Winter Haven's Gilbert Airport
Encyclopedia
Winter Haven's Gilbert Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport
located three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of the central business district
of Winter Haven
, a city in Polk County
, Florida
, United States
. It is owned by the City of Winter Haven. It is also known as Winter Haven Municipal Airport or Gilbert Field. Jack Browns Seaplane Base
and Tailwheels Etc. Flight School are located adjacent to the airport, connected by a taxiway
.
During World War II, the facility was an Army Air Forces auxiliary airfield to Lakeland AAF/Drane Field, now Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
.
, Winter Haven Army Airfield (also known as Gilbert Field) was an auxiliary airfield for the Lakeland School of Aeronautics at Lakeland Army Airfield. The school provided basic pilot training to United States Army Air Forces
flying cadets from the airfield under contract. Flight training was performed until the end of the war.
of 145 feet (44 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 5/23 is 5,005 by 100 feet (1,526 x 30 m) and 11/29 is 4,001 by 100 feet (1,220 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending November 17, 2009, the airport had 60,000 general aviation
aircraft operations, an average of 164 per day. At that time there were 158 aircraft based at this airport: 87% single-engine
, 9% multi-engine, 1% jet
and 2% glider
.
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 three nautical miles (6 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 Winter Haven
Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
, a city in Polk County
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
, 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...
. It is owned by the City of Winter Haven. It is also known as Winter Haven Municipal Airport or Gilbert Field. Jack Browns Seaplane Base
Jack Browns Seaplane Base
Jack Browns Seaplane Base is a public-use seaplane base located 3 nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Winter Haven in Polk County, Florida, United States...
and Tailwheels Etc. Flight School are located adjacent to the airport, connected by a 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....
.
During World War II, the facility was an Army Air Forces auxiliary airfield to Lakeland AAF/Drane Field, now Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport is a public airport located four miles southwest of the central business district of Lakeland, a city in Polk County, Florida, United States...
.
History
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...
, Winter Haven Army Airfield (also known as Gilbert Field) was an auxiliary airfield for the Lakeland School of Aeronautics at Lakeland Army Airfield. The school provided basic pilot training to United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
flying cadets from the airfield under contract. Flight training was performed until the end of the war.
Facilities and aircraft
Winter Haven's Gilbert Airport covers an area of 520 acres (210.4 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 145 feet (44 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 5,005 by 100 feet (1,526 x 30 m) and 11/29 is 4,001 by 100 feet (1,220 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending November 17, 2009, the airport had 60,000 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...
aircraft operations, an average of 164 per day. At that time there were 158 aircraft based at this airport: 87% 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...
, 9% multi-engine, 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 2% glider
Glider (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...
.
External links
- Winter Haven Air Services, the fixed base operatorFixed base operatorA Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
(FBO) - Aerial photo as of 6 January 1999 from USGS The National Map