Pryor Field Regional Airport

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Pryor Field Regional Airport
AMSL		592 ft / 180 m
Coordinates	34°39′15″N 86°56′43″W / 34.65417°N 86.94528°W / 34.65417; -86.94528
Map
KDCU Location of Pryor Field Regional Airport Show map of Alabama KDCU KDCU (the United States) Show map of the United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 18/36 6,107 1,861 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Aircraft operations 167,701 Based aircraft 73
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]
Historic site
Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage
Designated	December 16, 2010[2]

Pryor Field Regional Airport (IATA: DCU, ICAO: KDCU, FAA LID: DCU) is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northeast of the central business district of Decatur and south of Athens, in Limestone County, Alabama, United States. It is owned by Decatur/Athens Airport Authority.^[1]

Situated next to

Pryor Field Regional Airport covers an area of 200 acres (81 ha) which contains one asphalt paved runway (18/36) measuring 6,107 x 100 ft (1,861 x 30 m).^[1]

For the 12-month period ending May 3, 2006, the airport had 167,701 aircraft operations, an average of 459 per day: 91%

The Pryor Field Regional Airport receives $30,000 annually each from the cities of Athens and Decatur and from the county commissions of Morgan and Limestone.[4]

History

The airport opened in October 1941 with 4,600 by 4,600 feet (1,400 m × 1,400 m) square all-direction turf runway. It began training United States Army Air Corps flying cadets under contract to Southern Airways, Inc. and Southern Aviation Training School, Inc. It was assigned to Gulf Coast Training Center (later Central Flying Training Command) as a primary (level 1) pilot training airfield.

In addition, the school had had five local auxiliary airfields for emergency and overflow landings:

• Harris Station Auxiliary Field 34°40′55″N 86°59′40″W / 34.68194°N 86.99444°W / 34.68194; -86.99444
• Anderson Auxiliary Field 34°42′35″N 86°53′05″W / 34.70972°N 86.88472°W / 34.70972; -86.88472
• Beaver Dam Auxiliary Field 34°36′24″N 86°51′44″W / 34.60667°N 86.86222°W / 34.60667; -86.86222
• Poole Auxiliary Field 34°32′20″N 86°59′45″W / 34.53889°N 86.99583°W / 34.53889; -86.99583
• Tanner Auxiliary Field (location undetermined)

Flying training was performed with

A newly built $1.8 million terminal building opened in 2008 at the north end of the field as part of a federally funded $3.3 million project. This also included lengthening the runway to 6,000 feet (1,800 m) to accommodate larger jets and improve safety.[5]

In January 2010, the pilot training site was designated a historic landmark and added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.^[6][7]

Accidents and incidents

• In 2007, Chris Wright was struck by a propeller as he was "hand propping" starting his plane. He received a gash to the head, but recovered.^[8]
• In 2009, Steven Raddatz was killed when his Van's Aircraft RV-8 collided with a Russian-made Yakovlek owned and flown by B.J. Kennamore, the latter of which landed safely after the collision.^[9]

See also

• Alabama World War II Army Airfields
• List of airports in Alabama
• 29th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency