Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport
| Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport South Plains AAF |
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| 2008 USGS airphoto | |||
| IATA: LBB – ICAO: KLBB – FAA LID: LBB | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | City of Lubbock | ||
| Location | Lubbock, Texas | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 3,282 ft / 1,000 m | ||
| Coordinates | 33°39′49″N 101°49′22″W / 33.66361°N 101.82278°W | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 8/26 | 8,001 | 2,439 | Concrete |
| 17R/35L | 11,500 | 3,502 | Concrete |
| 17L/35R | 2,891 | 881 | Asphalt |
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (IATA: LBB, ICAO: KLBB) is an airport located just north of Lubbock, Texas. Originally known as Lubbock International Airport, it was renamed in 2004 to honor former Texas governor Preston E. Smith, an alumnus of Texas Tech University. The airport has three runways.
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[edit] Information
The airport is the 8th busiest airport in Texas, with more than 90,000 more enplaned people than the 9th busiest (Midland International Airport). Lubbock International is first among the smaller Texas cities (behind only Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso). It just finished[when?] completion on its major re-construction and re-configuration of its parking facilities. Wait times at this airport are extremely minimal usually taking about ten minutes from entering the airport, to ticket-counters, to gate. Lubbock Preston Smith international Airport is one of only 42 airports around the world with CNN Airport Network. Lubbock Preston Airport plays host as a major hub to Fedex's feeder planes that serve cities around Lubbock.
[edit] History
The airport was opened in November 1937 as South Plains Airport. In 1942, the United States Army Air Forces indicated a need for the airport as a training airfield. After its requisition by the Air Force, it was assigned to the World War II Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, Gulf Coast Training Center (later Central Flying Training Command). The airport was renmed South Plains Army Airfield and a rapid period of construction was begun to convert the civil airport into a military training airfield.
Construction involved improving runways and airplane hangars, with three concrete runways, several taxiways and a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed. Buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for long-term use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Although some hangars had steel frames and the occasional brick or tile brick building could be seen, most support buildings sat on concrete foundations but were of frame construction clad in little more than plywood and tarpaper.
The base was activated on 11 September 1942 as the South Plains Flying School. The mission was ground and flying training of glider pilots. Glider training was performed by the 848th School Squadron (Special), with overall training being under the 64th Two-Engine Flying Training Group. Aircraft assigned were Douglas C-47 Skytrains and Waco CG-4A gliders. The CG-4A was the USAAF's primary glider, consisting of little more than a wooden and fabric shell, equipped with radio, wheels, and brakes. Glider pilots trained at South Plains flew these craft in combat during the Normandy Invasion, Operation Market-Garden, and also Operation Varsity, the airborne invasion of Germany.
By late 1944 Flying Training Command ended all glider instruction, and control of South Plains AAF was transferred to Air Service Command at Tinker Field, Oklahoma. Under Air Service Command, South Plains became a maintenance and supply depot for excess aircraft that could not be accommodated at Tinker. After the war ended, in 1946 and 1947, South Plains was used as a storage facility for excess aircraft prior to their reclamation.
The military use of South Plains ended on December 1, 1947 and the facility was returned to the local government for civil use.
[edit] Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| American Eagle | Dallas/Fort Worth |
| Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines | Memphis [ends April 30, 2012][1] |
| Southwest Airlines | Albuquerque, Las Vegas, El Paso, Dallas-Love |
| United Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines | Denver, Houston Intercontinental |
[edit] Top Destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Dallas-Love, TX |
151,000 | Southwest |
| 2 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX |
112,000 | American |
| 3 | Houston-Intercontinental, TX |
51,000 | United |
| 4 | Austin, TX |
47,000 | Southwest |
| 5 |  Memphis, TN |
35,000 | Delta |
| 6 |  Las Vegas, NV |
31,000 | Southwest |
| 7 |  Albuquerque, NM |
22,000 | Southwest |
| 8 | Houston-Hobby, TX |
22,000 | No longer served |
| 9 |  Denver, CO |
11,000 | United |
| 10 |  Phoenix, AZ |
8,000 | No longer served |
[edit] Cargo carriers
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Ameriflight | Dallas/Fort Worth |
| Baron Aviation Services | Abilene, Roswell |
| Empire Airlines | Midland, Dallas/Fort Worth |
| FedEx Express | Memphis, Tucson |
[edit] Accidents and incidents
- On July 8, 1962, Vickers Viscount N243V of Continental Airlines was damaged beyond economic repair when the propellers struck the runway shortly after take-off. A wheels-up landing was made in a wheat field.[3]
- On 27 January 2009, an Empire Airlines ATR-42 cargo plane under contract from FedEx Express crashed on landing at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport at 04:37 CT. The plane, which had been traveling from Fort Worth Alliance Airport, landed short of the touchdown zone and skidded off the runway amid light freezing rain. There was a small fire on the plane and two crew members were taken to hospital with minor injuries.[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
- Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
- Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Publisher: Pictorial Histories Pub, ISBN 1575100517
- ^ "Error: no
|title=specified when using {{Cite web}}". http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/news/local/story/Lubbock-delta-airlines-james-loomis/1il3N4vif0KLfU0f3v8t8w.cspx. - ^ http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=LBB&Airport_Name=Lubbock,%20TX:%20Preston%20Smith%20International&carrier=FACTS
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19620708-0. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
- ^ CNN: FedEx plane crashes in Texas 27 January 2009
[edit] External links
- Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport homepage
- Aerial View of airport
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KLBB
- ASN accident history for LBB
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KLBB
- FAA current LBB delay information
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- Airports established in 1937
- USAAF Glider Training Airfields
- USAAF Contract Flying School Airfields
- Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces I Troop Carrier Command
- Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Texas
- Airports in Texas
- Transportation in Lubbock, Texas
- Transportation in Lubbock County, Texas
- Buildings and structures in Lubbock County, Texas
