Hillsboro Airport
Encyclopedia
Hillsboro Airport , also known as Portland-Hillsboro Airport, is the name of a corporate, general aviation
and flight-training airport serving the city of Hillsboro
, in Washington County
, Oregon
, USA
. It is one of four airports in the Portland, Oregon
, metropolitan area owned and operated by the Port of Portland
. Established in 1928, it is Oregon's second busiest airport at over 200,000 operations annually.
Located in the north-central area of Hillsboro, and west of Portland, it hosts the annual Oregon International Air Show. The airport includes an Federal Aviation Administration
control tower, two paved runways, hangars, fueling facilities, and a small passenger terminal. Hillsboro Airport is also a port of entry
, with a single person U.S. Customs and Border Protection
office.
's "Stars And Stripes" Fairchild FC-2
aircraft used to explore the South Pole
was displayed at the airport.
With the outbreak of World War II
in 1941, the city received federal money again, plus the city approved local financing to improve the airport again, with the costs of the improvements totaling around $600,000. During and after flooding along the Columbia River
in 1948 the Hillsboro facility was used by some commercial operators due to the closure of then Portland-Columbia Airport (now Portland International), which lies along the river. The three commercial carriers at Hillsboro were Coastal Airways, Columbia Air Cargo, and General Air Cargo. This was the flooding that wiped out the city of Vanport
, and due to that disaster relief supplies were flown into the Portland area by the United States Air Force using the Hillsboro Airport.
The field was also considered as a possible Naval air station in 1946 and again in 1955, but was eventually rejected by the Navy. In early 1960 several companies were located at the airport including Tektron Instruments
and Georgia Pacific. In 1964, the Hillsboro City Council made an official request to the Port of Portland to take over ownership of the airport. The facility had been deteriorated due to inadequate funding, and the Port agreed to take over ownership after some legal wrangling in 1965. Then on August 28, 1966, an air traffic control tower was opened after construction costs of $400,000 with staffing by the FAA. Next in April 1975 the current main terminal that includes offices and a restaurant opened, followed by the opening of the new 6300 feet (1,920.2 m) runway on September 1, 1976. In 1989, customs call out service was added to allow international business flights at the airport after lobbying by Congressman Les AuCoin
and business leaders. After advance notice, customs inspectors
from Portland were sent to the airport to process the passengers.
Hillsboro airport is often mentioned as a reliever airport for Portland International Airport
. In 1999, Portland City Council member Dan Saltzman
suggested expanding the Hillsboro Airport to relieve pressure on the busy Portland International Airport. This was during a time when the Port of Portland was discussing building a new larger airport or possibly adding a third runway to PDX to handle growing demand for air travel and air cargo. Saltzman suggested shifting some commercial flights to Hillsboro, while shifting some cargo flights there had previously been discussed.
As of 2006, the Port of Portland planned to spend $134 million through 2025 to improve the Hillsboro facility. Plans call for a third runway, increased hangar space, and additional automobile parking on site among other items. Construction on the third runway would begin as early as 2010. In 2007, a staffed customs office was added to the airport. Paid for by funds generated by a user-fee association
, this allowed the airport to continue as a port of entry, and removed the need for a Customs officer to travel from Portland International Airport.
For 2008, the airport handled 259,263 flights, surpassing Portland International in this category. In 2009, the airport received a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand taxiway
s as part of the airport's master plan.
buses and the MAX Blue Line
's Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport
station. The transit station is located to the south of the airport, across the Washington County Fairgrounds.
Facilities include a 6600 feet (2,011.7 m) runway (Rwy 12/30), a 4049 feet (1,234.1 m) runway (rwy 2/20), and an FAA control tower. Runway 12/30 is ILS
and PAPI
equipped. The air traffic control tower is staffed from 6 a.m. to 10p.m. local time. The tower recently received terminal radar capability enabling controllers to supplement radio communication and binoculars to locate aircraft in its airspace. The small main terminal includes two rental car companies, KUIK
AM radio station, airport offices, and a waiting area for the passengers flying on the daily Intel charter flights. There is also a single officer staffed U.S. Customs and Border Protection
office to process international flights.
The airport was originally Hillsboro's municipal airport, which the Port of Portland bought in 1966. It has been developed to support all forms of general aviation and is home to four fixed base operator
(FBOs). Many people, including celebrities, politicians and sports-stars choose to use Hillsboro for its ease and discreetness. The airport is also a hub for many major local corporations, including Nike, Teufel Nursery
, and Intel. The predominant activity at the airport is flight training, accounting for more than half the overall operations. Additionally, it is the base of operation for the Life Flight Network, the medical evacuation
provider for the region. Operated by Oregon Health & Science University
, Legacy Health System
, and Providence Health System
, the non-profit service owns one helicopter and two fixed-wing aircraft.
As of 2005 the airport handled 223,000 takeoffs and landings. It is Oregon’s second busiest airport overall after Portland International, and is the largest general aviation airport in the state. The annual Oregon International Air Show takes place at Hillsboro Airport.
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 flight-training airport serving the city of Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, in Washington County
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is one of four airports in the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, metropolitan area owned and operated by the Port of Portland
Port of Portland (Oregon)
The Port of Portland is the port district responsible for overseeing Portland International Airport, general aviation, and marine activities in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area in the United States....
. Established in 1928, it is Oregon's second busiest airport at over 200,000 operations annually.
Located in the north-central area of Hillsboro, and west of Portland, it hosts the annual Oregon International Air Show. The airport includes an Federal Aviation Administration
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...
control tower, two paved runways, hangars, fueling facilities, and a small passenger terminal. Hillsboro Airport is also 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 single person U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
office.
History
Hillsboro airport goes back to as early as 1928. Dr. Elmer H. Smith purchased 100 acres (40 ha) of land near the town to use as an airport, as he owned the first airplane in town. In the early 1930s after Smith died the city purchased the airport for $7,500 and received a federal grant to improve the facilities. They then built two runways, one 3000 feet (914.4 m) long and the other at 2800 feet (853.4 m). In July 1936, Richard Evelyn ByrdRichard Evelyn Byrd
Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., USN was a naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics...
's "Stars And Stripes" Fairchild FC-2
Fairchild FC-2
The Fairchild FC-1 and its derivatives were a family of light, single engine, high wing utility monoplanes produced in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s...
aircraft used to explore the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
was displayed at the airport.
With the outbreak of 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...
in 1941, the city received federal money again, plus the city approved local financing to improve the airport again, with the costs of the improvements totaling around $600,000. During and after flooding along the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
in 1948 the Hillsboro facility was used by some commercial operators due to the closure of then Portland-Columbia Airport (now Portland International), which lies along the river. The three commercial carriers at Hillsboro were Coastal Airways, Columbia Air Cargo, and General Air Cargo. This was the flooding that wiped out the city of Vanport
Vanport, Oregon
Vanport City was a hastily constructed city of public housing located in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States, between the contemporary Portland city boundary and the Columbia River. It is currently the site of Delta Park and the Portland International Raceway.It was constructed in 1943 to house...
, and due to that disaster relief supplies were flown into the Portland area by the United States Air Force using the Hillsboro Airport.
The field was also considered as a possible Naval air station in 1946 and again in 1955, but was eventually rejected by the Navy. In early 1960 several companies were located at the airport including Tektron Instruments
Tektronix
Tektronix, Inc. is an American company best known for its test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and video and mobile test protocol equipment. In November 2007, Tektronix became a subsidiary of Danaher Corporation....
and Georgia Pacific. In 1964, the Hillsboro City Council made an official request to the Port of Portland to take over ownership of the airport. The facility had been deteriorated due to inadequate funding, and the Port agreed to take over ownership after some legal wrangling in 1965. Then on August 28, 1966, an air traffic control tower was opened after construction costs of $400,000 with staffing by the FAA. Next in April 1975 the current main terminal that includes offices and a restaurant opened, followed by the opening of the new 6300 feet (1,920.2 m) runway on September 1, 1976. In 1989, customs call out service was added to allow international business flights at the airport after lobbying by Congressman Les AuCoin
Les AuCoin
Walter Leslie "Les" AuCoin , is an American politician and the first Democrat elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from since it was formed in 1882. The seat has been held by a Democrat ever since....
and business leaders. After advance notice, customs inspectors
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
from Portland were sent to the airport to process the passengers.
Hillsboro airport is often mentioned as a reliever airport for Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
. In 1999, Portland City Council member Dan Saltzman
Dan Saltzman
Dan Saltzman is an elected commissioner serving in the City Council of Portland in Portland, Oregon.-Background:Saltzman is a Portland native who attended schools in the Portland area and on the east coast before entering a career in environmental engineering. He graduated from Beaverton High...
suggested expanding the Hillsboro Airport to relieve pressure on the busy Portland International Airport. This was during a time when the Port of Portland was discussing building a new larger airport or possibly adding a third runway to PDX to handle growing demand for air travel and air cargo. Saltzman suggested shifting some commercial flights to Hillsboro, while shifting some cargo flights there had previously been discussed.
As of 2006, the Port of Portland planned to spend $134 million through 2025 to improve the Hillsboro facility. Plans call for a third runway, increased hangar space, and additional automobile parking on site among other items. Construction on the third runway would begin as early as 2010. In 2007, a staffed customs office was added to the airport. Paid for by funds generated by a user-fee association
User fees
People pay user fees for the use of many public services and facilities. At the federal level in the US, there is a charge for walking to the top of the Statue of Liberty, to drive into many National parks, and to use particular services of the Library of Congress.States may charge tolls for...
, this allowed the airport to continue as a port of entry, and removed the need for a Customs officer to travel from Portland International Airport.
For 2008, the airport handled 259,263 flights, surpassing Portland International in this category. In 2009, the airport received a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
s as part of the airport's master plan.
Operations
Located in Portland's western and Washington County suburbs, Hillsboro Airport is connected to the metropolitan area by TriMetTriMet
TriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
buses and the MAX Blue Line
MAX Blue Line
The MAX Blue Line is a 33 mile light rail line in the MAX Light Rail system in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Operated by TriMet, the line runs between Hillsboro and Gresham, via downtown Portland...
's Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport
Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport (MAX station)
The Fair Complex/Hillsboro Airport station is a light rail station on the MAX Blue Line in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. It is the 16th stop westbound on the Westside MAX, and the last westbound stop prior to crossing the Main Street Bridge...
station. The transit station is located to the south of the airport, across the Washington County Fairgrounds.
Facilities include a 6600 feet (2,011.7 m) runway (Rwy 12/30), a 4049 feet (1,234.1 m) runway (rwy 2/20), and an FAA control tower. Runway 12/30 is ILS
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
and PAPI
Precision Approach Path Indicator
Precision approach path Indicator is a visual aid that provides guidance information to help a pilot acquire and maintain the correct approach to an aerodrome or an airport. It is generally located beside the runway approximately 300 metres beyond the landing threshold of the runway...
equipped. The air traffic control tower is staffed from 6 a.m. to 10p.m. local time. The tower recently received terminal radar capability enabling controllers to supplement radio communication and binoculars to locate aircraft in its airspace. The small main terminal includes two rental car companies, KUIK
KUIK
KUIK is a radio station broadcasting in a news talk information format, and licensed to Hillsboro, Oregon. It is currently owned by Dolphin Communications, Inc....
AM radio station, airport offices, and a waiting area for the passengers flying on the daily Intel charter flights. There is also a single officer staffed U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
office to process international flights.
The airport was originally Hillsboro's municipal airport, which the Port of Portland bought in 1966. It has been developed to support all forms of general aviation and is home to four fixed base operator
Fixed base operator
A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
(FBOs). Many people, including celebrities, politicians and sports-stars choose to use Hillsboro for its ease and discreetness. The airport is also a hub for many major local corporations, including Nike, Teufel Nursery
Teufel Nursery
Teufel Nursery is a family-owned landscaping company based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1890, the company maintains existing and installs new landscaping for commercial, government, and residential customers. The company has about 200 employees.-History:Gustav Teufel founded the...
, and Intel. The predominant activity at the airport is flight training, accounting for more than half the overall operations. Additionally, it is the base of operation for the Life Flight Network, the medical evacuation
MEDEVAC
Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
provider for the region. Operated by Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University is a public university in Oregon with a main campus, including two hospitals, in Portland and a smaller campus in Hillsboro...
, Legacy Health System
Legacy Health System
Legacy Health is a non-profit hospital system located in Portland, Oregon, United States. It consists of six primary-care hospitals and allied clinics and outpatient facilities. The system employs about 9000 staff members, and is the second-largest system in the Portland metro area, after the...
, and Providence Health System
Providence Health System
Providence Health & Services is a not-for-profit Catholic health care ministry that includes 27 hospitals, more than 35 non-acute facilities and numerous other health, housing and educational services in the states of Alaska, Washington, Montana, Oregon and California on the United States west coast...
, the non-profit service owns one helicopter and two fixed-wing aircraft.
As of 2005 the airport handled 223,000 takeoffs and landings. It is Oregon’s second busiest airport overall after Portland International, and is the largest general aviation airport in the state. The annual Oregon International Air Show takes place at Hillsboro Airport.
See also
- Portland-Troutdale Airport
- Pearson FieldPearson FieldPearson Field , is a city-owned public-use airport located one mile southeast of the central business district of Vancouver, a city in Clark County, Washington, United States....
- Portland-Mulino Airport
External links
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection User Fee Airport Facility Contact Info Fee Info Location