Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport
Encyclopedia
Henry E. Rohlsen Airport is a public airport
located six miles (10 km) southwest of Christiansted
on the island of St. Croix
in the United States Virgin Islands
. The airport is named after Henry E. Rohlsen, a St. Croix native who was one of the Tuskegee Airmen
during World War II
.
It is a small international airport
that hosts mainly inter-Caribbean
flights. The airport, which was a hub for Aero Virgin Islands
in the 1970s and 1980s, has the capability to receive jets up to the size of the Boeing 747
s. It was formerly known as Alexander Hamilton
International Airport.
paved runway
(10/28) measuring 10004 foot. For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 13,672 aircraft operations, an average of 37 per day: 68% air taxi
, 25% general aviation
, 7% scheduled commercial and 1% military. In the same period, there were also 31 aircraft based at this airport, including 15 multi-engine, nine single-engine, three jets, three military aircraft and one helicopter.
, the United States Army Air Forces
Sixth Air Force stationed the 12th Bombardment Squadron
(25th Bombardment Group) at the airport for antisubmarine patrols flying B-18 Bolo
aircraft from 8 November 1941-10 November 1942.
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 six miles (10 km) southwest of Christiansted
Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands
Christiansted is a town on Saint Croix, one of the main islands composing the United States Virgin Islands, an unincorporated territory of the United States. It is a former capital of the Danish West Indies and home to the Christiansted National Historic Site...
on the island of St. Croix
Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Croix is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Formerly the Danish West Indies, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of...
in the United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
. The airport is named after Henry E. Rohlsen, a St. Croix native who was one of the Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
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...
.
It is a small international 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...
that hosts mainly inter-Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
flights. The airport, which was a hub for Aero Virgin Islands
Aero Virgin Islands
Aero Virgin Islands was an airline based in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.-History:Aero Virgin Islands Corp. began operating in the Caribbean during the late 1970s...
in the 1970s and 1980s, has the capability to receive jets up to the size of the 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. It was formerly known as Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
International Airport.
Facilities and aircraft
Henry E. Rohlsen Airport covers an area of 1455 acres (588.8 ha) which contains one 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...
(10/28) measuring 10004 foot. For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 13,672 aircraft operations, an average of 37 per day: 68% 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...
, 25% 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...
, 7% scheduled commercial and 1% military. In the same period, there were also 31 aircraft based at this airport, including 15 multi-engine, nine single-engine, three jets, three military aircraft and one helicopter.
Airlines and destinations
World War II
During World War IIWorld 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...
, the United States Army Air Forces
United 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....
Sixth Air Force stationed the 12th Bombardment Squadron
12th Missile Squadron
The United States Air Force's 12th Missile Squadron is a missile unit located at Malmstrom AFB, Montana.-Mission:The mission of the 341st Missile Wing is to keep America free and strong by providing combat-ready people and aerospace forces.-Heraldry:...
(25th Bombardment Group) at the airport for antisubmarine patrols flying B-18 Bolo
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
aircraft from 8 November 1941-10 November 1942.
Incidents
On July 24, 1979, Prinair Flight 610 crashed shortly after takeoff from Alexander Hamilton Airport. One crew member and seven passengers were killed.External links
- Virgin Islands Port Authority, Aviation Division (official site)