Palatka Municipal Airport
Encyclopedia
Palatka Municipal Airport , also known as Lieutenant Kay Larkin Field, is a public-use airport
located 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of the central business district
of the city of Palatka
in Putnam County
, Florida
, United States
. The airport is publicly owned.
fighter training, under the cognizance of the Naval Air Station Jacksonville
complex to the north. On August 21, 1942, the airport was officially named Kay Larkin Field for 1st Lieutenant J. K. "Kay" Larkin, a U.S. Army Air Forces instructor pilot and Palatka native killed during the Second World War. In 1946, the War Assets Administration turned the airport back over to the City of Palatka.
In the early 1960s, it appeared likely that commercial air service would be initiated in the Palatka area. To accommodate this service, a terminal building of approximately 1400 square feet (130.1 m²) was constructed and dedicated in January 1963. In September 1963, South Central Airlines started servicing Palatka and the Central Florida area and continued for approximately two years, discontinuing service in 1965. That terminal building remains in operation today, primarily in support of general aviation operations. Shortly following discontinuance of commercial air service, the City leased operation to outside fixed base operators (FBOs), but resumed complete operation in the early 1980s. In 2010, the city opened a new 4000 sq ft (371.6 m²). terminal building.
Palatka Municipal Airport currently consists of over 730 acres (3 km²) with three (3) active paved runways, the longest of which is 6003 feet (1,829.7 m) in length.
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 2 miles (3.2 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 the city of Palatka
Palatka, Florida
Palatka is a city in Putnam County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,033 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 10,796. It is the county seat of Putnam County and includes East Palatka. Palatka is the principal city of the Palatka...
in Putnam County
Putnam County, Florida
Putnam County is a county located in the state of Florida. The entire county makes up the Palatka Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 70,423. The U.S. Census Bureau 2009 estimate for the county was 72,893 . Its county seat is Palatka, Florida. The county is centrally...
, 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...
. The airport is publicly owned.
History
Palatka Municipal Airport was originally founded in 1938 with just 214 acre (0.86602804 km²). On June 1, 1942, the U.S. Navy, under a government lease, acquired the airport from the City of Palatka, and in 1943, acquired additional land in support of naval air training operations, primarily Navy and Marine Corps F4U CorsairF4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
fighter training, under the cognizance of the Naval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville or NAS Jacksonville is a military airport located four miles south of the central business district of Jacksonville...
complex to the north. On August 21, 1942, the airport was officially named Kay Larkin Field for 1st Lieutenant J. K. "Kay" Larkin, a U.S. Army Air Forces instructor pilot and Palatka native killed during the Second World War. In 1946, the War Assets Administration turned the airport back over to the City of Palatka.
In the early 1960s, it appeared likely that commercial air service would be initiated in the Palatka area. To accommodate this service, a terminal building of approximately 1400 square feet (130.1 m²) was constructed and dedicated in January 1963. In September 1963, South Central Airlines started servicing Palatka and the Central Florida area and continued for approximately two years, discontinuing service in 1965. That terminal building remains in operation today, primarily in support of general aviation operations. Shortly following discontinuance of commercial air service, the City leased operation to outside fixed base operators (FBOs), but resumed complete operation in the early 1980s. In 2010, the city opened a new 4000 sq ft (371.6 m²). terminal building.
Palatka Municipal Airport currently consists of over 730 acres (3 km²) with three (3) active paved runways, the longest of which is 6003 feet (1,829.7 m) in length.