Visalia Municipal Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Visalia Municipal Airport


image-width = 160
IATA = VIS
ICAO = KVIS
FAA = VIS
type = Public
owner = City of Visalia
operator =
city-served =
location = Visalia, California
elevation-f = 295
elevation-m = 90
coordinates = coord|36|19|07|N|119|23|34|W|type:airport|display=inline
website =
r1-number = 12/30
r1-length-f = 6,559
r1-length-m = 1,999
r1-surface = Asphalt
h1-number = H1
h1-length-f = 45
h1-length-m = 14
h1-surface = Asphalt
stat-year = 2005
stat1-header = Aircraft operations
stat1-data = 33,900
stat2-header = Based aircraft
stat2-data = 156
footnotes = Source: Federal Aviation AdministrationFAA-airport|ID=VIS|use=PU|own=PU|site=02413.*A, effective 2007-07-05]

Visalia Municipal Airport airport codes|VIS|KVIS|VIS is a public airport located four miles (6 km) west of the central business district of Visalia, a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The airport is owned by the City of Visalia. It is mostly used for general aviation, but is served by one commercial airline. Service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

On November 19, 2006, Air Midwest (operating as US Airways Express) commenced service to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, with some flights including a stop at Merced Municipal Airport in Merced, California. [ [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=78947&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=921638 America West Express Announces Schedule and Fares for Visalia, California (Oct. 25, 2006)] ] Previously, scheduled service was provided by Scenic Airlines with flights to North Las Vegas Airport. As of September 2008 Great Lakes Airlines will offer two flights daily from Visalia to LA/Ontario International Airport

Facilities and aircraft

Visalia Municipal Airport covers an area of 722 acres (292 ha) which contains one runway (12/30) measuring 6,559 x 150 ft (1,999 x 46 m) and one helipad (H1) measuring 45 x 45 ft (14 x 14 m).

For the 12-month period ending March 31, 2005, the airport had 33,900 aircraft operations, an average of 92 per day: 65% general aviation, 35% air taxi and <1% military. There are 156 aircraft based at this airport: 81% single engine, 15% multi-engine, 4% jet aircraft and <1% gliders.

Airline and destinations

* Great Lakes Airlines (Merced, Ontario)

Former Service

* American Airlines
** American Eagle (Los Angeles)

* United Airlines
** United Express operated by SkyWest (Fresno, Los Angeles)

* US Airways
** US Airways Express operated by Air Midwest (Las Vegas, Merced)

History

Visalia Municipal Airport was constructed in 1927. The following year, the Visalia Chamber of Commerce adopted a set of regulations pertaining to the safe and professional operation of the airfield. The field was purchased by the city in 1928. In 1936, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) began several projects at the Visalia Municipal Airport. The WPA would continue to make major improvements at field until 1942 when the War Department assumed control of the field with the onset of World War II.

Unlike the construction of other military airfields of World War II, Visalia Army Airfield seems to have reutilized the existing municipal airport. Operations at Visalia AAF began almost immediately upon the United States Army Air Forces control of the airfield. Operational anti-submarine patrols were conducted from Visalia AAF by the Lockheed A-29 Hudson, and later B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, equipped 47th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) from February until June 1942.

Visalia AAF (along with Hayward AAF and Palmdale AAF) was established as a sub-installations of Fresno's Hammer Field. As such, it shared Hammer Field's mission to train light, medium and heavy bomber squadrons. During that period Consolidated B-24 "Liberator", North American B-25 "Mitchell", Martin B-26 "Marauder" and the previously stated Lockheed A-29 "Hudson" bombers operated from Visalia AAF.

In January 1944, the Headquarters, Army Air Forces ordered the entire night fighter training program to California to be headquartered at Hammer Field. Under the overall supervision of Fourth Air Force and the 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group, night fighter crews were organized into Overseas Training Units and entered three phases of training.

In all phases, Visalia AAF was used as a satellite training site. During this period, Douglas P-70 "Nighthawk" (heavy night fighter version of the A-20 "Havoc" light bomber) and Northrop P-61 "Black Widow" operated from Visalia AAF. It is known that the 425th Night Fighter Squadron stationed at Visalia AAF for its entire training cycle from February until May 1944 when it deployed to the European Theater at RAF Charmy Down, England as part of the Ninth Air Force.

In 1946, the War Assets Administration, acting on behalf of the War Department, terminated the leases with the City of Visalia and other parties with the remainder of the lands transferred to the City of Visalia in 1947.

On 9 December 1946, United Airlines reinstituted commercial airline service to the newly rechristened Visalia Municipal Airport. [cite web
title = Historic California Posts, Visalia Army Air Field
publisher = The California State Military Museum
url = http://www.militarymuseum.org/VisaliaAAF.html
accessdate = 2008-04-19 ] . [Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Publisher: Pictorial Histories Pub, ISBN 1575100517]

ee also

* California World War II Army Airfields

References

External links

* [http://www.flyvisalia.com/ Visalia Municipal Airport] (official web site)
* [http://www.greatlakesav.com] Great Lakes Aviation
*WikiMapia|36.3187|-119.3929|13
*US-airport-ga|VIS