Montgomery Field Airport

Montgomery - Gibbs Executive Airport
Gibbs AF Auxiliary Field
IATA: MYF – ICAO: KMYF – FAA LID: MYF
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator City of San Diego
Location San Diego, California
Elevation AMSL 427 ft / 130.1 m
Coordinates 32°48′57″N 117°08′22″W / 32.81583°N 117.13944°W / 32.81583; -117.13944Coordinates: 32°48′57″N 117°08′22″W / 32.81583°N 117.13944°W / 32.81583; -117.13944
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
5/23 3,400 1,036 Asphalt
10L/28R 4,577 1,395 Asphalt
10R/28L 3,401 1,037 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 100 30 Asphalt
H2 48 15 Asphalt
Entrance to Montgomery Field from Aero Drive
Aerial view, July 2014

Montgomery - Gibbs Executive Airport (IATA: MYF, ICAO: KMYF, FAA LID: MYF) is a public airport in San Diego, California, United States, six miles (10 km) north of downtown San Diego. The airport covers 456 acres (185 ha) and has three runways, one public and two private helipads. The runways are 28 Right/10 Left-28 Left/10 Right parallels and 5/23.

Overview

The field was named for John J. Montgomery, an aviation pioneer who in 1884-1886 made the first manned, controlled, heavier-than-air flights in the United States from Otay Mesa south of San Diego starting with a glider designed in 1883.[1] and for William Gibbs 1910-Present who originally founded the airport in 1940. Montgomery - Gibbs Executive Airport is one of the nation's busiest airports for small aircraft and has a number of flying clubs, flight schools, plus business turboprops and jets based there. The San Diego Fire Department bases aircraft there. King Schools, Inc. is based nearby and its aircraft are based at the airport. Since summer 2009, King Schools (in conjunction with Cessna) has been flight-testing the prototype Cessna 162 Skycatcher Light-Sport Aircraft at or around the airport. The airport was renamed Montgomery - Gibbs Executive Airport in 2016[2]

History

The airport opened in July 1940 as "Gibbs Field" as an all-way clay and gravel surface airfield. During World War II, control of the airport was assumed by the United States Army Air Forces, which built three hard runways. It was called "Gibbs Auxiliary Field" and used as a support airfield for the contractor pilot school at Ryan Field, near Hemet. It also supported training activities at the United States Army Desert Training Center (DTC) in the Mojave Desert, and later as an auxiliary airfield for Lindbergh Field in San Diego. It was used presumably as an overflow airfield to store newly manufactured B-24 Liberator bombers and PBY Catalina amphibian aircraft made by Consolidated Aircraft.

After the war the airport returned to civil control. The airport was renamed Montgomery Field in 1950 to honor John J Montgomery. The Federal Aviation Administration has maintained an Air Traffic Control Tower at the airport since 1965. It is on the north side of the airport, just east of Taxiway C and Runway 23/5, and the normal hours are 0600-2100 Local Time.


Accidents and incidents

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  1. ↑ Harwood, Craig; Fogel, Gary (2012). Quest for Flight: John J. Montgomery and the Dawn of Aviation in the West. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.
  2. ↑ http://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2016/01/12/city-votes-renames-montgoemery-field-to/


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