What is Boise Airport?

Information about Boise Airport

Boise Airport
Boise Air Terminal
Gowen Field
IATA: BOI – ICAO: KBOI
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator City of Boise
Serves Boise, Idaho
Elevation AMSL 2,871 ft / 875 m
Website www.cityofboise.org
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
10L/28RAsphalt
10R/28LAsphalt


Boise Airport (IATA: BOIICAO: KBOI), also known as Boise Air Terminal[1] or Gowen Field,[1] is a commercial[2] and general aviation[3] airport located three miles (five km) south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho, USA. The airport is operated by the city of Boise Department of Aviation and Public Transportation and is overseen by an Airport Commission.[4]

Boise is a landing rights airfield requiring international general aviation flights to receive permission from a Customs and Border Protection officer before landing on the field.[3]

In addition to being a commercial and general aviation airport, Boise also sees usage by the Idaho Air National Guard on the Gowen Field portion of the airport. The National Interagency Fire Center is based in the city of Boise and the Boise Airport is used for logistical support. The United States Forest Service also uses Boise Airport as a base for aerial firefighting air tankers during the wildfire season.[5]

History

In 1926, the first municipal airport in Boise was built on a gravel bed where the Boise State University campus now stands. The first commercial airmail flight in the United States passed through this airfield on April 26 1926, carried by Varney Airlines. Varney Airlines began operating out of Boise in 1933, later merging with National Air Transport to become United Airlines. With United Airlines able to trace its roots to Varney, United is recognized as the airline that has operated the longest out of Boise, 80 years as of 2006. This airfield also played host to Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis on September 4 1927.[4]

The current airport has its origins in 1936 when Boise began buying and leasing land for the airport. By 1938, Boise had the longest runway in the United States at that time, 8,800 feet (2,680 m). The steel hangar for Varney Airlines was moved to the present field in 1939. As the size of aircraft grew, the hangar was no longer able to hold aircraft and was converted into a passenger terminal. It was part of the modern terminal facility until the completion of a new terminal in 2004.

During World War II, the Army Air Corps leased the field for use a training base for B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator bomber crews. More than 6,000 men were stationed there during the War.[4]

The field was named Gowen Field on July 23 1941 after Lt. Paul R. Gowen (1909-1938), who was born and raised in Caldwell, attended the University of Idaho, and graduated ninth in his class at West Point in 1933. Gowen was killed instantly in a crash in Panama in July 1938 while piloting a twin-engine B-10 bomber for the Army Air Corps. The right engine failed shortly after take-off from Albrook Field, near Panama City. The other two crew members, navigator and radio operator, survived and crawled from the wreckage with burns.[6]

After the war, the portion of the field used by the Air Corps was returned to the city.[4] The Idaho Air National Guard began leasing the airfield after the war and continues to lease it currently.[4]

The Boise Airport was ranked fourth in passenger satisfaction in the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Global Airport Satisfaction Index Study.[7]

The Boise Airport serves as a focus city for Big Sky Airlines.

Facilities

Boise Airport covers 5,000 acres (20 km²) and has two runways:
  • Runway 10L/28R: 10,000 x 150 feet (3,048 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt, Weight capacity: 75,000 pounds (34,000 kg)/single wheel; VASI system[8]
  • Runway 10R/28L: 9,763 x 150 feet (2,976 x 46 m), Surface: Asphalt, Weight capacity: 75,000 pounds (34,000 kg)/single wheel; VASI, ILS/DME[8]
Boise Airport is home base to 257 aircraft of which 19 are jets, 21 are helicopters and 47 are military aircraft. It averages 474 flights a day with 23% being commercial flights and 9% being military flights.[8] In 2005, over 3 million passengers passed through the Boise airport.[4]

The airport can handle minor maintenance and repairs through fixed base operators Jackson Jet Center, Turbo Air and Western Aircraft.[3]

Law enforcement at the airport is handled by the 25 member Boise Airport Police Department who are assisted by part-time officers from other departments and 5 K-9 units trained in explosive detection.[4]

Enlarge picture
C-130s parked on the ramp at Gowen Field.

Gowen Field

Gowen Field primarily refers to the military facilities on the south side of the runways, which includes Air National Guard, Army National Guard, and reserve units of the Army, Navy, and Marines. The field is home to the 124th Wing, Idaho Air National Guard which is made up of two flying squadrons and 12 support units. The aircraft based at Gowen are the A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support attack aircraft (190th Fighter Squadron) and the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.[5]

Airlines and destinations

A number of scheduled airline flights pass through Boise. In addition to airlines, there are several charter companies that operate out of Boise.[2]

References

1. ^ FAQs. Boise Airport. City of Boise (2005). Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
2. ^ Airlines. Boise Airport. City of Boise (2005). Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
3. ^ General Aviation. Boise Airport. City of Boise (2005). Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
4. ^ Airport Administration. Boise Airport. City of Boise (2005). Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
5. ^ Gowen Field Air National Guard Base. GlobalSecurity.org (January 21 2006). Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
6. ^ (July 30 1998) "Whence Came the Name . . . ?". Gowen Research Foundation Electronic Newsletter 1 (7). Retrieved on 2006-08-31. 
7. ^ 2004 Global Airport Satisfaction Index Study (PDF). J.D. Power and Associates (December 6 2004). Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
8. ^ KBOI Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field. AirNav.com (3 August 2006). Retrieved on August 30, 2006.
9. ^ Statistics 2005. Boise Airport. City of Boise (2005). Retrieved on August 31, 2006.
10. ^ Airport Police. Boise Airport. City of Boise (2005). Retrieved on August 31, 2006.

External links

An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier [1] , is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
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The ICAO (IPA pronunciation: [aɪ'keɪˌjo]) airport code or location indicator is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world.
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Boise, Idaho

Flag
Nickname: City of Trees
Motto: Energy Peril Success
Location in Ada County and the state of Idaho
Coordinates:
Country United States
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State of Idaho

Flag of Idaho Seal
Nickname(s): Gem State, Spud State
Motto(s): Esto perpetua

Official language(s) English [1]

Capital Boise
Largest city Boise

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The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level datum.
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1 foot =
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0 m 0 mm
US customary / Imperial units
0 yd 0 in
A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes,
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1 metre =
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1000 mm 0 cm
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 in
The metre or meter[1](symbol: m) is the fundamental unit of length in the International System of Units (SI).
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1 foot =
SI units
0 m 0 mm
US customary / Imperial units
0 yd 0 in
A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes,
..... Read more.
1 metre =
SI units
1000 mm 0 cm
US customary / Imperial units
0 ft 0 in
The metre or meter[1](symbol: m) is the fundamental unit of length in the International System of Units (SI).
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Asphalt
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An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier [1] , is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
..... Read more.
The ICAO (IPA pronunciation: [aɪ'keɪˌjo]) airport code or location indicator is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world.
..... Read more.
General aviation (abbr. GA) is one of two categories of civil aviation.

General aviation refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline flights, both private and commercial.
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AirPort is a local area wireless networking brand from Apple Inc. based on the IEEE 802.11b standard (also known as Wi-Fi) and certified as compatible with other 802.11b devices. A later family of products based on the IEEE 802.11g specification is known as AirPort Extreme.
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Boise, Idaho

Flag
Nickname: City of Trees
Motto: Energy Peril Success
Location in Ada County and the state of Idaho
Coordinates:
Country United States
..... Read more.
Ada County is a county, located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 300,904 (2005 estimate: 344,727) [1] . The county seat and largest city is Boise6.
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State of Idaho

Flag of Idaho Seal
Nickname(s): Gem State, Spud State
Motto(s): Esto perpetua

Official language(s) English [1]

Capital Boise
Largest city Boise

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Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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Customs and Border Protection

Agency overview
Formed March 1, 2003

Employees 44,000+ (2007)
Annual Budget $7.8 Billion (2007)

Agency Executives W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner
 
Jayson P.
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National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC), and the National Multi-Agency Coordination group (NMAC or MAC).

The center's mission is the complex interagency co-ordination of wildland firefighting resources in the United States.
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United States Forest Service

Logo of the U.S. Forest Service.

Agency overview
Formed 1905
Preceding Agency Bureau of Forestry

Jurisdiction Federal Government of the United States


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Aerial firefighting is a method to combat wildfires using aircraft. The types of aircraft used may be either fixed-wing or helicopters. Agents used to fight fires may be either water or specially-formulated fire retardants.
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Boise State University is a state university located near downtown Boise, the capital city of Idaho.

Boise State was originally founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church.
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April 26 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

It is the first day following the spring equinox which cannot be Easter Sunday in Western Christianity.
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1890s  1900s  1910s  - 1920s -  1930s  1940s  1950s
1923 1924 1925 - 1926 - 1927 1928 1929

Year 1926 (MCMXXVI
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Varney Airlines was an airline company that started service on April 6, 1926 as an air-mail carrier. Formed by Walter Varney, the airline was based in Boise, Idaho.

Its first flight under contact with the U.S. Postal Service was from Pasco, Washington to Elko, Nevada.
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National Air Transport was a large airline. In 1930 it was bought by Boeing. The Air Mail Act of 1934 prohibited airlines and manufacturers from being under the same corporate umbrella, so Boeing split into 3 smaller companies, one of which is United Airlines, and it is this that
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UA ICAO
UAL Callsign
UNITED
Founded 1926 (as Boeing Air Transport)
Hubs O'Hare International Airport
Denver International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
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Charles Augustus Lindbergh (4 February 1902 – 26 August 1974), known as "Lucky Lindy" and "The Lone Eagle," was an American pilot famous for the first solo, non-stop flight across the Atlantic, from Roosevelt Field, Long Island to Paris in 1927 in the "Spirit of St. Louis.
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Type NYP
Manufacturer Ryan
Designed by Donald A. Hall
Retired 30 April 1928
Status Museum display, National Air and Space Museum
Primary user Charles Lindbergh
Produced 1927
Number built 1
Unit cost
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