St. Paul Downtown Airport Holman Field | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
Owner | Metropolitan Airports Commission | ||||||||||||||||||
Serves | St. Paul, Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||||
Location | St. Paul, Minnesota, USA | ||||||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 705 ft / 215 m | ||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 44°56′04″N093°03′36″W / 44.93444°N 93.06000°W | ||||||||||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Source: Federal Aviation Administration [1] |
St. Paul Downtown Airport( IATA : STP, ICAO : KSTP, FAA LID : STP), also known as Holman Field, is an airport just across the Mississippi River from downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is one of several reliever airports in the Twin Cities operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission. The airport has three runways and serves aircraft operated by corporations in the local area, a flight training school and the Minnesota Army National Guard aviation unit, as well as transient general aviation aircraft.
The airport is home to an installation of the Minnesota Army National Guard. Two properties at the airport are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the 1939 Holman Field Administration Building and the 1942 Riverside Hangar. [2]
Holman Field was named for Charles W. "Speed" Holman (1898–1931), who was a stunt pilot, barnstormer, wing walker, parachutist, airmail pilot, aviation record holder and airline pilot. Born in Bloomington, he was the first pilot hired by Northwest Airways in 1926. In 1928, Holman set a world record of 1,433 consecutive loops in an airplane in five hours over the St. Paul Airport. He died in an accident during an air show in Omaha in 1931 at the age of 32. [3]
During World War II, Northwest Airlines employed up to 5,000 people at the site, modifying new B-24 Liberator bombers, some of which received the highly classified H2X radar, which proved to be an invaluable tool in the European theater. [4]
The terminal was used as a backdrop for scenes in the 1972 film Slaughterhouse-Five .[ citation needed ]
During the 1970s and early 1980s, commuter airline Lake State Airways offered scheduled airline service between the St. Paul Downtown Airport and Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota. It cost $5USD for a one-way ticket between the two airports, and $10 round-trip. [5] Capitol Air flew MDW-STP with a Swearingen Metroliner for roughly a year starting in December 1993.
St. Paul Downtown Holman Field covers an area of 540 acres (220 ha ) which contains three asphalt paved runways: 14/32 measuring 6,491 x 150 ft (1,978 x 46 m), 13/31 measuring 4,004 x 150 ft (1,220 x 46 m) and 9/27 measuring 3,642 x 100 ft (1,110 x 30 m). [1]
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2014, the airport had 66,475 aircraft operations, an average of 182 per day: 74% general aviation, 15% military and 11% air taxi. In January 2017, there were 68 aircraft based at this airport: 20 single-engine, 12 multi-engine, 18 jet, 7 helicopter and 11 military. [1]
Based on annual reports and data released by the Metropolitan Airports Commission, aircraft operations declined 65.3% in the decade 2011-2020.
Year | Aircraft operations | Percent Change |
---|---|---|
2011 | 87,229 [6] | N/A |
2012 | 79,238 [7] | 9.16% |
2013 | 69,277 [8] | 12.57% |
2014 | 64,539 [9] | 6.83% |
2015 | 56,676 [10] | 12.18% |
2016 | 54,548 [11] | 3.75% |
2017 | 40,489 [11] | 25.77% |
2018 | 40,116 [12] | 0.92% |
2019 | 40,394 [13] | 0.69% |
2020 | 30,188 [13] [14] | 25.26% |
2021 | 39,196 [15] | 29.83% |
2022 | 41,592 [16] | 6.11% |
Airline | Services |
---|---|
NetJets | Charter |
Executive Jet Management | Charter |
Best Jets International | Charter/FBO |
Delta Private Jets | Charter |
Recently, local debate has ensued over plans to build a flood wall around the airport. In 1993, 1997, and 2001, the airport was flooded due to its proximity to the Mississippi River. Supporters do not want to deal with the future inconvenience of having to deal with the flood again, while critics say that the proposed wall would ruin views and make the airport "ugly". [17] A dike to protect the airport from the nearby river was considered since the National Guard stated that they may leave if the dike is not constructed in a timely manner.[ citation needed ]
In 2009, a removable flood wall was installed that is only erected when flooding is imminent, leaving the views of the river intact for the rest of the year. Steel plates are embedded in the concrete on the river side of the runways. The flood wall is composed of steel posts that anchor to the embedded plates and aluminum planks that are stacked between the posts to form a flood barrier. These are then removed and stored when the flood event has passed.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located in Crystal City, in Arlington County, Virginia, United States, 5 miles (8.0 km) from Washington, D.C. It is the closest airport to Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, the 24th-busiest airport in the nation, the busiest airport in the Washington metropolitan area, and the second busiest in the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area.
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, also less commonly known as Wold–Chamberlain Field, is a joint civil-military public international airport serving the Twin Cities in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory. Although situated within the unorganized territory, the airport is centrally located within 10 miles of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul. In addition to primarily hosting commercial flights from major American and some international airlines, the airport is also home to several United States Air Force and Minnesota Air National Guard operations. The airport is also used by a variety of air cargo operators. MSP is the busiest airport in the Upper Midwest.
San Diego International Airport is an international airport serving San Diego, California, United States. The airport is located three miles northwest of downtown San Diego. It covers 663 acres (268 ha) of land and is ranked the third busiest airport in California in terms of passenger traffic. It is the busiest single-runway airport in the United States.
Norfolk International Airport is seven miles (11 km) northeast of downtown Norfolk, within the boundaries of the independent city in Virginia, United States. It is owned and operated by the Norfolk Airport Authority: a bureau under the municipal government. The airport serves the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of southeast Virginia as well as northeast North Carolina. There are currently no international destinations with regularly scheduled service from the airport.
Jacksonville International Airport is a civil-military public airport 13 miles (21 km) north of Downtown Jacksonville, in Duval County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.
Tallahassee International Airport is a city-owned airport five miles southwest of downtown Tallahassee, in Leon County, Florida, United States. It serves the state capital of Florida, and its surrounding areas; it is one of the major airports in north Florida, the others being Pensacola, Northwest Florida Beaches, and Jacksonville. Despite its name, it does not service any international destinations.
Kansas City International Airport is a public airport in Kansas City, Missouri, located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Downtown Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri. The airport was opened in 1972 and a new complex in the airport was completed in 2023, replacing the old one. MCI replaced Kansas City Municipal Airport (MKC) in 1972, with all scheduled passenger airline flights moved from MKC to MCI. It serves the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and is the primary passenger airport for much of western Missouri and eastern Kansas.
Nashville International Airport is a public/military airport in the southeastern section of Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1937, its original name was Berry Field, from which its ICAO and IATA identifiers are derived. The current terminal was built in 1987, and the airport took its current name in 1988. Nashville International Airport has four runways and covers 4,555 acres (1,843 ha) of land. It is the busiest airport in Tennessee, with more boardings and arrivals than all other airports in the state combined.
Rochester International Airport is an international airport located seven miles (11 km) south of downtown Rochester in Olmsted County, Minnesota. It is the second-busiest airport in Minnesota. Its name used to be "Rochester Municipal Airport", before adding customs and immigration facilities specifically for Mayo Clinic purposes in 1995.
Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the main commercial airport for Columbia and the Midlands region of South Carolina, United States. The airport is located in West Columbia, five miles (8.0 km) southwest of Columbia, in Lexington County. It is surrounded by the city of Cayce and the towns of Springdale, Pine Ridge, and South Congaree. The airport is a regional cargo hub for UPS Airlines.
Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport serving Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Located in Clay County, this facility is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, which categorized it as a general aviation reliever airport.
Watertown Regional Airport, formerly Watertown Municipal Airport, is two miles northwest of Watertown in Codington County, South Dakota, United States.
Presque Isle International Airport, formally Northern Maine Regional Airport at Presque Isle, is a mile northwest of Presque Isle, in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. It serves the residents of Presque Isle and a vast area of northern Maine and northwestern New Brunswick. Airline flights to Newark Liberty International Airport are subsidized by the federal government's Essential Air Service program at a cost of $3,892,174.
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is 5 miles (8 km) east of downtown Chattanooga, in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The airport is owned and operated by the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority. It is a Class C airport serviced by the Chattanooga Airport Traffic Control Tower. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2019–2023 categorized it as a small-hub primary commercial service facility.
Mobile International Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) south of the central business district of Mobile, a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The airport is a principal component of the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, a 1,650-acre (668 ha) industrial complex. Presently the facility covers 1,616 acres of land. It is owned and operated by the Mobile Airport Authority. Prior to 1969, the airport was part of an active military installation known as Brookley Air Force Base.
Chippewa Valley Regional Airport is a public use airport in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States. The airport is owned by Eau Claire county and is located 3 nautical miles north of the central business district of the city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Manchester–Boston Regional Airport, commonly referred to as Manchester Airport, is a public use airport 3 miles (5 km) south of the central business district of Manchester, New Hampshire, United States on the border of Hillsborough and Rockingham counties. It is owned by the City of Manchester, and is in the southern part of the city on the border with Londonderry, New Hampshire.
Airlake Airport is a public use airport in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. Owned by the Metropolitan Airports Commission, It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul The airport is located near the Twin Cities suburbs of Lakeville and Farmington.
Crystal Airport is a public airport named after the city of Crystal in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. Most of the airport is in the city of Crystal. Portions north of taxiway C are in Brooklyn Park, and the north east corner of the airport is in Brooklyn Center. It is eight miles (13 km) northwest of the central business district of Minneapolis and is owned by the Metropolitan Airports Commission. The airport covers an area of approximately 430 acres.
Mankato Regional Airport is a public airport located five miles (8 km) northeast of the central business district of Mankato, a city in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, United States. This airport is publicly owned by the city of Mankato. The airport is home to North Star Aviation (FBO) and Minnesota State University's flight training program. Base to Mn composite Squadron Mn 048 Civil Air Patrol (CAP/USAF-AUX)
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
He tragically died at an air show in Omaha in 1931