Norwood Memorial Airport(IATA: OWD, ICAO: KOWD, FAALID: OWD)[2][3] is a public airport 2mi (1.7nmi; 3.2km) east of Norwood, in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States.[1] It is home to the offices of prominent local business people and several maintenance facilities.
In 1941, Norwood was considered for the site of the state's auxiliary airport. However, the legislative committee on military affairs and public safety chose Bedford, Massachusetts instead due to flooding that kept the proposed site under water for a considerable amount of time the previous spring.[4]
In 1942, a Norwood town meeting approved the construction of the Norwood Airport on 400 acres northeast of the Boston Metropolitan Airport. The airport would be built at the cost of the federal government and be available for national defense needs.[5] From 1942 to 1945, the airfield was a Naval Outlying Landing Field of Naval Air Station Squantum. It was used by student pilots to gain flight experience on its two 4,000ft (1,200m) runways.[6]
In 1946, the United States Department of War turned over the airport to the town of Norwood. The airport was renamed the Norwood Memorial Airport in memory of Norwood residents who died in World War II.[7] That same year, Wiggins Airways moved from Boston Metropolitan Airport in Canton to Norwood. Wiggins established regular passenger, cargo, and mail routes, operated a flight school, offered charter services, and maintained its parts and repair facilities at Norwood Memorial Airport.[5] Wiggins remained at Norwood until 2001, when the economic effects of the September 11 attacks forced it end operations at the airport.[8]
Facilities
Norwood Memorial Airport covers 688 acres (278ha) and has two runways:[1]
17/35: 4,007ft ×100ft (1,221m ×30m), asphalt
10/28: 3,995ft ×75ft (1,218m ×23m), asphalt
In the year ending January 31, 2020 the airport had 58,628 aircraft operations, an average of 161 per day: 91% general aviation, 9% air taxi and less than 1% military.[1]
In April 2022, there were 101 aircraft based at this airport: 72 single-engine, 9 multi-engine, 7 jet and 13 helicopter.[1]
The airport has three flight schools and Flight Level Aviation as an FBO. Charter services operate commonly out of the airport.
Due to federal budget cuts the air traffic control tower was to close in 2013, but FAA funding was restored before closure took place.[9]
Incidents
Flooding, 2010
On 4 June 2007 a Mooney M-20-P crashed into the woods south of the airport while on final approach. One person was killed.[10]
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