Woolsey Memorial Airport (FAA LID: 5D5) is a publicly owned, public use airport located 3 miles northeast of Northport, Michigan, United States on the Leelanau Peninsula.[1]
| Woolsey Memorial Airport | |
| Faa: | 5D5 |
| Type: | Public |
| Location: | Leelanau Peninsula |
| City-Served: | Northport, Michigan |
| Built: | 1935 |
| Utc: | -5 |
| Utcs: | -4 |
| Coordinates: | 45.1631°N -85.5714°W |
| Elevation-F: | 628 |
| Elevation-M: | 191 |
| R1-Number: | 9/27 |
| R1-Length-F: | 3663 |
| R1-Length-M: | 1116 |
| R1-Surface: | Turf |
| R2-Number: | 16/34 |
| R2-Length-F: | 2670 |
| R2-Length-M: | 814 |
| R2-Surface: | Turf |
| Stat1-Header: | Aircraft movements |
| Stat1-Data: | 504 |
| Stat-Year: | 2015 |
| Owner-Oper: | Leelanau Township |
| Woolsey Family Farm / Clinton F. Woolsey Memorial Airport | |
| Coordinates: | 45.1625°N -85.5708°W |
| Designation1: | Michigan State Historic Site |
| Designation1 Date: | July 14, 2021 |
The airport opened in 1935 in honor of Clinton Woolsey, an engineer for the U.S. Army Air Service[2] who died near Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1927 during the first Pan-American Goodwill Flight across Central and South America. Land for the airport was donated by Woolsey's father, and additional land was added by the township.[3] [4] [5] [6]
The airport was converted from a farm by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression as part of a "New Deal" public works project.[7]
The airport was registered as a historic site in 2021, and a marker stands to commemorate its history. The airport took three years to be approved as a site.[8] [9] [10]
The airport has two runways, both made of turf. Runway 9/27 measures 3663 x 120 ft (1116 x 37 m). Runway 16/34 measures 2670 x 150 ft (814 x 46 m). For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2015, the airport had 504 aircraft operations per year, an average of 42 per month. It was entirely general aviation. For the same time period, 6 aircraft were based at the airport: 4 single-engine airplanes, 1 multi-engine airplane, and 1 ultralight.[11]
The airport has a terminal building with an observation deck. The terminal once hosted a creamery and milk transfer station. It was converted into the airport terminal as a Works Progress Administration project. While the terminal building itself has been closed at different times throughout its history, the observation deck has remained open.
The airport hosts regular events such as fly-ins, historical tours, and road races.[12] [13] The airport also hosts artistic groups, especially photographers that use the area to observe stars.[14] While the airport does not host a chapter, it is a regular host for pilots visiting for events and challenges sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association.[15]
One of the most popular events the airport hosts is a poker night, which also features competitions like a short takeoff-and-landing competition. The event is sponsored by the Eastern Michigan University flight school to introduce aviation students to different flight scenarios and challenges, such as weather conditions that require pilots to rely heavily on instruments, cross-country flight planning, mountainous terrain and night flying.[16]