Smyrna Airport (Tennessee) Explained

Smyrna Airport
Iata:MQY
Icao:KMQY
Faa:MQY
Type:Public
Owner:Smyrna / Rutherford County Airport Authority
City-Served:Smyrna, Tennessee
Elevation-F:543
Elevation-M:166
Coordinates:36.0089°N -86.52°W
Pushpin Map:USA Tennessee#USA
Pushpin Relief:yes
Pushpin Mapsize:200
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of airport in Tennessee
Pushpin Label:MQY
Pushpin Label Position:right
R1-Number:14/32
R1-Length-F:8,038
R1-Length-M:2,450
R1-Surface:Asphalt
R2-Number:1/19
R2-Length-F:5,546
R2-Length-M:1,690
R2-Surface:Asphalt
H1-Number:H1
H1-Length-F:40
H1-Length-M:12
H1-Surface:Concrete
Stat-Year:2023
Stat1-Header:Aircraft operations (year ending 1/31/2023)
Stat1-Data:123,375
Stat2-Header:Based aircraft
Stat2-Data:189
Footnotes:Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Smyrna Airport is a public general aviation and military use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) north of the central business district of Smyrna, a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. It is owned by the Smyrna / Rutherford County Airport Authority. Smyrna Airport is the third largest airport in Tennessee and is the state's busiest general aviation airport. Prior to March 1971, the facility was an active military installation known as Sewart Air Force Base.

This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a reliever airport[2] for Nashville International Airport, which is located twelve nautical miles (22 km) to the north.

Military use

Smyrna Airport currently operates as a joint use facility with a Tennessee Army National Guard helicopter unit, Army Aviation Support Facility #1 (AASF#1), which operates 60 helicopters with 300 full-time Army National Guard personnel.

The airport previously served as an outlying Air National Guard training facility for C-130 Hercules aircraft of the 118th Airlift Wing (now redesignated the 118th Wing) of the Tennessee Air National Guard at Berry Field Air National Guard Base at Nashville International Airport until the wing's termination of C-130 operations in 2012. The airport also continues to support training operations by C-17 Globemaster III aircraft of the Tennessee Air National Guard's 164th Airlift Wing at Memphis Air National Guard Base at the Memphis International Airport.

The Tennessee Army National Guard also leases part of the airport to maintain the Grubbs/Kyle Training Center. This facility supports 24 different units and 1,270 assigned Army National Guard personnel, 162 of which are full-time, as well as numerous military aircraft.

Facilities and aircraft

Smyrna Airport covers an area of 1,700 acres (688 ha) at an elevation of 543 feet (166 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways 14/32 is 8,038 (grooved) by 150 feet (2,450 x 46 m) and 1/19 is 5,546 by 100 feet (1,690 x 30 m). It also has one helipad designated H1 with a concrete surface measuring 40 by 40 feet (12 x 12 m).

For the 12-month period ending January 31, 2023, the airport had 123,375 aircraft operations, an average of 338 per day: 88% general aviation, 2% military, 10% air taxi, and <1% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 189 aircraft based at this airport: 121 single-engine, 26 multi-engine, 40 jet, and 2 helicopter.

The airport has an operational control tower from 7am to 10pm on weekdays and 7am to 7pm on weekends, a precision instrument landing system (ILS) approach to Runway 32, and DoD Into-Plane Contract jet fuel for military and other US Government aircraft provided by the on-site civilian fixed-base operator (FBO), Contour Flight Management.

Accidents and incidents

See also

References

  1. . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 10, 2023.
  2. Web site: 2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A (PDF, 2.03 MB) . National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems . Federal Aviation Administration . October 4, 2010.
  3. Web site: Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial | Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial.
  4. Web site: Botched Maneuver Caused Blue Angels Pilot's Death: Investigation . 25 January 2017.

External links