per day: 57% general aviation
, 22% air taxi
, 11% air carrier and 10% military.
In 2008 the airport completed the passenger terminal expansion and update project that started in October 2006. The project updated the existing terminal building and added an additional gate, an additional baggage claim and expanded the security checkpoint area.
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 miles (5 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 Fargo
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
, a city in Cass County, North Dakota
Cass County, North Dakota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 123,138 people, 51,315 households, and 29,814 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 people per square mile . There were 53,790 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is owned by the City of Fargo Municipal Airport Authority.
The airport was named after Martin Hector, who donated the land the airport is situated on. Customs service is available for aircraft arriving from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and other countries. Hector International has no scheduled passenger airline service out of the country but receives its international title (like many other airports) because of this customs service.
The airport is also home to the Happy Hooligans of the 119th Wing
119th Wing
The United States Air Force's 119th Wing is an Air National Guard unit located at Hector International Airport, North Dakota flying the MQ-1 Predator and the C-21A Learjet.-History:...
(119 WG), a unit of the North Dakota Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
that operates the C-21A Lear Jet and MQ-1 Predator.
The airport was the intended destination for the airplane carrying Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
, Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, and J.P. Richardson
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
on February 3, 1959. The airplane crashed shortly after takeoff
The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song...
from Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,161 at the 2000 census. The city is named for the large lake on which it is located. It is the home of a number of marinas, state parks and tourism-related businesses. Clear Lake is also a major stop on Interstate...
, killing the 3 musicians and the pilot.
Facilities and aircraft
Hector International Airport covers an area of 2500 acres (1,011.7 ha) which contains three runwayRunway
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: 18/36 measuring 9,000 x 150 ft (2,743 x 46 m), 9/27 measuring 6,300 x 100 ft (1,920 x 30 m), and 13/31 measuring 3,800 x 150 ft (1,158 x 46 m). Hector International has the longest public runway in North Dakota and can receive Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2009, the airport had 84,694 aircraft operations, an average of 230 per day: 57% 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...
, 22% 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...
, 11% air carrier and 10% military.
In 2008 the airport completed the passenger terminal expansion and update project that started in October 2006. The project updated the existing terminal building and added an additional gate, an additional baggage claim and expanded the security checkpoint area.
Airlines and destinations
Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:... |
133,000 | Delta |
| 2 |  Chicago O’Hare, IL |
63,000 | American, United |
| 3 |  Denver, CODenver International Airport Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel... |
50,000 | United |
| 4 |  Salt Lake City, UT |
28,000 | Delta |
| 5 |  Phoenix-Mesa, AZPhoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport , formerly Williams Gateway Airport and Williams Air Force Base , is a commercial airport located in the southeastern area of the city of Mesa, Arizona, and southeast of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The airport is owned and operated by the... |
25,000 | Allegiant |
| 6 |  Las Vegas, NVMcCarran International Airport McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and... |
20,000 | Allegiant |
| 7 |  Orlando-Sanford, FLOrlando Sanford International Airport Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance... |
13,000 | Allegiant |
| 8 |  Los Angeles, CALos Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually... |
12,000 | Allegiant |
| 9 | Laughlin, NV |
1,000 | - |