ECTA & Wilmington Air Park News

[gkabbt]

Last weekend we were all informed at the drivers meeting that Amazon is testing a fulfillment facility at the Air Park.
Brian, Keith and Tonya explained what was going on and how that could impact the future of the ECTA there.

I felt it was not right for me to post this info until the ECTA folks had posted something somewhere.
They did earlier today on the ECTA Facebook Page and here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/OhioMile       You do not need to login

As the last paragraph says, if you know of a facility please let them know. I already told Brian of one possibility in NC.

Gregg

[edinlr]

I told Keith about the old bomber base in Blytheville, Arkansas a few years back, another group is holding the Arkansas mile there next month.  I think that would be a great central location for lots of folks that want to race with the ECTA.

[jacksoni]

I told Keith about the old bomber base in Blytheville, Arkansas a few years back, another group is holding the Arkansas mile there next month.  I think that would be a great central location for lots of folks that want to race with the ECTA.

Well, that's about 950 miles, only about a hundred more than Loring.
I thought the "EC" in ECTA was "East Coast"?    Soon will be the MWTA, or DSTA. Crikey !    Maybe life will be good and we can stay at Wilmington.   

[Truckedup]

 Perhaps all of us that find Ohio a good place to race should help to look for an alternate location that's not far away...Ya think?

[**RP**]

The old National Guard air base in Oscoda, MI .....I think Kalitta is the main occupant ....fresh concrete for B52's.

[Speed Limit 1000]

The old National Guard air base in Oscoda, MI .....I think Kalitta is the main occupant ....fresh concrete for B52's.

It was Wurtsmith AFB. Strategic Air Command (SAC) closed July 1993.

[Jack Gifford]

How long?

[gkabbt]

From Wikipedia:
Oscoda–Wurtsmith Airport covers an area of 2,000 acres (810 ha) at an elevation of 634 feet (193 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt paved runway designated 6/24 which measures 11,800 by 200 feet (3,597 by 61 m).

From Kalitta Air:
Kalitta also has the aircraft maintenance facility in Oscoda, Michigan which was once the home of the old Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Utilizing most of the airport and several hangars, over 600 employees work around the clock to maintain the aircraft.

HTH,
Gregg

[jacksoni]

Unfortunately as an active, public use airport (though not busy)- and Wilmington is not public use- the FAA as well as airport owners would be involved and getting them to shut the place down for a weekend would be tough-read not going to happen. Doesn't hurt to ask though. Would be a great spot and is longer than Wilmington.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

We've got (the ex-) K I Sawyer AFB here.  After the Air Force left it was a few years 'til the county acquired and began using the base as the local airport.

In the interim we were told that even though there was Zero Activity, we couldn't use it because it was still defined as available for airplanes - not officially closed (yellow Xs at the ends?).

With that in mind I wonder if Wurtsmith could get away with the deal like out at Mojave?  Everyone waits while an airplane taxis through the pits. . .

[jacksoni]

Facilities and aircraft[edit]

Sawyer International Airport covers an area of 2,100 acres (850 ha). It has a single asphalt/concrete runway, 12,370 by 150 feet (3,770 by 46 m),[1] originally re-designed in 1959 to accommodate B-52 bombers and KC-135 tankers.

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2011, the airport had 21,345 aircraft operations (a decrease from 22,515 operations in 2008), an average of 58 per day: 49% general aviation, 49% air taxi, 2% military, and <1% scheduled commercial. There are 45 aircraft based at this airport: 87% single-engine, 11% multi-engine, and 2% helicopter.[1]

There is an industrial park, the Telkite Technology Park,[6] adjacent to the airport, with 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land and 1,500,000 square feet (140,000 m2) of space in a Michigan Renaissance Zone, which exempts the tenant or owner from the majority of state and local taxes.

The airport is home to the Marquette County Aviation Wall of Honor which features many influential pilots and engineers.[7]

Airlines and destinations[edit]

The following airlines offer scheduled passenger service at this airport:


Airlines

Destinations


American Eagle Chicago-O'Hare

What would be ideal is some place with two runways where they could close one. There is a wiki site that lists all the Airforce bases that are closed- about 200 of them. I scanned a lot. Most are either really closed/dug up, too short or converted to active airports. Will keep looking.
 

[Rick Byrnes]

Wurtsmith AFB, in Oscoda has been used at least once for one 1 mile event.  Facility rented, ambulance and airport personnel to close runway if somebody turns on final.  I don't remember length of runway, but friendly folks and like Wilmington, a community devistated with closure of the air  base.
The organization of that event was terrible and absolutely no discipline.  The airport manager said never again.  BUT, ECTA is quite capable of presenting a good case for scheduled events.  May is a bit early but July weather is better than south Ohio.  I am a Dearborn boy, but would just as soon keep going to Wilmington.

[Truckedup]

 What about Griffiss Business and Technology Park, the old AFB in central NY state? I believe it's still an active runways but don't know if it's being used at this time...

[jacksoni]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffiss_International_Airport

11,820 runway. Nice place. Close to Syracuse where my daughter lives!

[Milwaukee Midget]

Chrysler lists their proving grounds in Chelsea under "Services", and includes a 1.6 and a 2.2 mile straight . . .

http://www.chryslertestservices.com/services/chelsea-proving-grounds-cpg.html

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Chelsea+Proving+Grounds/@42.2513834,-83.9601326,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x54173ebce6ca4afb!8m2!3d42.2683856!4d-84.0518045