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St. Paul Downtown Airport

Coordinates: 44°56′04″N 093°03′36″W / 44.93444°N 93.06000°W / 44.93444; -93.06000
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44°56′04″N 093°03′36″W / 44.93444°N 93.06000°W / 44.93444; -93.06000

St. Paul Downtown Airport

Holman Field
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerMetropolitan Airports Commission
ServesSt. Paul, Minnesota
Elevation AMSL705 ft / 215 m
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14/32 6,491 1,978 Asphalt
13/31 4,115 1,254 Asphalt
9/27 3,657 1,115 Asphalt
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations158,783
Based aircraft122

St. Paul Downtown Airport (IATA: STP, ICAO: KSTP, FAA LID: STP), also known as Holman Field, is an airport just across the Mississippi River from downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is one of the Twin Cities "reliever airports" operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission. The airport has three runways and serves aircraft operated by corporations in the local area, a flight training school and the Minnesota Army National Guard aviation unit.

St. Paul Downtown Airport

The airport is home to an installation of the Minnesota Army National Guard. The Holman Field Administration Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

History

Holman Field was named for Charles W. "Speed" Holman, b. 1898, d. 1931, who was a stunt pilot, barnstormer, wing walker, parachutist, airmail pilot, aviation record holder and airline pilot. Born in Bloomington, he was the first pilot hired by Northwest Airways in 1926. In 1928, Holman set a world's record of 1,433 consecutive loops in an airplane in five hours over the St. Paul Airport. He died in an accident during an air show in Omaha in 1931.[2]

During World War II, Northwest Airlines employed up to 5,000 people at the site, modifying new B-24 Liberator bombers, some of which received the highly classified H2X radar, which proved to be an invaluable tool in the European theater.[3]

The terminal was used as a backdrop for scenes in the 1972 film Slaughterhouse-Five.[citation needed]

During the 1970s and early 1980s, commuter airline Lake State Airways offered scheduled airline service between the St. Paul Downtown Airport and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota. It cost $5USD for a one-way ticket between the two airports, and $10 round-trip[4].

Facilities and aircraft

St. Paul Downtown Holman Field covers an area of 540 acres (219 ha) which contains three asphalt paved runways: 14/32 measuring 6,491 x 150 ft. (1,978 x 46 m), 13/31 measuring 4,115 x 150 ft. (1,254 x 46 m) and 9/27 measuring 3,657 x 100 ft. (1,115 x 30 m).[1]

For the 12-month period ending August 31, 2006, the airport had 158,783 aircraft operations, an average of 435 per day:92% general aviation, 5% military and 3% air taxi. There are 122 aircraft based at this airport: 29% military, 28% jet, 26% single-engine, 12% multi-engine and 5% helicopter.[1]

Controversy

Recently local debate has ensued over plans to build a floodwall around the airport. Three times in the last thirteen years the airport has been flooded due to its proximity to the Mississippi River. Supporters do not want to deal with the future inconvenience of having to deal with the flood again, while critics say that the proposed wall would ruin views and make the airport "ugly".[5]

A dike to protect the airport from the nearby river is under consideration and the National Guard has stated that they may leave if the dike is not constructed in a timely manner.

  • Holman Field Administration Building control tower
    Holman Field Administration Building control tower
  • Holman Field Administration Building
    Holman Field Administration Building
  • 1995 Flood
    1995 Flood

References

  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for STP PDF, effective 2007-12-20
  2. ^ (nd) Ask A Historian. Ramsey County Historical Society. Retrieved 5/31/07.
  3. ^ Kenney, Dave (2004). "Minnesota Goes to War - The Home front During World War II". Minnesota Historical Society Press. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
  4. ^ TimeTableImages.com
  5. ^ Helms, Marisa (2006-04-05). "Airport flood project stirs the waters in St. Paul". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
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