Murray-Calloway County Airport
Encyclopedia
Murray-Calloway County Airport , also known as Kyle-Oakley Field, is a public use airport
located four nautical miles (7 km) northwest of the central business district
of Murray
, in Calloway County
, Kentucky
, United States
. The airport opened in 1961. It is owned by the Murray City-Calloway County Board.
dedicated the airport in a ceremony attended by state and local officials as well as many local citizens.
In the mid 1980s
, a commuter type service called Sunbird Airlines
had scheduled flights to Nashville using single engine Piper PA-32 aircraft. They lasted about four years.
of 577 feet (176 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 5/23 with an asphalt
surface measuring 6,203 by 100 feet (1,891 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2009, the airport had 13,171 aircraft operations, an average of 36 per day: 93% general aviation
, 6% air taxi
, and 1% military
. At that time there were 33 aircraft based at this airport: 88% single-engine
, 6% multi-engine, 3% helicopter
and 3% ultralight.
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 nautical miles (7 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 Murray
Murray, Kentucky
Murray is a city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,741 at the 2010 census and has a micropolitan area population of 37,191. It is the 22nd largest city in Kentucky...
, in Calloway County
Calloway County, Kentucky
Calloway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1823. As of 2010, the population was 37,191. Its county seat is Murray, Kentucky. The county is named for Colonel Richard Callaway, one of the founders of Boonesborough...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport opened in 1961. It is owned by the Murray City-Calloway County Board.
History
The need for an airport for Murray and Calloway County was apparent to further the growth and progress of the community. The Murray Chamber of Commerce knew of the interest which the Murray Jaycees had in working to obtain an airport. In the spring of 1957 the Murray Chamber of Commerce approached the Jaycees to offer their assistance and cooperation if the Jaycees would undertake the airport project. The Jaycees endorsed the project and a committee was appointed after approval by the board of directors. A campaign was established to obtain approval from the State Department of Aeronautics, with local residents, businesses and interested parties writing letters and making phone calls. The result was an approval to continue with the project. The Jaycees held a radio auction for the purpose of raising funds for the airport project. With the success of the auction it was evident that there would be an airport for Murray and Calloway County. On Saturday, October 28, 1961, Kentucky Governor Bert T. CombsBert T. Combs
Bertram Thomas Combs was a jurist and politician from the US state of Kentucky. After serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, he was elected the 50th Governor of Kentucky in 1959 on his second run for the office. Following his gubernatorial term, he was appointed to the Sixth Circuit Court of...
dedicated the airport in a ceremony attended by state and local officials as well as many local citizens.
In the mid 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, a commuter type service called Sunbird Airlines
Sunbird Airlines
Sunbird Airlines, "The Carolina Connection", was founded in Denver, North Carolina in 1979.Operating the Cessna 402, and later the Cessna 404 aircraft, the company shared equipment, operations, maintenance and facilities with parent company Mountain Air Cargo...
had scheduled flights to Nashville using single engine Piper PA-32 aircraft. They lasted about four years.
Facilities and aircraft
The airport covers an area of 300 acres (121.4 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 577 feet (176 m) above mean sea level. It has one 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 5/23 with an 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...
surface measuring 6,203 by 100 feet (1,891 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2009, the airport had 13,171 aircraft operations, an average of 36 per day: 93% 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...
, 6% 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...
, and 1% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 33 aircraft based at this airport: 88% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 6% multi-engine, 3% 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...
and 3% ultralight.
External links
- Aerial photo as of 6 April 1998 from USGS The National Map