Richard B. Russell Airport
Encyclopedia
Richard B. Russell Airport is a county-owned public-use airport
in Floyd County
, Georgia
, United States
. The airport is located six nautical miles (11 km) north of the central business district
of Rome, Georgia
. It is also known as Richard B. Russell Regional Airport and J.H. Towers Field.
This airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
(2009-2013), which categorizes
it as a general aviation
facility.
The Rome Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol
is located at the airport. Stationed at the squadron are a Maule
MT-7-235 tow plane and three Blanik gliders.
On the second Saturday of each month, the Experimental Aircraft Association
hosts a fly-in breakfast at the EAA campgrounds located off the Old Dalton Road.
, a pioneer of naval aviation
.
of 644 feet (196 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 1/19 measures 6,006 by 143 feet (1,831 x 44 m) and 7/25 is 4,497 by 100 feet (1,371 x 30 m). A former third runway which was designated 14/32 is closed.
For the 12-month period ending August 31, 2007, the airport had 36,703 aircraft operations, an average of 100 per day: 98% general aviation
and 2% military
. At that time there were 775 aircraft based at this airport: 88% military
, 9% single-engine
, 1% multi-engine, 1% ultralight, <1% glider
, <1% jet
and <1% helicopter
.
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 Floyd County
Floyd County, Georgia
Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 90,565. Census estimates for 2007 show a population of 95,618...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport is located six nautical miles (11 km) north 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 Rome, Georgia
Rome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
. It is also known as Richard B. Russell Regional Airport and J.H. Towers Field.
This airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. It is developed and maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration . Its purposes are:* to identify all the airports in the U.S...
(2009-2013), which categorizes
FAA airport categories
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has a system for categorizing public-use airports that is primarily based on the level of commercial passenger traffic through each facility. It is used to determine if an airport is eligible for funding through the federal government's Airport...
it as a 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...
facility.
The Rome Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol
Civil 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...
is located at the airport. Stationed at the squadron are a Maule
Maule Air
Maule Air, Inc. is a manufacturer of light, single-engined, short take-off and landing aircraft, based in Moultrie, Georgia, USA. Maule has delivered 2,500 aircraft in its first 50 years of business.- History :...
MT-7-235 tow plane and three Blanik gliders.
On the second Saturday of each month, 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....
hosts a fly-in breakfast at the EAA campgrounds located off the Old Dalton Road.
History
Floyd County purchased 670 acres (271 ha) of land for the airport in 1942. The county turned the land over to the U.S. Navy which built three asphalt runways for a Naval Auxiliary Air Base. It was deeded back to the county in 1945, after the Navy discontinued its use of the site. The airport was then named for Richard B. Russell, Jr., who represented Georgia in the U.S. Senate from 1933 until his death in 1971. In 2004, the terminal building was named for Admiral John H. TowersJohn H. Towers
John Henry Towers was a United States Navy admiral and pioneer Naval aviator. He made important contributions to the technical and organizational development of Naval Aviation from its very beginnings, eventually serving as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics...
, a pioneer of naval aviation
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
.
Facilities and aircraft
The airport covers an area of 985 acres (398.6 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 644 feet (196 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: 1/19 measures 6,006 by 143 feet (1,831 x 44 m) and 7/25 is 4,497 by 100 feet (1,371 x 30 m). A former third runway which was designated 14/32 is closed.
For the 12-month period ending August 31, 2007, the airport had 36,703 aircraft operations, an average of 100 per day: 98% 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...
and 2% 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 775 aircraft based at this airport: 88% military
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
, 9% 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...
, 1% multi-engine, 1% ultralight, <1% glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
, <1% jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
and <1% 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...
.
External links
- Richard B. Russell Airport (RMG) at Georgia DOT website