North Central State Airport
Encyclopedia
North Central State Airport is a public use airport
in Providence County
, Rhode Island
, United States
. The airport is owned by the State of Rhode Island and opened for service in 1951. It serves the city of Pawtucket
and is located three nautical miles (6 km) east of its central business district
.
The airport is situated in the towns of Smithfield
and Lincoln
. It is located in the upper region of the state and is roughly horizontally centered in the state, hence the name "North Central". It is designated as a reliever airport for general aviation
activity from T.F. Green Airport.
North Central State Airport is one of six active airports operated by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, the other five being T.F. Green State Airport, Quonset State Airport
, Westerly State Airport
, Newport State Airport
, and Block Island State Airport
.
of 441 feet (134 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 5/23 is 5,000 by 100 feet (1,524 x 30 m) and 15/33 is 3,210 by 75 feet (978 x 23 m). Runway 5/23 is used more often than Runway 15/33 due to crosswind
s.
For the 12-month period ending November 30, 2007, the airport had 27,181 aircraft operations, an average of 74 per day: 99% general aviation
, 1% air taxi
and <1% military
. At that time there were 120 aircraft based at this airport: 92.5% single-engine
and 7.5% multi-engine.
It is a non-towered airport
and generally caters to private pilots
and general aviation, and the aircraft
that are seen there are usually either piston or light jet aircraft. The airport is not able to serve large airliners, and the use of North Central to these types of aircraft is purely emergency-related. The airport is the base for a repair facility.
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...
in Providence County
Providence County, Rhode Island
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 621,602 people, 239,936 households, and 152,839 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,504 people per square mile . There were 253,214 housing units at an average density of 613 per square mile...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport is owned by the State of Rhode Island and opened for service in 1951. It serves the city of Pawtucket
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
and is located three nautical miles (6 km) east of its 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"...
.
The airport is situated in the towns of Smithfield
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...
and Lincoln
Lincoln, Rhode Island
Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 21,105 at the 2010 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence....
. It is located in the upper region of the state and is roughly horizontally centered in the state, hence the name "North Central". It is designated as a reliever airport for 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...
activity from T.F. Green Airport.
North Central State Airport is one of six active airports operated by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, the other five being T.F. Green State Airport, Quonset State Airport
Quonset State Airport
Quonset State Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located on Quonset Point, in northeastern North Kingstown, Rhode Island, adjacent to Narragansett Bay...
, Westerly State Airport
Westerly State Airport
Westerly State Airport is a public use airport in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. It serves the city of Westerly and is located two nautical miles southeast of its central business district....
, Newport State Airport
Newport State Airport (Rhode Island)
Newport State Airport is a public use airport in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. It serves the city of Newport and is located two nautical miles northeast of its central business district. There is no scheduled airline service available, but it once was served by Air New...
, and Block Island State Airport
Block Island State Airport
Block Island State Airport is a public airport located on Block Island, in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The airport is owned by the State of Rhode Island. It is primarily a general aviation airport, but there is also scheduled airline service to Westerly State Airport...
.
Facilities and aircraft
North Central State Airport covers an area of 475 acres (192.2 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 441 feet (134 m) above mean sea level. It has 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: 5/23 is 5,000 by 100 feet (1,524 x 30 m) and 15/33 is 3,210 by 75 feet (978 x 23 m). Runway 5/23 is used more often than Runway 15/33 due to crosswind
Crosswind
A crosswind is any wind that has a perpendicular component to the line or direction of travel. In aviation, a crosswind is the component of wind that is blowing across the runway making landings and take-offs more difficult than if the wind were blowing straight down the runway...
s.
For the 12-month period ending November 30, 2007, the airport had 27,181 aircraft operations, an average of 74 per day: 99% 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...
, 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...
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 120 aircraft based at this airport: 92.5% 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...
and 7.5% multi-engine.
It is a non-towered airport
Non-towered airport
A non-towered airport, sometimes referred to as an uncontrolled airport, is an airport with no operating tower, or air traffic control unit...
and generally caters to private pilots
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and general aviation, and the aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
that are seen there are usually either piston or light jet aircraft. The airport is not able to serve large airliners, and the use of North Central to these types of aircraft is purely emergency-related. The airport is the base for a repair facility.
External links
- Photos of North Central State Airport (SFZ) from Civil Air PatrolCivil Air PatrolCivil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
website