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Addison Airport

Coordinates: 32°58′07″N 096°50′11″W / 32.96861°N 96.83639°W / 32.96861; -96.83639
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For the airport in Addison, Alabama, see Addison Municipal Airport.

Addison Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Addison
ServesAddison, Texas
LocationAddison, Texas
Hub for
Elevation AMSL645 ft / 197 m
Coordinates32°58′07″N 096°50′11″W / 32.96861°N 96.83639°W / 32.96861; -96.83639
Websitewww.addisonairport.net
Map
ADS is located in Texas
ADS
ADS
Location
ADS is located in the United States
ADS
ADS
ADS (the United States)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16/34 7,203 2,195 Concrete
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations (year ending 9/30/2023)119,065
Based aircraft576
Source: Federal Aviation Administration effective January 25, 2024[1]
FAA airport diagram
Runway 15 with Dallas in the background

Addison Airport (IATA: ADS, ICAO: KADS, FAA LID: ADS) is a public airport in Addison, in Dallas County, Texas, United States, 9 mi (7.8 nmi; 14 km) north of downtown Dallas.[2] It opened in 1954 and was purchased by the town of Addison in 1976.[3] It is home to the now closed Cavanaugh Flight Museum.

The Addison Airport Toll Tunnel, completed in 1999, allows east–west automobile traffic to cross the airport under the runway.

History

The town of Addison originally formed in 1904 as a small unincorporated community surrounding a St. Louis Southwestern Railway depot located at the northern end of a branch line to Dallas. On June 15, 1953, residents voted to incorporate because they did not want the nearby cities of Dallas, Carrollton, or Farmers Branch to annex the community. By the mid 1950s, the newly incorporated city had about five hundred residents, but few public improvements and no local water system.[4][5]

In 1955, Guy Dennis, the son-in-law of founding settler Sidney Smith Noell, sold his large farm north of the depot to W.T. Overton, a 28-year-old businessman from Dallas, who announced in January 1956 that he would build Addison Airport on the site. Overton said that it would be the first airfield in the area designed for business jets, then a novel innovation.[6] Overton and his partners chose the airport site because Civil Aeronautics Administration statistics indicated that more aircraft owners lived in Texas than in any state other than California, and the largest cluster of those owners resided in Dallas County; additionally, most upscale residential development likely to attract aircraft owners was being built in the northern part of the county.[7]

The partners incorporated Addison Airport, Inc. (AAI) on August 30, 1956,[8] and laid out an industrial park in the triangular area formed by the main railway line, Dooley Road, and the main runway.[9] After obtaining final approval from the city, the airport had its formal groundbreaking ceremony on March 16, 1957. The airfield included a 5,000 sq ft (460 m2) terminal building, and its primary paved runway, 15/33, was 4,500 ft (1,400 m) long–deliberately 50 ft (15 m) longer than the longest runway at the newly constructed Redbird Airport in South Dallas.[10]

AAI needed a professional manager for the airport. Overton's partner James DeLoache was impressed by Henry Stuart, who managed nearby Park Cities Airport, and quickly persuaded Stuart to leave that airport and manage Addison Airport instead.[11] AAI realized that a private well would not support their development plans, so they petitioned the city to drill a municipal well and build its first public water system. The project was approved by voters in April 1957 and construction began in August. The well was later supplemented by a large water main extended from Dallas.[12]

The airport's grand opening was held on October 18, 1957.[13]

Facilities and aircraft

Addison Airport covers 368 acres (149 ha); its one runway, 16/34, is 7,203-by-100-foot (2,195 m × 30 m) concrete. In the year ending September 30, 2023, it had 119,065 aircraft operations, averaging 326 per day: 68% general aviation, 32% air taxi, <1% airline and <1% military. 576 aircraft were then based at the airport: 326 single-engine, 86 multi-engine, 157 jet and 7 helicopter.[2] In 2022, its runway designation was changed from 15/33 to 16/34.[14]

There are currently three fixed-base operators: Atlantic Aviation, Landmark Aviation, and Million Air.

Charter services are available from a variety of companies, with Business Jet Solutions and Bombardier FlexJet having large operations.

The airport is the headquarters of Ameristar Jet Charter, GTA Air, and Martinaire, and also has scheduled freight flights from AirNet Express, Flight Express, and Flight Development.

It is also a training hub, with primary to advanced flight instruction available from Thrust Flight School, American Flyers, ATP Flight School, Stature Aviation, CTL Aero, and PlaneSmart!.

Airlines and destinations

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
GTA AirAustin, El Paso, Lubbock (TX)
MartinaireAbilene, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston-Intercontinental

Accidents and incidents

  • July 19, 1986: All four occupants of a Cessna 421, aircraft registration N6VR, were killed when the aircraft suffered an apparent right-hand engine failure, rolled over, and dived into a vacant lot immediately after takeoff from Addison Airport.[15] The post-crash investigation revealed that the right-hand engine did not show any obvious signs of failure and its controls were not set to deliver full takeoff power. The crash was attributed to incorrect engine control operation; the pilot had recently purchased the Cessna 421 but had not been formally trained to fly it, and most of his twin-engined experience had been in an airplane with engine controls that operated in the reverse direction of those in the Cessna.[16]
  • June 20, 1992: The pilot of a Piper J3C-65 Cub, registered N3128M, reported trouble and attempted to return to Addison Airport soon after taking off to test a newly installed engine. While turning to line up with the runway, the airplane suddenly lost altitude, rolled upside down, and crashed in the middle of nearby Beltway Drive, killing the pilot and his passenger. The crash was attributed to breakage of the left-hand elevator control tube due to corrosion.[17][18]
  • January 1, 2004: The pilot and passenger of a Bellanca 17-30A Super Viking, registered N4104B, died when the aircraft struck houses in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of nearby Dallas, Texas, after departing from Addison Airport bound for Amarillo, Texas. An intense post-crash fire destroyed two houses and the remains of the Bellanca, but an elderly resident of one house escaped injury after being dragged out of the burning structure by his caregiver, who was also unhurt.[19] The crash was attributed to spatial disorientation in densely clouded IFR conditions; the pilot had reported a partial instrument panel failure, after which radar data indicated that he was making left turns instead of right turns as directed by air traffic controllers.[20]
  • October 24, 2011: A Cirrus SR22, registered N227TX, attempted to return to Addison Airport shortly after takeoff. After several missed approaches, the aircraft crashed on a railroad track next to Hebron High School, killing one passenger and seriously injuring the pilot and a second passenger.[21] The accident was attributed to "the pilot's failure to adequately preflight the airplane prior to departure, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion."[22]
Hangar damage from June 2019 King Air accident
  • June 30, 2019: A Beechcraft King Air 350i, registered N534FF, crashed into a hangar on airport grounds after taking off for a flight to St. Petersburg, Florida, killing all eight passengers and two pilots on board. The hangar was unoccupied at the time of the crash and nobody on the ground was harmed. The aircraft reportedly dropped its left wing on takeoff and immediately veered to the left. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board investigated.[23][24][25] The investigation determined an engine failure was followed by the pilot moving the rudder the wrong way, causing the aircraft to roll over and crash.[26]

Motor racing

Addison Airport circuit[27]
LocationDallas, TX, US
Time zoneUTC-6 CST (UTC-5 CST)
Opened1989
Closed1991
Major eventsTrans-Am Series (1989-1991)
SCCA Corvette Challenge (1989)
SCCA Formula Super Vee (1989-1991)
SCCA RaceTruck Challenge (1989-1991)
Websitehttp://www.addisonairport.net/
Circuit (1989–1991)
Length2.53 km (1.57 miles)
Race lap record1:12.087[28] (United States Irv Hoerr, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, 1990, Trans-Am)

In 1989, 1990, and 1991, Addison Airport hosted the Dallas Grand Prix, consisting of Trans-Am Series, SCCA Formula Super Vee, SCCA Corvette Challenge, and SCCA RaceTruck Challenge races.[29][30][31][32] The Dallas Grand Prix previously took place on a street circuit in Fair Park, but complaints from nearby homeowners prompted organizers to seek a less noise-sensitive venue, and they decided on Addison Airport because the surrounding area was largely industrial in nature. The 1989 event was held on May 12–14 on a temporary 1.57 mi (2.53 km) circuit that traversed public streets, taxiways, and the south end of the runway. The races benefited Addison hotels and restaurants, but setup and teardown of the circuit and grandstands disrupted airfield operations for weeks, prompting airport businesses and the airport management company to lodge complaints with the town and the FAA in 1990. After the 1991 event, the FAA, the town, the race organizers, and airport managers and tenants agreed that 1992 would be the last year the event would be held at the airport. The agreement became moot when the race organizers, who had lost money on the previous events, cancelled the 1992 event citing financial reasons.[32]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Federal Aviation Administration". Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  2. ^ a b FAA Airport Form 5010 for ADS PDF, effective 2007-12-20
  3. ^ "About ADS | Addison Texas". addisontexas.net. Archived from the original on June 1, 2008.
  4. ^ Maxwell, Lisa C. (September 20, 2023) [1952]. "Addison, TX". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Bleakley 2017, pp. 1–2, 10.
  6. ^ Bleakley 2017, pp. 2–5.
  7. ^ Bleakley 2017, pp. 9–10.
  8. ^ Bleakley 2017, p. 6.
  9. ^ Bleakley 2017, pp. 10, 12.
  10. ^ Bleakley 2017, p. 14–17.
  11. ^ Bleakley 2017, p. 8.
  12. ^ Bleakley 2017, p. 10.
  13. ^ Bleakley 2017, p. 19.
  14. ^ "Runway - Taxiway Pavement Project Updates". Town of Addison. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  15. ^ Jim Zook (July 20, 1986). "Addison Air Crash Kills 4". The Dallas Morning News.
  16. ^ "NTSB Report FTW86FA133". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  17. ^ Nancy St. Pierre (June 21, 1992). "2 killed as plane crashes". The Dallas Morning News.
  18. ^ "NTSB Report FTW92FA165". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  19. ^ Tanya Eiserer (January 2, 2004). "Man rescued after plane hits two N. Dallas houses - Caregiver pulls disabled doctor from fire; 2 fliers killed". The Dallas Morning News.
  20. ^ "NTSB Report FTW04FA052". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  21. ^ "NTSB Identification: CEN12FA037". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  22. ^ "NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report CEN12FA037". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  23. ^ "Plane crashes into hangar at Texas airport, killing 10". BNO News. June 30, 2019.
  24. ^ Cardona, Claire Z.; Branham, Dana; Vizcaino, Maria Elena (June 30, 2019). "10 dead after small plane crashes into Addison Airport hangar". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  25. ^ Accident description for N534FF at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 2020-10-28.
  26. ^ "NTSB Says Pilot Error To Blame For 2019 Crash At Addison Airport That Killed 10". CBS Local. May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  27. ^ "Addison Airport, Dallas". www.na-motorsports.com.
  28. ^ "1990 TRANS-AM BOX SCORES" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  29. ^ "Dallas Street Circuit at Addison Airport - The Third Turn". thethirdturn.com.
  30. ^ "1989 at Addison Airport". racingcalendar.net. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  31. ^ "1990 at Addison Airport". racingcalendar.net. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  32. ^ a b Bleakley 2017, pp. 66–67.

Bibliography

  • Bleakley, Bruce (2017). Addison Airport: Serving Business Aviation for 60 Years, 1957–2017. Dallas, Texas: Brown Books Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-61254-839-5.
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