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Greenfield International Airport: Difference between revisions
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Greenfield International Airport (view source)
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=== Establishment === | === Establishment === | ||
Starting in 1923,, the California National Guard used the present airport site (known then as the Lannex lowlands) as a training airfield. The site was then dedicated as the "Greenfield Municipal Airport" by then Mayor in 1926, but it had no proper terminal building until 1939, many airlines choosing to utilize Los Angeles or San Diego instead. Once Greenfield's terminal as completed, multiple airlines including Skyliners and Unified began service here. | Starting in 1923,, the California National Guard used the present airport site (known then as the Lannex lowlands) as a training airfield. The site was then dedicated as the "Greenfield Municipal Airport" by then Mayor in 1926, but it had no proper terminal building until 1939, many airlines choosing to utilize Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Diego instead. Once Greenfield's terminal as completed, multiple airlines including Skyliners and Unified began service here. | ||
As its terminal was completed, two runways, 3/21 and 09/27, were built to meet the demand for land-based planes making operations at Greenfield. | |||
On August 17th, 1942 the airports weather station became the official point for Greenfield weather observations and records by the National Weather Service. | On August 17th, 1942 the airports weather station became the official point for Greenfield weather observations and records by the National Weather Service. | ||
=== World War II use === | === World War II use === | ||
During World War | During World War II the United States Navy used the airport as a training facility as well as a construction site for the manufacturing of the Douglas C-54 Skymaster military transports. A major defense contractor and contributor to World War II transport production, C54 Aircrafts, later known as Derksair, had their headquarters on the border of the Municipal field, and built many of their military aircraft their. Derksair used the airport for test and delivery flights from 1935 to 1952 when their main facility burned to the ground. | ||
Because of its location next to the Pacific ocean, it was believed that the airport could be a target for Japanese retaliation especially after Pearl Harbor. Special care was taken to protect the construction facilities including building a fake neighborhood on the roof of the warehouse. This town known as Little Lannex was made of wood and fabric and hid the massive construction hangar from the sky. However Greenfield never saw any combat during the war, and in a cruel turn of fate the supplies on the roof are believed to have caused the fire that burned down the facility and caused Derksair to go out of business at the end of the war. The vacant space left by the hangar was used in later years to develop jet age terminals. | Because of its location next to the Pacific ocean, it was believed that the airport could be a target for Japanese retaliation especially after Pearl Harbor. Special care was taken to protect the construction facilities including building a fake neighborhood on the roof of the warehouse. This town known as Little Lannex was made of wood and fabric and hid the massive construction hangar from the sky. However Greenfield never saw any combat during the war, and in a cruel turn of fate the supplies on the roof are believed to have caused the fire that burned down the facility and caused Derksair to go out of business at the end of the war. The vacant space left by the hangar was used in later years to develop jet age terminals. | ||
=== Passenger service and growth === | === Passenger service and growth === | ||
Greenfield Municipal became Greenfield International in 1946, when | Greenfield Municipal became Greenfield International in 1946, when Nordair began direct flights to here from Vancouver (YVR) with their newly delivered Douglas DC-4s. The original terminal 1 did not have jet bridges and thus many felt a new terminal was needed to bring Greenfield into the jet age. A new terminal opened in 1955 which is currently the oldest existing terminal at the airport now called Terminal 3. | ||
Terminal 1 and 3 modernization was completed in 1971, Terminal 2 opened in 1974 while the concourse opened in 1977. The $500 million expansion was one of the largest single building projects ever taken on by the city. In 2015 the airport finished construction on their brand new international terminal at the location of the old terminal 1. Many | Terminal 1 and 3 modernization was completed in 1971, Terminal 2 opened in 1974 while the concourse opened in 1977. The $500 million expansion was one of the largest single building projects ever taken on by the city. In 2015 the airport finished construction on their brand new international terminal at the location of the old terminal 1. Many preservationists where angry at the destruction of the historic terminal building, but their was realistically no way the facility could have been outfitted for the modern needs of passengers and airlines. The new terminal 1 serves as the international terminal and holds the US customs. During this time a baggage system modernization occurred across the entire airport. | ||
In the 1980s GIA hosted hubs for Skyliners and Vision Airlines. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 allowed regional carrier Altis (later renamed Speedfly Airlines) to create a small hub at GIA. Skyliners became the dominant carrier at GIA in the 1980s and 1990s and shifted most of its operations from LAX to GIA in 2002. As of 2015, GIA was Skyliners second largest hub overall. | In the 1980s GIA hosted hubs for Skyliners and Vision Airlines. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 allowed regional carrier Altis (later renamed Speedfly Airlines) to create a small hub at GIA. Skyliners became the dominant carrier at GIA in the 1980s and 1990s and shifted most of its operations from LAX to GIA in 2002. As of 2015, GIA was Skyliners second largest hub overall. | ||
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=== Runways === | === Runways === | ||
[[File:Airbus A330-243 at GIA on August 5, 2022.png|thumb]] | |||
Greenfield International has 3 runways, 09R/27L, 09L/27R, and 03/21, all made from concrete. The 27L/R parallel runways have a separation of only 208 meters (682 feet), too little for a conventional SOIA approach to be carried out; a SOIA approach requires runways to be at least 229 meters (750 feet) apart. Therefore, at peak hours for aircraft movements where parallel takeoffs/landings are used, it is temporarily a Category C airport, meaning that pilots have to carry out special training in a simulator to land when parallel landings are in effect. | |||
The airport runways that head west were granted SOIA compliant in 2016 after a slightly intense vote in the FAA administration, now being one of the 3 airports in the US actively conducting SOIA approaches (San Francisco and Cleveland International). | |||
It is notable as one of the high-traffic international airports with unusually short runways, allowing aircraft up to the Boeing 767-200 or Airbus A330-200 to take off and land (or other larger aircraft albeit with highly reduced fuel and capacity). Due to this, most international traffic comes from Los Angeles or San Francisco which are both roughly 2 hour drives away. If a relatively large plane does decide to land here, they must use a high autobrake setting, and if one takes off here, full thrust is always required (regardless of runway condition) and the brakes are required to be held onto until the engine reaches full thrust. | |||
=== Hotel === | === Hotel === | ||