Dell Flight Strip

Airport
44°44′09″N 112°43′12″W / 44.73583°N 112.72000°W / 44.73583; -112.72000Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14/32 7,000 2,134 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Aircraft operations950
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Dell Flight Strip (FAA LID: 4U9) is a public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) northwest of the central business district of Dell, in Beaverhead County, Montana, United States. It is owned by the Montana Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division[1] and provides general aviation service.

History

The airport was built by the United States Army Air Forces about 1942 as an emergency landing airfield for military aircraft on training flights. It was closed after World War II, and was turned over for local government use by the War Assets Administration (WAA).[2][3]

In 1988, the airport "teetered on the verge of abandonment" until Leon Hirsch, an executive at United States Surgical Corporation, purchased a nearby ranch, and paid to upgrade the airport so he could land his Learjet.[4]

Facilities and aircraft

Dell Flight Strip covers an area of 147 acres (59 ha) at an elevation of 6,007 feet (1,831 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 14/32 with an asphalt surface measuring 7,000 by 70 feet (2,134 x 21 m). For the 12-month period ending September 25, 2009, the airport had 950 general aviation aircraft operations, an average of 79 per month.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for 4U9 PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 29 July 2010.
  2. ^ Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
  3. ^ Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
  4. ^ Axline, Jon (2021). Montana Highway Tales. History Press. p. 132. ISBN 9781467146579.
  • Aerial image as of 1 August 1995 from USGS The National Map
  • Resources for this airport:
    • FAA airport information for 4U9
    • AirNav airport information for 4U9
    • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
    • SkyVector aeronautical chart for 4U9