Lake in the Hills Airport

42°12′24″N 088°19′23″W / 42.20667°N 88.32306°W / 42.20667; -88.32306

Lake in the Hills Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerVillage of Lake in the Hills
LocationLake in the Hills, Illinois
Elevation AMSL888 ft / 271 m
Websitewww.lith.org/airport
Map
3CK is located in Illinois
3CK
3CK
Location of airport in Illinois
3CK is located in the United States
3CK
3CK
3CK (the United States)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8/26 3,801 1,159 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2016)34,000
Based aircraft (2017)101
Source: FAA[1] and airport website[2]

Lake in the Hills Airport (FAA LID: 3CK) is a public airport located at 8407 Pyott Road in Lake in the Hills, a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The airport is owned by the Village of Lake in the Hills and is located 38 miles (61 km) northwest of the central business district of Chicago.[1] It is a designated Federal Aviation Administration reliever airport for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.[2]

History

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Lake in the Hills Airport was founded in 1957.[3] Then called Crystal Lake Airport,[4] it was privately owned.[3] The Village of Lake in the Hills acquired the airport in 1984.[3]

Redevelopment program

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Pyott Road, to the east of the airport, was relocated to create an improved Runway Safety Area. A new parallel taxiway, capable of operating as a temporary runway, has also been built[citation needed] in addition to a larger primary aircraft parking apron,[citation needed] and a new general aviation terminal will be constructed. Improvements will also be made to drainage, utilities and support facilities.

In 2014, the airport built a new fuel farm and moved old fuel tanks that were too close to the runway,[5] a project that cost about $760,000.[6] In July 2016, construction began for the final phase of the airport's improvement project.[7] In the project, the former airport office building was demolished to make way for a new taxiway, in order to move it away from the runway, which is being redone and widened from 50 feet (15 m) to 75 feet (23 m) to meet Federal Aviation Administration standards.[6][7] The taxiway was completed in November 2016,[8] and the entire project is expected to be completed in 2022, with the runway expansion expected to cost $5 million.[6][7]

Because of continued success in advancing this safety improvement program, the airport was named 2010 Reliever Airport of the Year in Illinois by the Illinois Division of Aeronautics.[citation needed] The airport also won this distinction in 2019.[9]

Facilities and aircraft

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Lake in the Hills Airport covers an area of 72 acres (29 ha) at an elevation of 888 ft (271 m). It has one runway designated 8/26 with a 3,801 x 50 ft (1,159 x 15 m) asphalt pavement. The airport is uncontrolled and is open to the public.[1]

For the 12-month period ending August 30, 2019, the airport had 34,000 aircraft operations,[6] an average of 93 per day; all were general aviation. In January 2017, there were 101 aircraft based at this airport: 92 single-engine, 7 multi-engine and 4 jet.[1]

FBO services are provided by the Village of Lake in the Hills, offering both full and self-service 100LL and Jet A fuel.[citation needed]

Flight training and supplies provided by Blue Skies Flying Services. Pilot Flight Training Courses, another flight training school, opened its doors in March 2017.[citation needed]

A courtesy vehicle is available at the airport for use during business hours.[10]

Ground transportation

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While no public transit service is provided directly to the airport, Pace provides bus service nearby.

Accidents and incidents

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  • On September 3, 2007, a Yakovlev Yak 52 impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Lake in the Hills' Runway 26. Witnesses reported the aircraft entered a "violent" left turn before the engine "gave out," and the aircraft descended. Both people on board were killed. Ultimately, the NTSB was unable to determine a reason for the crash.[11]
  • On May 3, 2012, a Beechcraft Bonanza 35 crashed a half mile east of the airport. Both passengers on board were killed.[12][13]
  • On June 8, 2017, a Beechcraft Baron landed with its landing gear up. Neither person on board was injured.[14][15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for 3CK PDF, effective Jan 5, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Lake in the Hills Airport, official site
  3. ^ a b c Shinneman, Shawn (April 29, 2012). "Lake in the Hills airport is still flying high". Shaw Media. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  4. ^ Houston, Jack (January 16, 1994). "Air Park's Sale Keeps Town Flying". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 5, 2021. Some of the more recent acquisitions include the 1982 purchase of Crystal Lake Airport by the village of Lake-In-The-Hills; ...
  5. ^ Bustos, Joseph (July 7, 2014). "Lake in the Hills Airport Working Toward Safety Upgrades". The Northwest Herald. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d Prokop, Hannah (August 4, 2016). "Lake in the Hills Airport Starts Construction on Final Phase of Taxiway Project". Northwest Herald. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Krishnamurthy, Madhu (July 29, 2016). "Lake in the Hills Begins Work on Runway Improvements". Daily Herald. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  8. ^ Prokop, Hannah (November 20, 2016). "Lake in the Hills Airport Wraps Up Taxiway Project, Focuses on Future Safety Improvements". Northwest Herald. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  9. ^ "Village of Lake in the Hills".
  10. ^ "Lake in the Hills 3CK Airport - Village of Lake in the Hills". January 2019.
  11. ^ "N212YA accident description". Plane Crash Map. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  12. ^ "2 Dead In Plane Crash Near Lake In The Hills Airport". CBS News. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  13. ^ "Investigation continues into plane crash that killed 2 near Lake in the Hills Airport". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  14. ^ "Plane Crashes at Lake in the Hills Airport". patch.com. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  15. ^ "No injuries after plane lands without gear at Lake in the Hills Airport". Shaw Local News. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
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