Gamvik Airport
Gamvik Airport Gamvik flyplass | |||||||||||
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Coordinates | 71°04′46″N 028°13′32″E / 71.07944°N 28.22556°E | ||||||||||
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Gamvik Airport (Norwegian: Gamvik flyplass) is a disused general aviation airport located at Slettnes outside the village of Gamvik in Gamvik, Norway.
History
A Finnmark County Municipality-appointed committee which in published a report in 1966 recommending Mehamn as one of six regional airports in Finnmark. As Finnmark had lowest priority on the state-financed construction of regional airports, Norving took initiative to start construction of smaller and simpler airfields in select communities, including Gamvik.[1] The airline also looked into two other locations on Nordkinnhalvøya, Mehamn and Kjøllefjord.[2] The main motivation for an airport was the difficulties of transporting patients to the hospital. Until a quay was built in 1971, the Hurtigruten ships anchored up and patients had to be freight to the ship by boat before venturing on the voyage to the hospital.[3]
The airline therefore contacted the municipality in December 1969 and proposed that an airfield be built within a year, which it could operate with its
Initially the CAA supported Gamvik as a location for a regional airport, in part because of the lower investment costs. The municipal council in Gamvik instead chose the municipal center of Mehamn, 20 kilometers (12 mi) from Gamvik. The Gamvik chapter of the Norwegian Red Cross Search and Rescue Corps started fund-raising for Gamvik to build its own airport. It applied to the municipality, but no public funds were granted. Norving was the main contributor, funding NOK 53,000. The population of Gamvik of between 400 and 500 people donated NOK 60,000. A new committee was established and they started construction after the spring thaw started in June 1971. Within five weeks 600 meters (2,000 ft) of runway had been built. The airport opened on 29 August.[5]
The airfield was used for Norving's air ambulance and air taxi service which was flown using the
Facilities
The airport was located at Slettnes outside Gamvik. The airport had an 800-by-30-meter (2,625 by 98 ft) gravel runway. Travel distance to Mehamn was 20 minutes and to Kjøllefjord one hour.[5]
References
- ^ Melling: 64
- ^ Melling: 66
- ^ a b Melling: 76
- ^ Melling: 65
- ^ a b c Melling: 77
- ^ Melling: 79
- ^ Melling: 97
- ^ Gynnild, Olav (2009). "Flyplassenes og flytrafikkens historie". Kulturminner på norske lufthavner – Landsverneplan for Avinor. Avinor. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ Fredriksen, Rune A. (20 October 2008). "Tettstedet Gamvik". Gamvik Museum. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
- Bibliography
- Lian, Jon Inge (1989). Take off: utviklingen av norsk sivil luftfart (in Norwegian). Oslo: Bedriftsøkonomens Forlag. ISBN 82-7037-591-8.
- Melling, Kjersti (2009). Nordavind fra alle kanter (in Norwegian). Oslo: Pilotforlaget.