Moraine Airpark

Moraine Airpark
Aerial view of Moraine Airpark from the east
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerMoraine Airpark, Inc. & Montgomery County
ServesDayton, Ohio
LocationMoraine, Ohio
Opened1944
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (-5)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (-4)
Elevation AMSL720 ft (220 m)
Coordinates39°40′57″N 084°14′35″W / 39.68250°N 84.24306°W / 39.68250; -84.24306
Websitewww.MoraineAirpark.com
Map
I73 is located in Ohio
I73
I73
Location of airport in Ohio
I73 is located in the United States
I73
I73
I73 (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8/26 3,500 1,067 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Aircraft operations26,280
Based aircraft111
Sources: FAA,[1] airport website[2]

Moraine Airpark (FAA LID: I73) is a public-use airport situated in the city of Moraine, Ohio, United States. 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of the city of Dayton in Montgomery County.[1]

The airpark is the first home base of the National Waco Club.[3] It is also home to a chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association,EAA Chapter 48 which was established in 1959 which holds Young Eagles Days where young pilots are taken for airplane rides.[4][5]

The airport holds an annual fly-in in May.[6][7]

History

The airport is on the site where the Wright Brothers tested seaplanes in 1907. The current airport is adjacent to the river the brothers used, which no longer houses the former seaplane base.[4]

In 1944, Berlin Neff, a recently discharged glider pilot and aerial photography enthusiast, purchased the site and began improving it.[8] By late October 1949, the 37-acre (15 ha) airport had three 1,800 feet (550 m) grass runways, five t-hangars and a fishing pond.[9]

It began to grow in the mid-1950s after pilots displaced by the closing of South Dayton Airport began relocating to the airport.[a] By late February 1956, it had expanded to 160 acres (65 ha) and construction on an administration building and hangars had been announced.[11][12]

The airport was flooded in 1959, destroying over 70 airplanes.[13] A levee to protect an area that included the airport was proposed the following year.[14]

By early July 1969, the city was considering purchasing the airport.[15] Then, in November 1970, five months after it purchased 34 acres (14 ha) of land, the airport announced it was seeking a $50,000 state grant to extend the runway to 4,000 feet (1,200 m).[16]

By mid May 1972, the facility had been renamed Montgomery County–Moraine Airport Airpark.[17]

In 1976, the airport manager, Harold Johnson, was elected mayor of Moraine.[b][18][19]

A fire in late May 1985 destroyed a barn containing seven vintage airplanes that belonged to the airport manager.[20]

The airport received a state grant in May 1988 to extend a taxiway.[21]

The city was considering building an additional access road to the airport in October 1995. However, it required demolishing a local resident's garage.[22]

In 2015, Governor John Kasich was accidentally flown to Dayton International Airport even though arrangements were made to fly him to the Moraine Airpark.[23]

In 2016, the airport was a stop for a light aircraft powered exclusively by biofuel. The pilots, a father and son duo, were flying across the United states in the aircraft.[24]

Facilities and aircraft

Moraine Airpark covers an area of 155 acres (63 ha), which contains one asphalt paved runway, designated as runway 8/26. The runway measures 3,500 x 65 ft (1,067 x 20 m).[1][25][26]

The airport has a fixed base operator that offers avgas and courtesy transportation.[27]

For the 12-month period ending September 8, 2022, the airport had 26,280 aircraft operations, an average of 72 per day: 79% general aviation, 20% air taxi, and <1% military. This is down from 87,263 at the airport, an average of 239 per day, in 2007. In 2022, there were 111 aircraft based at the airport: 104 single-engine and 2 multi-engine airplanes, 3 ultralights, 1 helicopter, and 1 glider.[1][25][26]

Accidents and incidents

  • On 25 September 1951, a Stinson crashed after it hit trees while taking off from the airport, injuring the pilot and two passengers.[28]
  • On 19 January 1958, a Piper PA-20 Pacer crashed shortly after taking off from the airport, killing the pilot and two passengers.[29]
  • On 2 April 1961, a Piper J5A crashed shortly after taking off from the airport, killing a passenger.[30]
  • On 15 June 1972, a Midget Mustang crashed near the airport, killing the pilot.[31]
  • On 26 October 1974, a Piper PA-28 crashed after taking off from the airport, killing the pilot and an instructor.[32]
  • On 15 November 1987, an airplane overturned while making an emergency landing in the Great Miami River due to an engine failure shortly after taking off from the airport.[33]
  • On 20 August 2000, an airplane stalled, crashed and caught fire while landing at the airport, injuring the pilot and a passenger.[34]
  • On July 17, 2002, a Waco UPF-7 and a homebuilt Kitfox IV collided at the Moraine Airpark.[35][36]
  • On October 2, 2002, a Beagle Aircraft B.206 Basset was destroyed after impacting terrain after departing from the Moraine Airpark.[37]
  • On July 18, 2004, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk crashed during a go-around at the Moraine Airpark.[38][39]
  • On June 17, 2008, a Helton Lark 95 crashed after takeoff from the Moraine Airpark.[40][41][42]
  • On November 16, 2022, a single-engine Piper PA24 Comanche aircraft landed with its landing gear retracted at the Moraine Airpark.[43][44]

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The original South Dayton Airport opened in December 1941 and closed in July 1954 after being sold for residential development.[10][11]
  2. ↑ Johnson was known for flying a Waco UMF-3 at airshows where he would pretend to be the Red Baron.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "FAA Airport Form 5010 for I73" (PDF). FAA. , effective 2007-07-05
  2. ↑ Moraine Airpark (official site)
  3. ↑ "Moraine Airpark, Dayton, Ohio". www.daytonlocal.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  4. 1 2 "Chapters | EAA Chapter 48". chapters.eaa.org. Experimental Aircraft Association. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  5. ↑ "EAA Young Eagles Day | EAA | EAA Young Eagles Day Online Registration site". www.youngeaglesday.org. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  6. ↑ "60th annual Funday Sunday Fly-in at the Moraine Airpark for the last 64 years as of 2023". WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio. 2020-03-20. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  7. ↑ "Cessna Flyer Association - Sunday Funday Fly-In Event in Dayton Ohio (I73) Event". Cessna Flyer Association. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  8. ↑ Rock, Lew, Jr. (22 November 1947). "One-Man Airport". Dayton Herald. p. 14. Retrieved 9 May 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Shaw, Herbert (30 October 1949). "Dayton's "Community Airport"". Dayton Daily News. pp. 16–17. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Field is Dedicated to Civilian Flyers". Dayton Daily News. 1 December 1941. p. 15. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  11. 1 2 "25 Airplanes Leave South Dayton After Airport is Shut Down". Journal Herald. 19 July 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Miami Shores 'Port Progress Outlined". Dayton Daily News. 19 February 1956. p. 4. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Hitch, Anne (22 July 1963). "Levee Changes Life at Miami Shores". Journal Herald. p. 3. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Eckert, Allan (20 January 1960). "Residents Jubilant at Miami Shores". Journal Herald. p. 3. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Hall, Howard (9 July 1969). "Municipal Airport Closer in Moraine". Dayton Daily News. p. 1. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Moraine Airpark Upgraded". Dayton Daily News. 22 November 1970. p. 21-A. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "South Dayton Airport Refurbished, Renamed". Dayton Daily News. 12 May 1972. p. 53. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  18. ↑ "Johnson Wins Mayoral Race in Moraine". Journal Herald. 3 November 1976. p. 9. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  19. ↑ Kline, Benjamin (9 November 1980). "Harold Johnson Enjoys Life as the 'Red Baron'". Dayton Daily News. p. 7. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  20. ↑ Cummings, James (29 May 1985). "Moraine Airpark Fire Costs Man Over $400,000 in Airplanes, Parts". Dayton Daily News. p. 3. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  21. ↑ "Grants Clear Runway for Work at Airports". Dayton Daily News. 24 May 1988. p. 6-A. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  22. ↑ Saum, Lois (25 October 1995). "Resident's Garage Set for Demolishing". Dayton Daily News. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  23. ↑ "Mix-up Sends Ohio Governor to Wrong Airport 20 Miles Away". Akron Beacon Journal. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  24. ↑ Minneci, Jessi (17 April 2016). "Rhode Island Biofuel Airplane Lands Safely in Ohio". WJAR. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  25. 1 2 "AirNav: I73 - Moraine Air Park". www.airnav.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  26. 1 2 "I73 - Moraine Air Park Airport | SkyVector". skyvector.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  27. ↑ "Moraine Airpark FBO Info & Fuel Prices at Moraine Air Park (I73)". FlightAware. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  28. ↑ "Plane Strikes Tree; Three are Injured". Journal Herald. 26 September 1951. p. 14. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  29. ↑ Eckert, Allan (20 January 1958). "3 Area Men Die as Plane Crashes, Burns at South Dayton Airport". Journal Herald. p. 1. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "Probe Set in Crash of Plane". Dayton Daily News. 3 April 1961. p. 17. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Small Plane Falls; UD Teacher Killed". Journal Herald. 16 June 1972. pp. 33, ?. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  32. ↑ "Plane Crash Kills Two". Journal Herald. 28 October 1974. pp. 17–18. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  33. ↑ "FAA Visits Moraine Crash Site". Dayton Daily News. 17 November 1987. p. 38. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  34. ↑ Brunts, Julia (21 August 2000). "Two Hurt in Crash at Moraine Airpark". Dayton Daily News. p. 4B. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  35. ↑ "Clark KitFox IV crash in Ohio (N430DC) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  36. ↑ "Waco UPF-7 crash in Ohio (N29988) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  37. ↑ "Beagle Aircraft B.206 Basset crash in Ohio (N72KB) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  38. ↑ "National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report". US ATSB. Retrieved 30 March 2025.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  39. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Cessna 172M N9731V, Sunday 18 July 2004". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 2025-03-29.
  40. ↑ "Frontier Pilot Lost In OH Helton Lark 95 Accident | Aero-News Network". www.aero-news.net. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  41. ↑ "Pilot Killed In Ohio Plane Crash". Cleveland19. CBS News. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  42. ↑ "Helton Lark 95 crash in Ohio (N86657) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  43. ↑ Schrock, Jeffery (2022-11-16). "Plane suffers landing gear problem at Moraine Air Park". WRGT. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  44. ↑ Balduf, Jen. "Plane crash-lands on its belly at Moraine Airpark". dayton-daily-news. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
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