Williamsport Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Williamsport Regional Airport is a public towered airport located 4 miles (6.4 km) east of the central business district
(CBD) of Williamsport
, a city in Lycoming County
, Pennsylvania
, USA
. IPT is actually located closer to Montoursville
, at the foot of the northern end of the Bald Eagle Mountain
ridge, along the West Branch Susquehanna River
, in the West Branch Susquehanna Valley
.
The Williamsport Regional Association of Pilots holds a Fly-In every June.
cut flights to Pittsburgh International Airport
. Today, US Airways Express
operated by Piedmont Airlines
operates 3 flights a day to Philadelphia International Airport
.
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"...
(CBD) of Williamsport
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, a city in Lycoming County
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. IPT is actually located closer to Montoursville
Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Montoursville is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,777. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named for Madame Montour, a Native American leader and skilled interpreter...
, at the foot of the northern end of the Bald Eagle Mountain
Bald Eagle Mountain
Bald Eagle Mountain, once known locally as Muncy Mountain, is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, running east of the Allegheny Front and northwest of Mount Nittany. It lies along the southeast side of Bald Eagle Creek, and south of the West Branch Susquehanna River, and...
ridge, along the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
, in the West Branch Susquehanna Valley
West Branch Susquehanna Valley
The West Branch Susquehanna Valley of central Pennsylvania, United States, in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians, is the low lying area draining into the West Branch Susquehanna River southeast of the Allegheny Front, northeast of the Bald Eagle Valley, southwest of the Wyoming Valley and nort of...
.
Events
Williamsport Regional holds an annual balloon fest in mid-September.The Williamsport Regional Association of Pilots holds a Fly-In every June.
Airlines and destinations
The airport used to have almost 23 flights a day to every major city in the Northeast United States, and to the major midwest cities of Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. It slimmed down in the 1980s, 1990s, and in 2004 cutting from 10 to 5 flights a day when US AirwaysUS Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
cut flights to Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
. Today, US Airways Express
US Airways Express
US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...
operated by Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines is an American regional airline operating for US Airways Express. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Airways Group, headquartered in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, near the city of Salisbury, it conducts flight operations using De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft...
operates 3 flights a day to Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
.
Future
- Runway 9/27 is currently undergoing an extension project.
- A new direct connect to Interstate 180Interstate 180Interstate 180 may refer to:*Interstate 180 , a short spur in rural northern Illinois*Interstate 180 , a spur into Lincoln, Nebraska*Interstate 180 , a spur to Williamsport, Pennsylvania...
is in the final stages of research and design before construction starts, which will have an exit specifically for the airport. A new train/auto bridge will be built, and the deteriorating Lycoming Valley RailroadLycoming Valley RailroadThe Lycoming Valley Railroad is a short line that operates of track in Lycoming and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. It is part of the North Shore Railroad System....
bridge over Loyalsock Creek will be razed. - The runway extension and new bridge are being built so the airport can attract new airlines to eliminate US Airways high priced monopoly for commercial air travel at the airport.
Related facts
- On April 25, 1993, Thomas L. Knauff set an FAIFédération Aéronautique InternationaleThe Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
world record flying a gliderGlider (sailplane)A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
on an out-and-return course of 1646.68 km (1,023.2 mi), releasing from tow over this airport, then flying along the Appalachian MountainsAppalachian MountainsThe Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
to Corryton, TennesseeCorryton, TennesseeCorryton is an unincorporated community in northeastern Knox County, Tennessee, United States, about 15 miles north of Knoxville. The United States Geographic Names System classifies Corryton as a populated place...
, and returning for a landing 10 hours later. This world record stood for almost 20 years, and was only recently broken in Argentina, but still stands as a U.S. national record.http://records.fai.org/gliding/history.asp?id1=DO&id3=15&id2=1