Westerly State Airport
Encyclopedia
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 (3.7 km) southeast of its central business district
.
It is primarily a general aviation
airport, but there is also scheduled airline service
to Block Island
provided by New England Airlines
.
Westerly State Airport is one of six active airports operated by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. The other five airports include T.F. Green State Airport, Newport State Airport
, North Central State Airport
, Quonset State Airport
, and Block Island State Airport
.
, due to its prime location halfway between Boston and New York City
.
of 81 feet (25 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 7/25 is 4,010 by 100 feet (1,222 x 30 m) and 14/32 is 3,960 by 75 feet (1,207 x 23 m).
In 2005, $3.4 million in federal funding was allocated to repair and improve the main runway
and taxiway
s. As of November 2006, improvements were finished and the main runway is open.
For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008, the airport had 23,288 aircraft operations, an average of 63 per day: 72% general aviation
, 28% air taxi
and <1% military
. At that time there were 75 aircraft based at this airport: 84% single-engine
, 13% multi-engine and 3% 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 Washington County
Washington County, Rhode Island
Washington County, commonly known colloquially as South County, is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Washington County borders Kent County to the north, New London County in Connecticut to the west, Suffolk County in New York to the southwest, the Atlantic...
, 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...
. It serves the city of Westerly and is located two nautical miles (3.7 km) southeast 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"...
.
It is primarily 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...
airport, but there is also scheduled airline service
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
to Block Island
Block Island
Block Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
provided by New England Airlines
New England Airlines
New England Airlines is a regional airline based in Westerly, Rhode Island, USA. With a main base at Westerly State Airport, it provides scheduled service to Block Island and operates charters to other destinations.- History :...
.
Westerly State Airport is one of six active airports operated by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. The other five airports include T.F. Green State Airport, 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...
, North Central State Airport
North Central State Airport
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 east of its central business district.The...
, 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...
, 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...
.
History
Westerly State began as a grass strip in the 1920s, and became the second state-owned airport in the United States (after T.F. Green Airport) in the 1940s. The airport was paved and expanded when it became a U.S. Navy base during World War IIWorld 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...
, due to its prime location halfway between Boston and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Facilities and aircraft
Westerly State Airport covers an area of 321 acres (129.9 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 81 feet (25 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: 7/25 is 4,010 by 100 feet (1,222 x 30 m) and 14/32 is 3,960 by 75 feet (1,207 x 23 m).
In 2005, $3.4 million in federal funding was allocated to repair and improve the main 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...
and taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
s. As of November 2006, improvements were finished and the main runway is open.
For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008, the airport had 23,288 aircraft operations, an average of 63 per day: 72% 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...
, 28% 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 75 aircraft based at this airport: 84% 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...
, 13% multi-engine and 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...
.
External links
- Westerly State Airport (WST) page from Rhode Island Airport Corp.
- Photos of Westerly State Airport (WST) 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