Jump to content

Frederick Municipal Airport (Maryland)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frederick Municipal Airport
Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK)
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Frederick
LocationFrederick, Maryland
Elevation AMSL303 ft / 92 m
Coordinates39°25′03″N 077°22′28″W / 39.41750°N 77.37444°W / 39.41750; -77.37444
Websitehttp://www.cityoffrederick.com/index.aspx?nid=152
Map
FDK is located in Maryland
FDK
FDK
Location of airport in Maryland / United States
FDK is located in the United States
FDK
FDK
FDK (the United States)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 5,819 1,591 Asphalt concrete
12/30 3,600 1,097 Asphalt
Source: Federal Aviation Administration,[1] City of Frederick Economic Development[2]
Maryland State Police Frederick Aviation Section

Frederick Municipal Airport (IATA: FDK, ICAO: KFDK, FAA LID: FDK) is a public airport located in the city of Frederick, in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. This airport is publicly owned by the City of Frederick.

Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) is classified as a general aviation airport. According to analysis, FDK experienced approximately 129,000 operations in 2004 with an expected increase to about 165,000 by 2025.[3]

Facilities

[edit]

In October 2010, Frederick Municipal Airport received $4.8 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to build and staff a control tower at the airport. Work commenced in October 2010, and an air traffic control tower, with accompanying Class D airspace, was commissioned on May 1, 2012.[4][5][6]

Runways

[edit]

FDK maintains two paved runways: the primary runway, Runway 5-23, which is 5,220 feet in length and 100 feet in width, and Runway 12-30, which is 3,600 feet in length and 75 feet in width.[1]

Plans for the airfield include upgrading the existing runway 5/23 to 6,000 feet in length, 12/30 to 3,750 feet, and adding a third turf runway with 2,400 feet. In keeping up with increased growth of corporate and personal aircraft in the Frederick area, the airport has also planned for increased hangar storage.[7]

Frederick Municipal Airport currently covers an area of 616 acres (249 ha) and contains two runways:[1]

  • Runway 5/23: 5,819 by 100 feet (1,774 m × 30 m), surface: asphalt concrete
  • Runway 12/30: 3,600 by 75 feet (1,097 m × 23 m), surface: asphalt concrete

On field

[edit]
AOPA headquarters
  • Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) headquarters
  • Fuel: 100LL, Jet-A
  • Aircraft sales
  • Aircraft maintenance
  • Oxygen
  • Pilot lounge and supplies
  • Airways Inn restaurant[8]
  • Frederick Flight Center (flight training and rental)[9]
  • Bravo Flight Training (Flight Training and Rental)
  • Helicopter Flight school and rental[10]
[edit]

The Frederick Municipal Airport, called Frederick Field in the movie, is featured in the 1996 action film Executive Decision starring Kurt Russell, though the airport filmed is not Frederick Municipal Airport but rather Van Nuys Airport.

History

[edit]

Frederick Municipal Airport's construction began on March 26, 1946.[11] It replaced Detrick Field, which would become Fort Detrick and lose its aeronautical function.[12] The airport opened on April 17, 1946, with the arrival of a Stinson aircraft,[13] although the airport was not open for general use until the grading and paving of the runways completed later.[14] The airport was dedicated on May 1, 1949.[15] At the dedication ceremony, two plaques were unveiled; one honored Frederick County residents who served their country in World War II, and the other honored Lieutenant William T. Delaplaine III, the first Frederick County pilot to lose his life in World War II.[15]

The airport became the home of the Experimental Aircraft Association east coast fly-in in 1970.[16]

Incidents

[edit]

On October 23, 2014, a Cirrus SR22 on descent struck a helicopter near the airport, killing all three aboard the aircraft involved. A National Transportation Safety Board report primarily blamed pilot error but noted the air traffic controller did not properly set priorities for handling multiple aircraft.[17] The families of the two helicopter pilots sued the contractor that ran the airport's tower. A Frederick County jury awarded them $17 million.[18]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for FDK PDF
  2. ^ "FDK Runway Expansion Completed".
  3. ^ City of Frederick (October 11, 2006). "Final report, turf runway report, created" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 1, 2011. www.cityoffrederick.com, accessed 10-25-2011
  4. ^ Patti S. Borda (September 30, 2010). "Air traffic control tower funding, contract approved". Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. FrederickNewsPost.com, accessed 10-5-2010
  5. ^ Tripp Laino (February 21, 2012). "Frederick Municipal Airport tower nears opening". Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. FrederickNewsPost.com, accessed 3-8-2012
  6. ^ AOPA Air Safety Foundation (May 23, 2012). "Frederick Municipal Airport Tower and Class D Airspace". Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  7. ^ City of Frederick (October 11, 2006). "Airfield master plan, created" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 1, 2011. www.cityoffrederick.com, accessed 10-25-2011
  8. ^ Airways Inn
  9. ^ Frederick Flight Center (flight training and rental)
  10. ^ Advanced Helicopter Concepts
  11. ^ "Break Ground For City's New Airport". The News (Frederick, Maryland). March 26, 1946. p. 10.
  12. ^ "Happy Landing". The News (Frederick, Maryland). May 26, 1938. p. 4.
  13. ^ "Frederick Municipal Airport". Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  14. ^ "Awarded Contract For Seeding And Fertilizing City Airport",. The News (Frederick, Maryland). April 24, 1946. p. 10.
  15. ^ a b "Airport Dedication Ceremonies Are Held Here: Rain Forces Cancellation Of Air Show". The News (Frederick, Maryland). May 2, 1949. p. 4.
  16. ^ Sport Aviation: 6. March 1971. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ^ "NTSB: Pilot error blamed triple fatal air crash". WBAL. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Families awarded $17M in fatal midair collision lawsuit". AP NEWS. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frederick_Municipal_Airport_(Maryland)&oldid=1163261884"