Data Definitions:
Revised: 2/15/2008
copyrighted 2005-2012
David W Brooks
There are a series of columns starting with:
Source Charts, Other [green=AirNav or the FAA 5010 file] [black = a previously active airfield that has been closed or has become inactive. This now counts as a closed airfield] – I have entered the source of information, example an aeronautical chart’s name, or USGS for a topographic map, the AOPA, Flight Guide, airport directory, etc. If the cell is green, that means the source is AirNav.com, which I uses to determine if an airfield is still active. Sometimes you will find an abbreviation such as SAC. Two sources are used to determine current status. One is the AirNav website and the other is the FAA 5010 file hosted on GRC's website. Here are some of the abbreviations:
Also used are various abbreviations - unfortunately not consistent. For directories, the following are the ones used:
AIRPORTS and ESTABLISHED LANDING FIELDS IN THE UNITED STATES published by the Airport Directory Company - generally designated as ADC Directory. Four have been used so far dated 1933, 1934, 1938 and 1939.
DESCRIPTIONS OF AIRPORTS AND LANDING FIELDS IN THE UNITED STATES AIRWAY BULLETIN No. 2 put out by the U.S. Department of Commerce Aeronautics Branch - generally designated as "Airways Des. B2" or "Airways Description 2" or "Bulletin #2 - however there are inconsistencies. Four have been used, dates: 1931, 1934, 1936 and 1938.
The AIRPORT DIRECTORY - published by Haire Publishing Company - referred to as Haire Directory or Directory Haire. Two have been used so far dated 1946 and 1948.
AIRPORT and BUSINESS FLYING DIRECTORY published by Aviation Week - McGraw-Hill Publications - generally just directory. Currently only one of these has been used dated 1953, 1955, 1957 and 1960.
AOPA AIRPORT DIRECTORY published by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Generally are listed as AOPA or AOPA directory. Those used so far are dates: 1966, 1968, 1970, 1976, 1984, 1991, 2001, 2003
UNITED STATES ARMY & NAVY DIRECTORY OF AIRFIELDS (CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES) published by Headquarters Aeronautical Chart Service Army Air Forces, Washington, DC; compiled by Dept. of Commerce - Civil Aeronautics Administration, Washington, DC. The one used is generally listed as DIRECTORY and it is dated 1944.
State Airport Directories - Texas Airport Directory and Oklahoma Airport Directory. Sometimes these are abbreviated as "dir".
Airman's Guide published by the CAA. Only one used is January 1947.
Jeppsen flight directories (useful for airfield layouts) - various from 1960 to 1996 of various areas in the U.S.A.
Flight Guide directories (useful for airfield layouts) - a total of seven from 1971 to 1996 covering various areas in the U.S.A.
Other directories, flight layout publications and a number of NOAA Flight Directories (various years covering various areas)
Other sources will be written in this cell if not part of the above list.
Date – this is the date of the material used for a source on a row.
FIELD NAME – just that, what the name the airfield/airport from the source.
Code – this is what the FAA or state uses for coding an airfield (e.g. DAL for Dallas Love Field). If there is nothing listed, this means the source did not provide it.
Status current – A for active; C for closed. For unknown status, I use the “?” mark for them.
Town – self explanatory – that is the town/city that the airfield/airport is associated with.
Type – There are a series of codes used. They are:
If there is nothing in this cell – that is an error.
Coordinates: these are given in standard latitude and longitude separate columns expressed in degrees (degrees – minutes – seconds) and decimal. For longitude, these are all west and do not contain a “-“ (negative) symbol. This allows for the data to be used directly in search/location software without further modification/change.
ELV (for elevation) is in feet.
SURFACE (assumption is Turf/Dirt unless otherwise noted -) – this is area probably has more errors than any other column. It is very difficult to determine from many sources just what kind of surface the runways have. Early aeronautical charts generally only gave the location and elevation of an airfield and little or nothing else. Many charts would say the runway is “H” for a hard surface. But what type is more difficult to get unless you have a directory or some chart data that provides the information (such as AirNav and FAA online - FAA 5010 data base system).
Turf can mean – grass, sod, turf, dirt, bare, gravel, sand, shell, treated with oil or other materials, etc.
Hard can mean – concrete, asphalt, Bituminous, BMP, oiled, etc.
Water – for those seaplane bases
Number of Runways – This column may have " - - - " as data is generally not provided on aeronautical charts or directories. The only period where data was supplied on Sectional Aeronautical Charts was from about 1950 till the late 1960s (when the current series of charts were introduced). Runway data can be found in airport directories, including the newer series printed by the NOAA/FAA. Many of the older directories come from the various states that produce them and from AOPA. Other sources include the Flight Guide publications, Aviation Atlas/Sky Prints and Jeppesen. Another source is USGS topographic maps. The only problem is USGS topographic maps are updated infrequently, sometimes it can be as much as 30 years between updates. Also some topographic maps just don't show a landing strip even though it was there as of the publication date. Alternate is the USGS / NAPP aerial photographic coverage of the US (see Terraserver link below) and now Google Earth website. Again, these are limited to the year the photographs were taken. These photographs cover a period from about 1990 to the present. In some cases, aerial photographs have been found in the National Archives or other sources (libraries, etc.).
RUNWAY LENGTH (in feet) - is the longest runway at the airfield. Runways that are "hard" or paved, are listed first even if there is a longer turf/dirt runway. Where information is available on other runways, I have put that in the remarks column.
Remarks & Notes – anything can be entered here. I have tried to enter data about the runway(s), when available. That is the length, width and heading. Example: 6203x100(17/35) means the runway has a length of 6,203 feet and is 100 feet wide. The 17/35 is the heading of the runway. I have been recently adding distances from the airfield's town. Example would be "3 miles east" meaning it is 3 miles from the "central business district" (CBD) of the associated town. I have also put in comments on when an airfield might have started operations and closed down. Also any interesting information I have gather about the field.