Norwalk-Huron County Airport

Norwalk-Huron County Airport
IATA: none ICAO: none FAA LID: 5A1
Summary
Owner	Huron County Commissioners
Serves	Norwalk, Ohio
Location	Huron County, Ohio
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (-5)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (-4)
Elevation  AMSL	853 ft / 260 m
Coordinates	41°14′41″N082°33′04″W / 41.24472°N 82.55111°W / 41.24472; -82.55111
Website	http://airport.huroncounty-oh.gov
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 10/28 4,208 1,283 Asphalt
Statistics (2021)
Aircraft Movements 10,220

The Norwalk-Huron County Airport is a publicly owned, public-use airport located 3 miles east of Norwalk, Ohio. ^{[1] [2]}

The airport is home to a flying club. The airport also hosts regular events such as food truck fly-ins, Young Eagles flights, and flight training scholarships. ^{[3] [4]}

History

Throughout the 2010s, the airport struggled with degrading facilities. Officials worried about poor pavement maintenance and substandard hazard removal. Low airport revenue was largely to blame for the issues. ^[5]

A new 10-year master plan for the Huron County Airport was approved in 2023. The plan will cost $6 million over the 10 years and includes funds to rehabilitate airport lighting; add an automatic weather reporting system; rehabilitate the runway, taxiways, and parking aprons; build new hangars; and install wildlife perimeter fencing. ^[6]

Facilities and aircraft

The airport has one runway, designated as Runway 10/28. The runway measures 4208 x 75 ft (1283 x 23 m) and is paved with asphalt. ^{[1] [2]}

The airport has a fixed-base operator that sells fuel and offers limited services and amenities. ^[7] Airport leadership went to great lengths to make its fuel competitive with other nearby airports and attract new pilots and aircraft. ^[8]

In 2023, the airport received a federal grant to upgrade its runway. The renovation project involved sealing cracks and redoing striping. ^{[9] [10]}

For the 12-month period ending July 14, 2021, the airport had 10,220 aircraft operations, an average of 28 per day. It included 99% general aviation and 1% military. For the same time period, 22 aircraft were based at the airport: 20 single-engine and 2 multi-engine airplanes. ^{[1] [2]}

Accidents and incidents

• On July 11, 1999, a homebuilt Pitts S-1S was destroyed when it collided with trees while maneuvering at Norwalk-Huron County Airport. A witness saw the airplane taxi out and depart, after which it began performing aerobatic maneuvers such as flying inverted. The witness did not hear any strange engine noises or notice anything "visibly wrong" with the airplane prior to its impact with trees. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's improper decision to conduct a low level aerobatic maneuver, and his subsequent loss of awareness regarding the location of trees at that level. ^[11]

References

1. "AirNav: 5A1 - Norwalk-Huron County Airport". www.airnav.com. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
2. "5A1 - Norwalk-Huron County Airport | SkyVector". skyvector.com. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
3. "Firelands Aero Club". Firelands Aero Club. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
4. "Food Truck Fly-In postponed". norwalkreflector.com. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
5. "Huron County Airport (5A1), Norwalk, Ohio". Kathryn's Report. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
6. Gott, Brian. "Airport plan hoping to take off". Norwalk Reflector. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
7. "Huron County Airport FBO Info & Fuel Prices at Norwalk-Huron County (5A1)". FlightAware. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
8. "'We're trying to make this airport work': Norwalk-Huron County Airport (5A1), Ohio". Kathryn's Report. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
9. Gott, Brian. "Airport to get runway renovations". Norwalk Reflector. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
10. "Brown Announces Nearly $3 Million for Airport Improvements Across Northeast Ohio | U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio". www.brown.senate.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
11. "Guy PITTS S-1S crash in Ohio (N2118) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved 2024-02-02.