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* Rick Mitchell, A History of the District of Columbia Air National Guard (Andrews AFB: DC ANG, n.d.)
* “AF Will Drop Six Units by mid-1958”, Washington Post, October 4, 1957
* “Air Force to Drop Seven Flying Units”, New York Times, October 4, 1957
* HQ AFLC SO G-85 is reproduced in George W. Bradley III, From ‘Missile Base’ to ‘Gold Watch: An Illustrated History of the Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center and Newark Air Force Station (Newark AFS: Office of History, Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center, 1982)
* This is the First Air Force (Mitchel AFB: Office of Information Services, Continental Air Command, n.d.)
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== External links ==
== External links ==

Revision as of 04:01, 27 August 2008

New Castle Airport
USGS aerial photo as of 16 March 1992
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerDelaware River and Bay Authority
ServesWilmington, Delaware
Elevation AMSL79 ft / 24 m
Coordinates39°40′43″N 075°36′24″W / 39.67861°N 75.60667°W / 39.67861; -75.60667
WebsiteNewCastleAirportILG.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
1/19 7,012 2,137 Asphalt
9/27 7,181 2,189 Asphalt
14/32 4,603 1,403 Asphalt
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations136,154
Based aircraft282

New Castle Airport (IATA: ILG, ICAO: KILG, FAA LID: ILG), also known as the New Castle County Airport, is a public airport located in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, United States and four miles (6 km) south of the central business district of the city of Wilmington.[1] The airport is home to both the Delaware Air National Guard 142nd Airlift Squadron's C-130's and the Delaware Army National Guard 150th Aviation Regiment's UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, and the 121st Air Ambulance's UH-1 Iroquois helicopters.

Previously called the Wilmington Airport and the Greater Wilmington Airport, the property was a military facility called New Castle Army Air Base during World War II.[2] Among the uses of the airport during the war was the historic Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). WASPs served as test and ferry pilots and towed targets for student gunners. There is a statue today at the airport that honors the women of WASP that served their country in the time of need.

After the war, the airport was turned over to the county, with the condition that the upstart Delaware Air National Guard received space at the airport. In the late 1990s, the county leased the debt-stricken airport to the bi-state Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA), operators of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, on a thirty year lease with the provision that the DRBA may seek up to two additional thirty year leases.

Since taking over operations of the airport, the DRBA has made the airport profitable, upgraded many aging buildings, and constructed numerous new buildings and facilities on the property.

From 1991 through 1998 and again from 2000 to 2006, the state of Delaware was the only state in the union without any scheduled commercial flights in or out of the state. This is largely due to the small size of the state and the close proximity of large airports in Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. Shuttle America flew out of New Castle as an independent carrier from the airline's founding in November 1998 until February 2000. They offered service to Hartford, Buffalo, and Norfolk, using the 50-seat Dash 8-300 turboprop aircraft. Shuttle America would eventually discontinue its independent operations and become a commuter affiliate of United Express and Delta Connection. Prior to Shuttle America, the last scheduled service was provided to Parkersburg, West Virginia by USAir Express carrier Crown Airways in 1992-1993. United Airlines also served Wilmington, leaving in 1991.

The airport has one terminal, which served only car rental agencies during the time the airport did not have commercial air service. On June 29, 2006, Delta Air Lines began new services from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to New Castle Airport, making it the first commercial air service in six years. Delta Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines operated the service using 50 seat CRJ regional jets, with two daily roundtrip flights. However, Delta Airlines ended the Wilmington flights on September 6, 2007, leaving Delaware without any commercial air service until March 8, 2008, when Skybus Airlines began new air service from Columbus, OH and Greensboro, NC to New Castle Airport. Skybus ceased all operations effective April 4, 2008[3], once again leaving New Castle Airport without any airline service.

Currently, the only businesses operating in the main terminal are Alamo Rent A Car, Avis Rent a Car System, National Car Rental, and Cafe Bama.

Facilities and aircraft

New Castle Airport covers an area of 1,250 acres (506 ha) which contains three asphalt paved runways: 1/19 measuring 7,012 x 150 ft (2,137 x 46 m), 9/27 measuring 7,181 x 150 ft (2,189 x 46 m), and 14/32 measuring 4,603 x 150 ft (1,403 x 46 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 136,154 aircraft operations, an average of 373 per day: 83% general aviation, 12% military, 4% air taxi and 1% scheduled commercial. There are 282 aircraft based at this airport: 59% single engine, 23% jet, 9% multi-engine, 6% helicopter and 3% military.[1]

Rental car agencies

Restaurant/cafe

  • Cafe Bama

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for ILG PDF, effective 2007-07-05
  2. ^ Scott D. Murdock. "WWII Army Air Fields - Database Summary".
  3. ^ "Low-cost carrier Skybus calls it quits". MSNBC. 2008-04-04. Retrieved 2008-04-05.


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