Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport Explained

39.8403°N -83.8403°W

Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport is a civil-military airport in Green Township in Clark County, Ohio, United States. It is owned by the city of Springfield, five miles (8 km) to the north.^[2] It is named after the Beckley family, a member of which knew the Wright Brothers, and witnessed and photographed their first flights.

Three units of the Ohio Air National Guard, including the 178th Wing (formerly 178th Fighter Wing), are based at the co-located Springfield Air National Guard Base.^[3]

The airport hosts events such as fly-ins and airshows with vintage airplanes.^{[4] [5]} The airport has hosted the Commemorative Air Force.^[6]

The airport is home to flight schools. Flight training is available for students at the Clark State Community College.

History

Springfield had scheduled airline flights on TWA from 1948 to 1950 and on Lake Central from 1953 to 1955.

In 2005, the 178th Fighter Wing lost its F-16 training mission due to the Base Realignment and Closure Act.

The airport received an updated master plan in 2016.^[7]

The airport was praised for record-breaking fuel sales during the onset of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020.^[8]

The airport was named the 2023 Ohio Airport of the Year by the Ohio Aviation Association.^[9]

The airport was formerly home to the Ohio Center for Precision Agriculture.^[10]

Facilities

The airport covers 1516acres and has two asphalt runways. Runway 06/24 measures 9,010 x 150 ft (2,746 x 46 m). Runway 15/33 measures 5,498 x 100 ft (1,676 x 30 m).The airport has a fixed-base operator that sells fuel. It offers services such as catering, hangaring, and courtesy cars and amenities such as internet, conference rooms, vending machines, a crew lounge, snooze rooms, television, and more.^[11]

In 2021, the airport received more than $2 million in federal grants to rehabilitate its runways and add runway lighting.^[12] An additional $226,000 grant that year, approved to provide greater access to drive and parking areas for facilities at the airport, funded an electric charging station and a controlled flight simulator.^{[13] [14]}

In 2022, the airport removed and reinstalled a taxiway that had surpassed its useful life and did not conform to FAA standards. City officials approved money for more lighting upgrades.^[15]

In 2023, new $1.2-million hangars opened and the aircraft parking ramp was expanded to accommodate the planned growth of a maintenance shop.^[16]

UAS testing

The airport is home to the Ohio UAS Center, which is managed by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Planning began in 2013 in an effort to secure one of six UAS test sites created by the Federal Aviation Administration.^[17] The first UAS testing at the airport was approved in 2019, when the United States Air Force began testing drones at the airport through the Air Force Research Lab.^[18]

The airport hosts flight testing for Amazon and Walmart home delivery services. It is also the site of the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, which will focus on research into autonomous flight, electrical vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, and electric flight for the U.S. Department of Defense.^[19]

The airport has specially-designed airspace to protect these operations as well as unique surveillance radar that operates out of a converted bus.

Aircraft

In the year ending November 8, 2022, the airport had 32,770 aircraft operations, an average of 90 per day: 99% general aviation, <1% military, and <1% air taxi. That year, 32 aircraft were then based at this airport: 23 single-engine and seven multi-engine airplanes, one jet aircraft, and one helicopter.

Accidents and incidents

• On February 9, 1988, a British Aerospace Jetstream operated by Jetstream International Airlines on a training flight yawed and rolled while executing a go around. The aircraft subsequently pitched up, rolled and entered a vertical descent and impacted the ground. All three crew were killed.
• On June 23, 2004, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground after takeoff from the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings at the airport. During climbout from the third approach, the airplane "dropped" and impacted the runway, first on its main landing gear, and then on its nose landing gear. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in a stall and hard landing.^{[20] [21]}
• On August 23, 2015, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk was damaged while landing at the Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport. The pilot reported that, during landing, he bounced hard two times. After the second bounce, he applied full power to go around. The pilot continued his cross-country flight to his final destination and landed without further incident. A post-flight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's improper pitch control during landing, which resulted in a hard landing.^{[22] [23]}
• On October 15, 2016, a Piper PA-34 Seneca was damaged during landing at the Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport. The pilot made his approach with extra power to compensate for gusting winds. After the airplane's main landing gear touched down, the aircraft was disturbed by a wind gust and ballooned by 50 to 100 feet. Though the pilot initiated a go-around, the airplane impacted the runway in a flat attitude, and the nose landing gear was pushed/driven through the top of the cowling. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot’s inadequate compensation for gusting wind during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.^{[24] [25]}
• On December 2, 2017, a small plane landed in a field near the airport.^[26]
• On October 2, 2023, a small plane crashed at the airport.^[27]

See also

• List of airports in Ohio

External links

• Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport
• Springfield Air National Guard Base (official site)
• Springfield Air National Guard Base (GlobalSecurity.org)

Notes and References

1. , effective 2023-08-10
2. Web site: 2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Green township, OH . 2024-09-12 . U.S. Census Bureau.
   Web site: 2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Clark County, OH . 2024-09-12 . . 12 (PDF p. 13/24).
3. Web site: Woolson . Jennifer . Springfield-Beckley Municipal Attracts Unmanned Flight Testing Airport Improvement Magazine . 2024-02-11 . AirportImprovement.com.
4. Web site: 2014-07-24 . Businesses Hope Springfield Air Show Will Give A Boost To Struggling Airpark . 2024-02-11 . WYSO . en.
5. Web site: 2014-07-21 . Barnstorming Carnival Draws A Crowd In Springfield . 2024-02-11 . WYSO . en.
6. Web site: 2022-06-19 . Commemorative Air Force Visits KSGH . 2024-02-11 . Nikon Cafe . en-US.
7. Web site: Cooper . Michael . June 25, 2016 . Springfield airport master plan to be updated . 2024-02-11 . Dayton Daily News . English.
8. Web site: Orozco . Jessica . May 5, 2023 . Springfield-Beckley named Ohio airport of the year . 2024-02-11 . Springfield News Sun . English.
9. Web site: 2023-05-05 . Springfield-Beckley named Ohio airport of the year . 2024-02-11 . Yahoo News . en-US.
10. Web site: City of Springfield Holds Ribbon Cutting to Celebrate New Hangars at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport . 2024-02-11 . Ohio Aviation Association.
11. Web site: Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport FBO Info & Fuel Prices at Springfield/Beckley Muni (KSGH) . 2024-02-11 . FlightAware . en.
12. Web site: Springfield-Beckley Airport awarded over $2 million in federal grants for improvements U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio . 2024-02-11 . www.brown.senate.gov . en.
13. Web site: Koehler Announces Grant Money to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport . 2024-02-11 . Ohio House of Representatives . en.
14. Web site: 2021-02-04 . Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport to Receive $226K in Grant Money . 2024-02-11 . Aviation Pros.
15. Web site: 2022-07-10 . Construction projects aim to make Springfield airport safer . 2024-02-11 . Yahoo Finance . en-US.
16. Web site: Forrest . Vicky . May 10, 2023 . Millions in improvements planned for Springfield airport . 2024-02-11 . Springfield News Sun . English.
17. Web site: 2013-06-13 . ODOT Selects Springfield As Site for Ohio/Indiana UAS Center . 2024-02-11 . WYSO . en.
18. Web site: 2014-07-24 . Businesses Hope Springfield Air Show Will Give A Boost To Struggling Airpark . 2024-02-11 . WYSO . en.
19. Web site: Gnau . Thomas . September 18, 2023 . Ribbon cut on National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence . 2024-02-11 . Dayton Daily News . English.
20. Web site: Accident Cessna 172P N65612, . 2024-02-11 . Aviation Safety Network . Flight Safety Foundation.
21. Web site: Cessna 172P crash in Ohio (N65612) PlaneCrashMap.com . 2024-02-11 . planecrashmap.com.
22. Web site: Hard landing Accident Cessna 172 N691SP, . 2024-02-11 . Aviation Safety Network . Flight Safety Foundation.
23. Web site: Cessna 172 crash in Ohio (N691SP) PlaneCrashMap.com . 2024-02-11 . planecrashmap.com.
24. Web site: Hard landing Accident Piper PA-34-200 N55378, . 2024-02-11 . Aviation Safety Network . Flight Safety Foundation.
25. Web site: Piper PA-34-200, N55378: Accident occurred October 15, 2016 in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio . 2024-02-11 . Kathryn's Report.
26. Web site: 2017-12-03 . Plane lands in field near Springfield-Beckley airport; OSP on scene . 2024-02-11 . WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio . en.
27. Web site: Schrock . Jeffery . 2023-10-02 . Plane crashes near Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, no injuries reported . 2024-02-11 . WKEF . en.