Bartow Municipal Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Bartow Municipal Airport

---

image-width = 300
caption = 6 January 1999
IATA = BOW
ICAO = KBOW
FAA = BOW
type = Public
owner = Bartow Municipal Airport Development Authority
operator =
city-served = Bartow, Florida
location =
elevation-f = 125
elevation-m = 38
coordinates = coord|27|56|36|N|081|47|00|W|type:airport_region:US
website = [http://www.bartow-airport.com/ www.bartow-airport.com]
r1-number = 5/23
r1-length-f = 5,000
r1-length-m = 1,524
r1-surface = Asphalt
r2-number = 9L/27R
r2-length-f = 5,000
r2-length-m = 1,524
r2-surface = Asphalt
r3-number = 9R/27L
r3-length-f = 4,400
r3-length-m = 1,341
r3-surface = Asphalt
stat-year = 2002
stat1-header = Aircraft operations
stat1-data = 49,368
stat2-header = Based aircraft
stat2-data = 115
footnotes = Source: Federal Aviation AdministrationFAA-airport|ID=BOW|use=PU|own=PU|site=03052.*A, effective 2007-07-05]

Bartow Municipal Airport Airport codes|BOW|KBOW|BOW is a public airport located four miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district of Bartow, a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is owned by Bartow Municipal Airport Development Authority.

Facilities and Aircraft

Bartow Municipal Airport covers an area of 1,624 acres (657 ha) which contains three asphalt paved runways:
* Runway 5/23: 5,000 x 100 ft (1,524 x 30 m)
* Runway 9L/27R: 5,000 x 150 ft (1,524 x 46 m)
* Runway 9R/27L: 4,400 x 150 ft (1,341 x 46 m)

For the 12-month period ending July 15, 2002, the airport had 49,368 aircraft operations, an average of 135 per day: 100% general aviation and <1% military. There are 115 aircraft based at this airport: 82% single engine, 9% multi-engine, 4% jet aircraft and 5% helicopters.

General Aviation Terminal

Airport Sevices

*Fuel Available: 100LL Full Service100 LL Self ServiceJetAPrist
*Airframe Service: Major
*Powerplant service: Major
*Avionics Shop
*Paint Shop

History

In 1941, Bartow Mayor C.E. Williams spearheaded the city's initial land acquisition for what would become the Bartow Municipal Airport. In 1942, the US Government took over this site and subsequently developed it into a training field for the U.S. Army Air Forces. Throughout World War II, the field was used for the training of pilots. [http://www.bartow-airport.com/airhistory.htm]

Originally planned as an operational training station for medium bombardment aircraft such as the B-26 Marauders that operated from nearby MacDill Field in Tampa and Lakeland Army Air Field/Drane Field in Lakeland, Bartow Army Air Base was changed to a Fighter Replacement Training Station as of February 15, 1943. It provided facilities for a fighter group and two fighter squadrons of P-51 Mustang aircraft, a base headquarters, air base squadron, aviation squadron, guard squadron and sub-depot. The base was ordered to deactivate on 25 October 1945 and the deactivation was completed and the base closed by the end of the year. The airport was then returned to the City of Bartow by the General Services Administration (GSA). It was stipulated by GSA that the airport must continue be used as an airport for aviation purposes; and if not, that it be returned to the U.S. Government. Through the years 1945 to 1950, a fixed base operator (FBO) ran the airport while the large building complex, which had been constructed by the Federal Government, was used by industry and for storage. [http://www.lakelandgov.net/library/speccoll/manuscripts/military/bartow_scope.html] [http://www.bartow-airport.com/airhistory.htm] In 1946, approximately 32 former military barracks were converted into apartments for returning veterans.

In 1950, the U.S. Government again took over the airport and called for bids from civilian contractors to man and operate a primary pilot training school for Air Force student pilots. Renamed Bartow Air Base, the installation served as an Air Force flight training facility for the Air Training Command (ATC) from 1951 to 1960, during which time it operated the T-6 Texan, T-34 Mentor and T-28 Trojan, training both commissioned USAF officers and air cadets. More than 8,000 men graduated from primary flight training at Bartow before proceeding on to select air force bases for advanced training in aircraft such as the T-33 Shooting Star for jet pilots or the TB-25 and B-25 Mitchell for multiengine pilots. [http://www.aetc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070130-081.pdf]

Notable graduates of primary flight training at Bartow AB included astronauts Colonel Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. and Lieutenant Colonel Edward White II. [http://www.lakelandgov.net/library/speccoll/manuscripts/military/bartow_scope.html]

Garner Aviation was the successful bidder on the first Air Force training contract and operated the facility until 1955 when they lost the bid to Truman Miller. Miller ran the training school until 1960, when the Air Force discontinued the contract primary pilot training concept and began phasing out T-34 and T-28 training in favor of the Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) concept at larger air force bases that could readily accommodate the T-37 and T-38 Talon jet trainers then coming on line.

From 1960 through 1967 the City of Bartow again managed the airport and the aviation facilities were leased yet again to a fixed base operator. In 1964, the City made a formal request to the Federal Aviation Administration for authority to convert a large building area into an industrial park. The concept was approved and the industrial park was opened. In July 1967, the City of Bartow passed an ordinance which established an airport authority, its official name being the Bartow Municipal Airport Development Authority. The Authority was composed of five city commission members and an executive director. [http://www.bartow-airport.com/airhistory.htm]

Bartow Municipal Airport and Industrial Park has been self-supporting since its inception. Utilizing its aircraft refueling, storage facilities and Industrial Park to obtain its revenues, the Authority has maintained the facility as a public use general aviaton airport. [http://www.bartow-airport.com/airhistory.htm]

ee also

* Florida World War II Army Airfields

References

External links

* [http://www.bartow-airport.com/ Bartow Municipal Airport & Industrial Park] (official site)
*US-airport-ga|BOW
*WikiMapia|27.9434|-81.7834|13