Norwalk-Huron County Airport
Norwalk-Huron County Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Owner | Huron County Commissioners | ||||||||||
| Serves | Norwalk, Ohio | ||||||||||
| Location | Huron County, Ohio | ||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (-5) | ||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (-4) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 853 ft / 260 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 41°14′41″N 082°33′04″W / 41.24472°N 82.55111°W | ||||||||||
| Website | airport | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
5A1 Location of airport in Ohio 5A1 5A1 (the United States) | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2021) | |||||||||||
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The Norwalk-Huron County Airport is a publicly owned, public-use airport located 3 miles east of Norwalk, Ohio.[1][2]
The airport is home to a flying club. The airport also hosts regular events such as food truck fly-ins, Young Eagles flights, and flight training scholarships.[3][4]
History
Planning for an airport began as early as September 1965, when the possibility was discussed before a meeting of local leaders.[5] The airport was officially dedicated on 18 August 1968, although it had been in use by the end of July.[6][7]
In January 1990, it was announced that Titan Aerospace would be moving to the airport.[8]
Throughout the 2010s, the airport struggled with degrading facilities. Officials worried about poor pavement maintenance and substandard hazard removal. Low airport revenue was largely to blame for the issues.[9]
In 2023, the airport received a federal grant to upgrade its runway. The renovation project involved sealing cracks and repainting striping.[10][11] Later that year, a new 10-year master plan for the Huron County Airport was approved. The plan will cost $6 million over the 10 years and includes funds to rehabilitate airport lighting; add an automatic weather reporting system; rehabilitate the runway, taxiways, and parking aprons; build new hangars; and install wildlife perimeter fencing.[12]
Facilities and aircraft
The airport has one runway, designated as Runway 10/28. The runway measures 4208 x 75 ft (1283 x 23 m) and is paved with asphalt.[1][2]
The airport has a fixed-base operator that sells fuel and offers limited services and amenities.[13] Airport leadership established a fuel price adjustment program to attract new pilots and aircraft.[14]
For the 12-month period ending July 14, 2021, the airport had 10,220 aircraft operations, an average of 28 per day. It included 99% general aviation and 1% military. For the same time period, 22 aircraft were based at the airport: 20 single-engine and 2 multi-engine airplanes.[1][2]
Accidents and incidents
- On July 11, 1999, a homebuilt Pitts S-1S was destroyed when it collided with trees while maneuvering at Norwalk-Huron County Airport. A witness saw the airplane taxi out and depart, after which it began performing aerobatic maneuvers such as flying inverted. The witness did not hear any strange engine noises or notice anything "visibly wrong" with the airplane prior to its impact with trees. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's improper decision to conduct a low level aerobatic maneuver, and his subsequent loss of awareness regarding the location of trees at that level.[15]
References
- ^ a b c "AirNav: 5A1 - Norwalk-Huron County Airport". www.airnav.com. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b c "5A1 - Norwalk-Huron County Airport | SkyVector". skyvector.com. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ "[Homepage]". Firelands Aero Club. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ^ "Food Truck Fly-In Postponed". Norwalk Reflector. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ^ "No Decisions, But Everyone Seems Interested". Sandusky Register. 21 September 1965. p. 8. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Ballantine, Jack (31 July 1968). "Huron is 54th County Airport". Cleveland Press. p. B1. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ "Rhodes on Hand to Dedicate New County Airport". Fremont News-Messenger. 20 August 1968. p. 12. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ "Texas Aerospace Firm is Coming to Norwalk". Telegraph-Forum. 29 January 1990. p. 15. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Seitz, Scott (25 January 2014). "Huron County Airport: A Work in Progress". Norwalk Reflector. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Gott, Brian (19 April 2023). "Airport to Get Runway Renovations". Norwalk Reflector. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ "Brown Announces Nearly $3 Million for Airport Improvements Across Northeast Ohio". Sherrod Brown. 20 July 2023. Archived from the original on 2 December 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ Gott, Brian (24 October 2023). "Airport Plan Hoping to Take Off". Norwalk Reflector. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ "Huron County Airport FBO Info & Fuel Prices at Norwalk-Huron County (5A1)". FlightAware. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ Seitz, Scott (10 March 2016). "'We're Trying to Make This Airport Work'". Norwalk Reflector. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ "Guy PITTS S-1S crash in Ohio (N2118) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved 2024-02-02.