Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport is a public 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 four 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 Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...

, a city in Polk County
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...

, 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...

. It is owned by the City of Lakeland.

The airport possesses a Federal Aviation Regulations
Federal Aviation Regulations
The Federal Aviation Regulations, or FARs, are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration governing all aviation activities in the United States. The FARs are part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations...

 (FAR) Part 139 operating certificate entitling it to conduct commercial passenger aircraft operations and the terminal facility opened in late 2001 was designed to enable it to conduct airline operations with minimal modifications. Scheduled commercial airline service returned to the airport in June 2011, when Direct Air began service to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Niagara Falls, New York and Springfield, Illinois.

Annually, in the March-April time frame, the airport is host to Sun 'n Fun
Sun 'n Fun
Sun 'n Fun is a "Fly-in" and airshow held annually at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, usually during the second or third week of April....

, a six day Fly-in
Fly-in
A fly-in is a pre-arranged gathering of aircraft, pilots and passengers for recreational and social purposes.Fly-ins may be formally or informally organised, members of the public may or may not be invited, the gathering may be at an airport or in a farmer's field.Fly-ins can be aimed at specific...

, airshow
Airshow
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....

 and aviation convention. It is the second largest such event in the United States after the Experimental Aircraft Association
Experimental Aircraft Association
The Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....

's (EAA) annual "AirVenture" event each summer at Wittman Regional Airport
Wittman Regional Airport
Wittman Regional Airport is a public airport located two miles south of the central business district of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. The airport is owned and operated by Winnebago County. Wittman Field, as it sometimes called, is used almost exclusively for general aviation, but has...

 (OSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...

. Although originally begun by a local EAA chapter, Sun `n Fun is now an independent corporation and no longer affiliated with EAA.

History

The airport was initially constructed in the early 1940s and served as Drane Field, an auxiliary 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....

 (USAAF) airfield to MacDill Field, now MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base is an active United States Air Force base located approximately south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida...

 in nearby Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...

. Initially, the Lakeland School of Aeronautics provided basic pilot training to United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...

 flying cadets from the airfield under contract. Flight training was performed at Lakeland until the end of the war.

In May 1942, Lakeland Army Airfield opened and served as a Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....

 group training base for medium bombardment groups such as the 320th Bomb Group
320th Air Expeditionary Wing
The 320th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force District of Washington. It is stationed at Bolling AFB, District of Columbia...

, 322d Bomb Group
322d Air Expeditionary Group
The 322d Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time....

 and the 344th Bomb Group
126th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 126th Air Refueling Wing is a Illinois Air National Guard air refueling wing located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois....

 flying the B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....

.

During 1944, Third Air Force used Lakeland Army Airfield as a training base for Air Commando units, assigned to the 2d and 3d Air Commando Groups. The 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th Fighter (Commando) Squadrons flew P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...

s from the airfield before being reassigned to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 and Burma in the summer of 1944.

At the end 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...

, the airfield was closed as a military facility and turned over to the City of Lakeland for redevelopment as a civilian airport.

The City of Lakeland had operated another municipal airport before and after World War II, which was renamed Al Lodwick Field in 1948. Lodwick Field continued to be used by the city for several more years as its principal airport, but gradually more and more of the complex was converted for use as the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...

 professional baseball team. By the summer of 1957, the city had decided to phase out Lodwick Field as a municipal airport and concentrate its resources on Drane Field in south Lakeland. Drane Field had deteriorated and languished underutilized for many years following the departure of the Army Air Forces in 1945 until its rededication as Lakeland Municipal Airport in 1960 with Don Emerson as its first director.

From about 1950 to 1962 passenger service was provided by National Airlines
National Airlines (NA)
National Airlines was an airline founded in 1934 and was headquartered on the grounds of Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States near Miami.- History :...

, with Lockheed Lodestar and Convair 340/440 aircraft. During the rest of the 1960s and into the early 1970s, prior to airline deregulation, commercial airline service was provided by Allegheny Commuter and the former Sun Airlines.

In the 1970s, the facility was renamed Lakeland Regional Airport. In the late 1980s, it was again renamed as Lakeland Linder Regional Airport for local businessman Paul Scott Linder. Linder had founded Lakeland-based Linder Industrial Machinery, a multi-million dollar heavy construction machinery company, in 1953. The Chairman of the Lakeland Economic Development Council, Linder was also director of the Florida Council of 100, the Florida Chamber of Commerce
Florida Chamber of Commerce
The Florida Chamber of Commerce is an organization devoted to the advocacy of private businesses in the state of Florida.This Chamber originated in 1912, and included its first continuing group in 1916, the Florida Tick Eradication Committee...

 and the Florida Council of Economic Education. He was named Florida’s Free Enterpriser of the Year in 1988, received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Florida, and was named 1989 Florida Entrepreneur of the Year. Paul Scott Linder died on November 11, 1990.

From the 1970s until 1999, the airfield operated as a joint civil-military facility when it hosted Army Aviation Support Facility #2 of the Florida Army National Guard
Florida Army National Guard
The Florida Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...

, operating since-retired UH-1 Huey helicopters, followed by locally-based UH-60L Blackhawk helicopters of Detachment D, 171st Aviation Battalion (GS) and C-23B+ Sherpa
C-23 Sherpa
|-C-23B/C:-See also:-External links:*****...

 fixed-wing cargo aircraft of Detachment 1, H/171st Aviation Battalion (TA). The establishment of these units and aircraft in Lakeland was due primarily to the efforts of former U.S. Senator and later Governor of Florida, Lawton Chiles
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of...

, a Lakeland native. In 2000, the Florida Army National Guard aviation units relocated to a new facility at Hernando County Airport
Hernando County Airport
Hernando County Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southwest of the central business district of Brooksville, a city in Hernando County, Florida, United States. It is owned by Hernando County and is north of Tampa...

 in Brooksville, Florida. Despite the military's departure from Lakeland, Florida Army National Guard aircraft, as well as Air Force aircraft from MacDill AFB, Coast Guard aircraft from CGAS Clearwater and other transient military aircraft throughout the southeast United States continue to use the airfield for practice approaches, landings and takeoffs. The airport's principal fixed base operator (FBO) also continues to provide DoD contract jet fuel services for transient military aircraft.

Over the years, the airport has seen a number of layout modifications. An original northwest/southeast 5000 feet (1,524 m) runway was converted to a taxiway to permit construction of the Publix
Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation. Publix is currently ranked No. 86 on Fortune magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 and was ranked No...

 supermarket chain's corporate aircraft facility on the northwest end, while Runway 9/27 was incrementally increased in length to 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) in the late 1950s and then to 8500 feet (2,590.8 m) in the late 1990s. Runway 9/27, its associated taxiway system and the current airport terminal ramp area is currently built to a design standard that enables it to accommodate Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...

-700/800 series aircraft.

Construction of the current 2½ story airside/landside terminal was begun in early 2000 and completed in late 2001. It contains the airport administrative offices, a conference facility, a fixed-base operator and an aviation themed restaurant [Earhart's Runway Grill - named in honor of Amelia Earhart] located on the terminal's second floor. Hilton Hotels Corporation [Hilton Garden Inn] is conveniently located adjacent to the Terminal.

From 2006 to 2008 the airport had limited air service under FAR Part 135 (AirTaxi) provided by DayJet
DayJet
DayJet was an American commercial aviation operation that provided on-demand jet travel using Eclipse 500 Very Light Jets. The company began operations in Florida in October 2007 and suspended operations on September 19, 2008....

 utilizing Eclipse 500
Eclipse 500
The Eclipse 500 is a small six-seat business jet aircraft manufactured by Eclipse Aviation.Eclipse 500 became the first of a new class of Very Light Jet when it was delivered in late 2006...

 very light jet (VLJ) aircraft. DayJet also maintained a "DayPort" facility in the airport's main terminal building. However, DayJet ceased operations in September 2008 and subsequently declared bankruptcy, again leaving Lakeland without scheduled commercial airline service until 2011. The closest commercial service airports to LAL are Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...

 (TPA), St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in unincorporated Pinellas County, Florida, north of St. Petersburg, serving St...

 (PIE) and Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...

 (MCO).

The Sun 'n Fun
Sun 'n Fun
Sun 'n Fun is a "Fly-in" and airshow held annually at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida, usually during the second or third week of April....

 complex and its associated Florida Air Museum are located in the southwest quadrant of the airport.

Facilities and aircraft

Lakeland Linder Regional Airport covers an area of 1528 acres (618.4 ha), which contains two 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...

s: Runway 9/27 measuring 8,500 × 150 ft (2,591 × 46 m) and Runway 5/23 measuring 5,005 × 150 ft (1,526 × 46 m). The Lakeland VORTAC is physically located on the airfield and all runways have high intensity runway lighting (HIRL) and P4L precision approach path indicator
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...

 (PAPI
PAPI
PAPI or Papi may refer to:* Performance Application Programming Interface in Computer Science* Point of Access for Providers of Information* Precision Approach Path Indicator...

) systems. Runway 5 is equipped with a Category I Instrument Landing System
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...

 (ILS), a Medium Intensity Approach Light System with Runway Alighment Indicator (MALSR) and a published Cat I ILS precision instrument approach. All other runways have published non-precision approaches. The airport has been a tower-controlled airport since the 1970s and the airport management's air traffic control division operates an FAA Level I air traffic control tower under the FAA Contract Tower Program. The FAA has also installed an Automatic Detection Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) ground station at the airport. Emergency services are provided by the Lakeland Fire Department, which maintains a 24-hour manned station on the airfield with a specialized crash truck and crew providing aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) capability.

For the 12-month period ending November 30, 2006, the airport had 101,365 aircraft operations, an average of 277 per day: 97% 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...

, 2% military and 1% 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...

. There are 177 aircraft based at this airport: 73% single-engine, 14% multi-engine, 8% 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...

.

The airport also hosts corporate flight operations for the respective national headquarters of the Publix
Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation. Publix is currently ranked No. 86 on Fortune magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 and was ranked No...

 supermarket corporation, its associated PECU Insurance Agency, LLC, and the Watkins Motor Line trucking corporation.

In September 2010 Lakeland Linder Regional Airport unveiled expansion plans in conjunction with Sky King Air's relocation to the airport.

Airlines and destinations

External links

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