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== Airline and destinations ==
== Airline and destinations ==
{{Airport destination list
{{Airport destination list
| [[Great Lakes Airlines]] | [[Los Angeles International Airport|Los Angeles]], [[Visalia Municipal Airport|Visalia]]
| [[Great Lakes Airlines]] | [[Los Angeles International Airport|Los Angeles]]
}}
}}


Revision as of 00:12, 16 March 2014

Merced Regional Airport

MacReady Field
2006 USGS orthophoto
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Merced
ServesMerced, California
Elevation AMSL155 ft / 47 m
WebsiteFlyMercedAirport.com
Maps
Runway diagram of Merced Regional Airport
Runway diagram of Merced Regional Airport
MCE is located in California
MCE
MCE
Location of airport in California
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
12/30 5,914 1,803 Asphalt
Statistics (2013)
Aircraft operations62,800
Based aircraft78

Merced Regional Airport (MacReady Field) (IATA: MCE, ICAO: KMCE, FAA LID: MCE) is a city owned public airport two miles southwest of Merced, in Merced County, California.[1] The airport is mostly used for general aviation and is served by one airline subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.

The airport had 3,724 passenger boardings (enplanements) in 2012, an increase of 17% from the previous calender year. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2013–2017, which categorized it as a general aviation airport (the commercial service category requires at least 2,500 enplanements per year).[2]

History

On March 15, 1932 the Merced City Council accepted the title to the site of an airport as a gift from the Twenty-Thirty Club and the Crocker-Huffman Company. The airport, an airstrip and 66 acres (0.27 km2) of land 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of the city near the intersection of U.S. Route 99 and California State Route 59, was dedicated on April 3, 1932. The airport site was leased to George Voight for a term of five years, and a subsidiary airline of the Stinson Aircraft Company started Merced's first scheduled airline service. In May 1936 the City of Merced assumed responsibility for the airport; constructing buildings, hangars, and other improvements; expanding the site to 123 acres (0.50 km2).[3][4]

In 1940 as the U.S. Army was trying to establish a 30,000 per year basic pilot training facility in the Merced area, Merced Municipal Airport was deemed unsuitable for a major training facility due to lack of room. The United States Department of War would ultimately select an area 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Atwater, now the site of Castle Airport, for its Air Corps Basic Flying School. That year land the Merced Regional Airport now occupies in southwest Merced near Childs Avenue; was acquired from delinquent tax rolls. The city council approved the first phase of construction of a new airport shortly after the acquisition. This new city owned airport would be known as "New Merced Municipal Airport".[3][4]

In 1941 construction delays at the Air Corps Basic Flying School site forced the Army to lease the original Merced Municipal Airport, resulting in the first aircraft assigned to the Air Corps Basic Flying School being stored at Merced Municipal Airport and giving the Basic Flying School its first usable axillary field. After the United States entered World War II, the Civil Aeronautics Authority assumed responsibility for the final phase of construction of the New Merced Municipal Airport. By 1942 the new airport and its two runways; 6/24 and 12/30 each 4000' by 150', was completed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers working under the CAA.[3][4]

In 1943 New Merced Municipal Airport was leased to the U.S. Army Air Force, becoming the sixth axillary field for Merced Army Airfield (present day Castle Airport). Under the lease, the airport's name was changed to "New Merced Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field". The lease was terminated immediately after the war, and the airport was returned to civil control. In the fall of 1945, the City of Merced sold the original Merced Municipal Airport site near Santa Fe Drive to the Chamber of Commerce for $7,500, leaving New Merced Municipal Airport (near Childs Ave) as the city's primary airport.[3][4]

In 1946 United Airlines built offices and a terminal building and began one Douglas DC-3 flight each way a day. That year damage incurred during the Army Air Force's use of the site was repaired, and more improvements were made using federal funds. In 1948 Merced Municipal Airport was annexed to the City of Merced.[3][4]

During the 1950s the airport was used to service United States Armed Forces aircraft, and a land acquisition in February 1955 allowed runway 12/30 to be extended. In 1967 runway 6/24 and its parallel taxiway were closed, and in 1975 a control tower was built.[3][4]

United's DC-3s were replaced by Convair 340s and Douglas DC-6s, and by Boeing 737-200 jets in 1968-69; United left Merced for good in 1979.[citation needed]

On March 6, 2009 the city council voted to change the name from Merced Municipal Airport to Merced Regional Airport.[5]

Fly-In

Between 1957 and 2007, Merced Regional Airport hosted the annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In. Each year the fly-in drew hundreds of pilots from across the Western United States to Merced to display their rare and antique aircraft. The fly-in also featured an air show and an antique car show. In 2007, the 50th annual fly-in drew nearly 400 planes as well as several stunt pilots.[6] Since 2008 the Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In has been canceled due to lack of sponsors and volunteers.[6]

Facilities and aircraft

Merced Regional Airport covers 766 acres (310 ha) at an elevation of 155 feet (47 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt runway, 12/30, measuring 5,914 by 150 feet (1,803 x 46 m).[1]

In the year ending April 30, 2013 the airport had 62,800 aircraft operations, an average of 172 per day: 85% general aviation, 14% scheduled commercial, 1% military, and air taxi. At that time there were 78 fixed-wing aircraft based at this airport: 94% single-engine, 6% multi-engine, and one helicopter.[1]

Merced Regional Airport is a base for Medi-Flight Northern California, an air ambulance service provided by Mercy Air, a subsidiary of Air Methods.[7] Medi-Flight shuttles patients between Mercy Medical Center Merced and nearby trauma centers, as well as responding directly to medical emergencies.

Bus connections to Yosemite National Park are available through the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS).

Airline and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Great Lakes Airlines Los Angeles

On May 15, 2011 Great Lakes Airlines commenced daily service to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, with a stop in Visalia, California. [8]

The Department of Transportation reselected Great Lakes Airlines to provide Essential Air Service at Merced Regional Airport for the two-year period from October 1, 2012, through September 30, 2014. The annual subsidy rate for this service during the aforementioned time period is set at $1,698,878.[9]

The airport was formerly served by Air Pacific, American Eagle, Golden Gate Airlines, United Airlines, United Express and US Airways Express. United Airlines had Boeing 737-200 jet flights direct to Los Angeles and San Francisco. This was the airport's only scheduled passenger jet service.

Passenger statistics

Enplanements by calendar year
Passengers Change from previous year
2000 5,157
--
2001 3,456 Decrease032.9%
2002 7,626 Increase0129.3%
2003 7,522 Decrease01.36%
2004 8,004 Increase06.41%
2005 8,616 Increase07.65%
2006 7,885 Decrease08.48%
2007 6,126 Decrease021.4%
2008 2,173 Decrease064.9%
2009 1,052 Decrease051.6%
2010 2,051 Increase094.7%
2011 3,181 Increase055.1%
2012 3,724 Increase017.1%
Source: Federal Aviation Administration [10]

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for MCE PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective February 6, 2014.
  2. ^ "2013–2017 NPIAS Report, Appendix B (Part 1)" (PDF, 2.7 MB). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. September 27, 2012. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f Merced Regional Airport - History
  4. ^ a b c d e f California State Military Museum - New Merced Municipal Airport Auxiliary Field
  5. ^ Merced Regional Airport Quarterly Newsletter, March 2009
  6. ^ a b Merced Sun-Star - Lack of sponsors grounds fly-in[dead link]
  7. ^ Air Methods - Press Release
  8. ^ Merced Regional Airport - Travel
  9. ^ "Order 2012-9-9" (PDF). Selecting Carrier And Setting Final Subsidy Rates. Department of Transportation. September 10, 2012.
  10. ^ "FAA Passenger Boarding Data for Primary, Non-primary Commercial Service, and General Aviation Airports". Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved February 06, 2014. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

Other sources

  • Essential Air Service documents (Docket OST-1998-3521) from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
    • Order 2004-3-6: re-selecting Eagle Canyon Airlines, Inc., d/b/a Scenic Airlines, to provide essential air service at Merced, California, at an annual subsidy rate of $645,751, for the two-year April 1, 2004, through March 31, 2006.
    • Order 2006-3-28: selecting Scenic Airlines to provide essential air service (EAS) with 19-passenger Beechcraft 1900 aircraft at Merced, California, for two years beginning April 1, 2006. The annual subsidy rate will be set at $696,788.
    • Order 2006-8-29: selecting Mesa Air Group Inc. d/b/a Air Midwest to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Merced and Visalia, California, and Ely, Nevada, for two years, beginning when the carrier inaugurates service. Merced and Visalia will receive 23 weekly round trips to Las Vegas, operated on a Las Vegas - Merced - Visalia - Las Vegas or Las Vegas - Visalia - Merced - Las Vegas routing at an annual subsidy rate of $1,599,207. Ely will receive 6 nonstop round trips each week to Salt Lake City at an annual subsidy rate of $647,709. Air Midwest will operate as America West Express/US Airways Express and serve each community with 19-passenger Beech 1900-D aircraft.
    • Order 2008-6-26: selecting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd. to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Merced and Visalia, California, and Ely, Nevada, for the two-year period beginning when the carrier inaugurates full EAS pursuant to this Order, at an annual subsidy of $4,900,401 with 19-seat Beech 1900D turboprop aircraft.
    • Order 2010-9-13: re-selecting Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) with 19-passenger Beechcraft-B-1900D aircraft at Merced and Visalia, California, and Ely, Nevada, for the two-year period from October 1, 2010, through September 31, 2012. The annual subsidy rates will be set at $1,961,174, $1,746,507, and $1,752,067 for Merced, Visalia and Ely, respectively, for a combined total of $5,459,748.
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