St. Marys Municipal Airport

Infobox Airport
name = St. Marys Municipal Airport


IATA = STQ
ICAO = KOYM
FAA = OYM
type = Public
owner = City of St. Marys
operator =
city-served = St. Marys, Pennsylvania
location =
elevation-f = 1,934
elevation-m = 589
coordinates = coord|41|24|45|N|078|30|09|W|region:US_type:airport
website = [http://www.cityofstmarys.com/airport.htm www.cityofstmarys.com/...]
r1-number = 10/28
r1-length-f = 4,300
r1-length-m = 1,311
r1-surface = Asphalt/Treated
stat-year = 2007
stat1-header = Aircraft operations
stat1-data = 6,730
stat2-header = Based aircraft
stat2-data = 26
footnotes = Source: Federal Aviation AdministrationFAA-airport|ID=OYM|use=PU|own=PU|site=21393.*A, effective 2007-12-20]

St. Marys Municipal Airport airport codes|STQ|KOYM|OYM is a city-owned public-use airport three miles (5 km) southeast of the central business district of St. Marys, a city in Elk County, Pennsylvania, United States.. This general aviation airport is located off South Michael Road in St. Marys.

Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, St. Marys Municipal Airport is assigned OYM by the FAA and STQ by the IATA. [ [http://gc.kls2.com/airport/KOYM Great Circle Mapper: STQ / KOYM - St. Marys, Pennsylvania (St. Marys Municipal Airport)] ]

History

The original concept for the airport was born during a blackout of a meeting of the St. Marys Kiwanis Directors on February 15, 1944. Before the meeting closed, a chairman was appointed and a committee was formed to begin work developing an airport to serve the region. The newly formed committee wrote to the Civil Aeronautics Association (CAA) and the Pennsylvania Aeronautics Commission (PAC) for advice and literature on the subject. After searching for sites that met the criteria of the State Plan for Airports for Small Communities, the present site along South Michael Road was located and approved by both the CAA and PAC in October, 1944.

At the time, much opposition developed from members of the St. Marys Borough Council who felt the taxpayers should be consulted before the Borough assumed an obligation that might be a financial burden in the future. The Borough accepted the project with the stipulation that no taxpayer money would be required for building, improving or operating the airport. Local industry strongly supported the airport since the beginning. Changes over the past several years with most of the local companies being sold to non-U.S. companies, the airport needed the support of local municipalities for survival.

An airport commission was established to develop the airport and campaigned local businesses for funding the project. The St. Marys Airport officially opened on June 30, 1950 with a 3,700' x 75' strip. An air show followed the opening ceremony and a profit of $450 was used to renovate the existing Hoffman residence into the administration building. From 1950 - 1966, approximately $377,000 in Federal, State, and local funds was spent on the development of the airport. In July, 1954, the first runway rehabilitation project was completed which extended the paved portion of the runway to 2,400'. Since that time, the airport has seen continuous change. Over $7,000,000.00 in Federal, State, and local funds have been invested in the airport from 1966 to the present time.

Facilities and aircraft

St. Marys Municipal Airport covers an area of 283 acres (115 ha) and contains one runway designated 10/28 with a 4,300 x 75 ft (1,311 x 23 m) asphalt pavement. For the 12-month period ending October 31, 2007, the airport had 6,730 aircraft operations, an average of 18 per day: 85% general aviation, 15% air taxi and <1% military. At that time there were 26 aircraft based at this airport: 80% single-engine, 4% multi-engine, 8% helicopter and 8% ultralight.

References

External links

* [http://www.cityofstmarys.com/airport.htm St. Marys Municipal Airport] , official web site
* [http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdBOA.nsf/infoStMarys St. Marys Municipal Airport] at Pennsylvania DOT Bureau of Aviation
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