- Cheyenne Regional Airport
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Coordinates: 41°09′20″N 104°48′38″W / 41.15556°N 104.81056°W
Cheyenne Regional Airport
Jerry Olson Field
IATA: CYS – ICAO: KCYS – FAA LID: CYS Summary Airport type Public Owner Cheyenne Regional Airport Board Serves Cheyenne, Wyoming Elevation AMSL 6,159 ft / 1,878 m Website Runways Direction Length Surface ft m 9/27 9,270 2,825 Concrete 13/31 6,690 2,039 Asphalt Statistics (2006) Aircraft operations 65,163 Based aircraft 99 Sources: airport web site[1] and FAA[2] Cheyenne Regional Airport (IATA: CYS, ICAO: KCYS, FAA LID: CYS), also known as Jerry Olson Field, is a joint civil-military public airport located one mile (1.6 km) north of the central business district of Cheyenne, a city in Laramie County, Wyoming, United States. It is owned by the Cheyenne Regional Airport Board.[2] Cheyenne Regional Airport is a focus city for Great Lakes Airlines.
Cheyenne Regional Airport is also the home of Cheyenne Air National Guard Base, the main operating base for boththe Wyoming Air National Guard (WyANG) and the Wyoming Army National Guard (WARNG).
Contents
History
In 1911 Cheyenne entered the world of aviation. While the air demonstration at the fairgrounds that year was less than impressive, it marked the beginning of what would become a rich aviation history. Throughout the years, the Cheyenne Airport would not only impact the city's economy, but its cultural history, and the whole nation, as well.
It was the U.S. Post Office that gave Cheyenne's fledgling aviation efforts its first real boost. With the introduction of airmail routes following World War I, the Cheyenne civic leaders successfully lobbied to establish Cheyenne as a cross country site. Buck Heffron piloted the first air mail flight destined for Salt Lake City on September 9, 1920 . Heffron flew in a DH-4, an aircraft that could barely reach an altitude high enough to clear the mountains and had a maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km/h). The pilot was one of the brave aviators who took off on daring flights guided only by limited instruments, landmarks and a few maps.
Cheyenne's airport saw its first commercial passengers take to the skies in the 1920s. This first passenger was Elizabeth Brown, a female barber. She enjoyed a ride with World War I pilot, C.A. McKenzie, in a Curtis Oriole biplane. With the step up to the impressive DC-3 in 1935, passengers enjoyed greater comfort and safety. Soon, the famous DC-3s were flying Cheyenne passengers to both coasts and south to Denver via three major airlines.
The Boeing/United Airlines Terminal Building, Hangar and Fountain, built for what would become United Airlines between 1929 and 1934, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
During World War II, the airport served as a completion and modification center for B-17 aircraft. Captain Ralph S. Johnson was a key test pilot for the then United States Army Air Corps, forerunner to the Air Force. The tail turret on the B-17 is also known as the "Cheyenne" turret because it was invented at the Cheyenne airport. And up until 1961, the airport also housed the training center where United Airlines stewardesses came from across the country to train.
The airport was not without its share of celebrated visitors. Among those illustrious aviators to touch down on its runways were Charles Lindbergh, aboard the famous "Spirit of St. Louis," and Amelia Earhart. Many of the airport's rich historic events are chronicled in fascinating display on the walls inside the airport restaurant.
The airport now, because of its high altitude also serves as an airport where major aircraft manufactuers test their planes. The latest test planes were Embraer of Brazil's ERJ-170 and 190 aircraft, Boeing's 737-900, and Boeing's 787 dreamliner.
Facilities and aircraft
Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field covers an area of 1,060 acres (430 ha) which contains two runways: 9/27 with a 9,270 x 150 ft (2,825 x 46 m) concrete surface and 13/31 with a 6,690 x 150 ft (2,039 x 46 m) asphalt surface.[2]
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2006, the airport had 65,163 aircraft operations, an average of 178 per day: 54% general aviation, 36% military, 10% air taxi and <1% scheduled commercial. There are 99 aircraft based at this airport: 35% single-engine, 38% multi-engine, 4% jet and 22% military.[2]
Airlines and destinations
Cheyenne Regional Airport is currently served by Great Lakes Airlines who flies under its own identity, as well as a codeshare partner for United Airlines and Frontier Airlines. Beginning on July 15th, American Eagle[3] started nonstop service to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to the above listed scheduled service, occasional charter flights (known as "casino or gamblers' flights") to Laughlin or Wendover, Nevada are offered. United Airlines heavily uses this airport for diversions of its Denver International Airport bound flights.
Airlines Destinations American Eagle Dallas/Fort Worth Great Lakes Airlines Denver, Worland Cargo
Cheyenne Air National Guard Base
Cheyenne ANGB occupies approximately 77 acres of leased land on the Cheyenne Regional Airport. The host wing is the 153d Airlift Wing (153 AW) of the Wyoming Air National Guard, flying the C-130 Hercules theater airlift aircraft. The 153 AW is operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC), and given its proximity to F. E. Warren AFB, was chosen as the first "Active-Associate" unit in the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard. As an Active-Associate unit, the 153 AW incoporates both a traditional Air National Guard C-130 airlift squadron, the 187th Airlift Squadron (187 AS), and a full-time active duty Regular Air Force C-130 airlift squadron, the 30th Airlift Squadron (30 AS). Both squadrons share the same C-130H aircraft.[4]
Cheyenne ANGB also hosts an Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) of the Wyoming Army National Guard, operating UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.
Incidents and Accidents
On April 11, 1996, 7 year old Jessica Dubroff, along with her father and flight instructor, died when her general aviation aircraft crashed after takeoff from Cheyenne Regional in a storm. Dubroff was attempting to be the youngest person to fly across the United States.
See also
References
- ^ Cheyenne Regional Airport, official web site
- ^ a b c d FAA Airport Master Record for CYS (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-12-20
- ^ "Fly Cheyenne to Dallas". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. 2010-03-23. http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2010/03/23/news/01top_03-23-10.txt. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
- ^ http://www.153aw.ang.af.mil/units/index.asp
External links
- Airport website
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective 20 October 2011
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KCYS
- ASN accident history for CYS
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KCYS
- FAA current CYS delay information
Categories:- Transportation in Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Transportation in Laramie County, Wyoming
- Airports in Wyoming
- Facilities of the United States Air National Guard
- Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Wyoming
- Buildings and structures in Laramie County, Wyoming
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