Hawkins Field (airport)

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For the former South Pacific military airfield, see Hawkins Field (Tarawa).
Hawkins Field

IATA: HKS – ICAO: KHKS – FAA: HKS
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner City of Jackson
Operator Jackson Metropolitan Airport Authority
Serves Jackson, Mississippi
Elevation AMSL 341 ft / 104 m
Coordinates 32°20′05″N 090°13′21″W / 32.33472°N 90.2225°W / 32.33472; -90.2225
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16/34 5,387 1,642 Asphalt
11/29 3,431 1,046 Concrete
Statistics (2007)
Aircraft operations 62,516
Based aircraft 116
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]
C-17 and emblem fo the 172d Airlift Wing

Hawkins Field (IATA: HKS, ICAO: KHKS, FAA LID: HKS) is a city-owned public-use airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district of Jackson, a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

Hawkins Field traces its origins to February 1928, when the City of Jackson first acquired 151 acres (0.61 km2) of land to designate as an airfield. The city bought the original parcel for $53,500, and the airport was originally called "Davis Field."

Hawkins Field was the terminus for Delta Air Lines' very first commercial flight in 1929[2].

In June 1941 Hawkins Field was designated as Jackson Army Airbase. It activated on 1 June 1942 and was used by the United States Army Air Force Flying Training Command, as a basic flying training airfield. The airfield operated a contract flying school, by the Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics.

In addition, the Dutch government-in-exile, following the occupation of the Netherlands, established the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School at Hawkins Field, operating lend-lease aircraft, and training Dutch exiles as aircrews for service with Allied air forces in Europe and the Pacific.

The base was transferred to Third Air Force on 1 July 1944 with units being reassigned from Laurel Army Airfield to Jackson. Third Air Force operated the airfield as an Air Force Reserve training center (2588th Air Force Reserve Training Unit). It was not until 1949 that Hawkins was once again classified as a civilian airfield.

The Mississippi Air National Guard began using Hawkins Field in 1953. It has been a base for the 183d Squadron (under several designations) ever since, flying first reconnaissance (RB-26), and several generations of transport aircraft (C-124, C-130, C-141) and now the C-17 Globemaster III under the 172d Airlift Wing.

[edit] Facilities and aircraft

Hawkins Field covers an area of 602 acres (244 ha) which contains two runways: 16/34 with an asphalt surface measuring 5,387 x 150 ft (1,642 x 46 m) and 11/29 with a concrete surface measuring 3,431 x 150 ft (1,046 x 46 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending March 29, 2007, the airport had 62,516 aircraft operations, an average of 171 per day: 88% general aviation, 6% air taxi and 6% military. At that time there were 116 aircraft based at this airport: 40% single-engine (46), 32% multi-engine, 3% jet, 9% helicopter, 16% military.[1]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Master Record for HKS (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-12-20
  2. ^ "Delta Through the Decades". http://www.delta.com/about_delta/corporate_information/delta_stats_facts/delta_through_decades/index.jsp. Retrieved on 2008-10-13. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawkins_Field_(airport)"
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