Huntsville Executive Airport (ICAO: KMDQ, FAA LID: MDQ, formerly M82), also known as Tom Sharp Jr. Field and formerly Madison County Executive Airport,[3] is a public-use airport in Madison County, Alabama, United States. It is owned by the Executive Flight Center and located eight nautical miles (14.80 km) northeast of the central business district of Huntsville.[1] According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013, it is categorized as a general aviation facility.[4]
Huntsville Executive Airport Tom Sharp Jr. Field | |||||||||||
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 NAIP aerial image, 2006 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Madison County Executive Airport Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Huntsville, Alabama | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 756 ft / 230 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°51′41″N 086°33′27″W / 34.86139°N 86.55750°W | ||||||||||
| Website | http://www.executiveflightcenter.com | ||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2009) | |||||||||||
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Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, Huntsville Executive Airport is assigned MDQ by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA[5] (which assigned MDQ to Mar del Plata, Argentina[6]).
Facilities and aircraft
editThe airport covers an area of 485 acres (196 ha) at an elevation of 756 feet (230 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 18/36 with an asphalt surface measuring 6,500 by 100 feet (1,981 x 30 m).[1] A 1,500-foot runway extension opened July 1, 2013.[2]
For the 12-month period ending April 16, 2009, the airport had 34,260 aircraft operations, an average of 93 per day: 93% general aviation, 5% air taxi, and 2% military. At that time there were 102 aircraft based at this airport: 82% single-engine, 9% multi-engine, 2% jet and 7% helicopter.[1]
Accidents and incidents
editOn March 5, 1997, a Cessna Centurion T210L (N2142S) crashed on takeoff from Huntsville Executive Airport. The pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. According to the NTSB, the cause of the crash was the pilot's decision to take off with a significant tailwind.
On September 8, 2022, a Piper Arrow PA-28R-200 (N29RM) owned by the Redstone Arsenal Flying Club crashed 200 feet short of the runway. The instrument-rated private pilot and the Certificated Flight Instructor survived the crash.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for MDQ PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 3 June 2010.
- ^ a b Madison County Executive Airport Authority, official site
- ^ "Executive Flight Center - Fixed Base Operator (FBO) at KMDQ - Huntsville Executive Airport in Meridianville, Alabama". www.executiveflightcenter.com. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013: Appendix A: Part 1 (PDF, 1.33 MB) Archived 2011-08-06 at the Wayback Machine. Federal Aviation Administration. Updated 15 October 2008.
- ^ Great Circle Mapper: KMDQ - Huntsville, Alabama (Madison County Executive Airport)
- ^ Great Circle Mapper: MDQ / SAZM - Mar del Plata, Argentina
External links
edit- Executive Flight Center, Inc., the airport's fixed-base operator (FBO)
- Aerial image as of 23 March 2002 from USGS The National Map
- Airfield photos for M82 from Civil Air Patrol
- FAA Terminal Procedures for MDQ, effective October 31, 2024
- Resources for this airport:
- FAA airport information for MDQ
- AirNav airport information for KMDQ
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
- SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures