Space Coast Regional Airport

Space Coast Regional Airport
IATA: TIX – ICAO: KTIX – FAA LID: TIX
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority
Location Titusville, Florida
Elevation AMSL 34 ft / 10.4 m
Coordinates 28°30′53.28″N 80°47′57.22″W / 28.5148000°N 80.7992278°W / 28.5148000; -80.7992278
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 7,319 2,231 Asphalt
9/27 5,000 1,524 Asphalt

Space Coast Regional Airport (IATA: TIX, ICAO: KTIX, FAA LID: TIX) is located in the city of Titusville, Florida on Columbia Boulevard (State Road 405) and Washington Avenue (U.S. 1) in Brevard County. Formerly known as Ti-Co (Titusville-Cocoa) Airport, it is the nearest commercial airport to the Kennedy Space Center.

History

In 1943, the U.S. Government constructed the airport on land jointly owned by both cities. The airfield included two 5,000 feet (1,500 m) x 150 feet (46 m) runways with an associated taxiway system. The U.S. Government developed the airport and its facilities to serve as an outlying field (OLF) to Naval Air Station Sanford during World War II. The airport was built by the Civil Aeronautics Administration under the "Development of Landing Areas for National Defense" Program to help relieve other area military bases of training exercises required as a result of World War II. The government retained control of the airport throughout the duration of the war.

After the war, the U.S. Navy transferred the airport property and associated improvements to the War Assets Administration, which deeded the airport back to the Cities of Titusville and Cocoa by a Surrender of Lease and Quit Claim Deed dated April 18, 1947.

An airport authority was established by the Cities of Titusville and Cocoa to own, operate, improve, and maintain the airport. The property was transferred to the authority by Quit Claim Deeds from the City of Titusville on March 14, 1961 and from the City of Cocoa on April 11, 1961.

Having previously utilized military facilities on nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began development of its own civilian manned launch facilities, in what became the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), on Merritt Island in the early 1960s. The advantageous location of the airport allowed it to play an increasingly important role in the transportation of NASA personnel and equipment.

Creation of Airport District

The "Titusville-Cocoa Airport District Act of 1963" created the Titusville-Cocoa Airport District and the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority ("Authority") to govern the operations of the airport facilities. The Authority was created to service the local, commercial, and corporate aviation needs as well as to stimulate economic growth in the local communities. The Authority replaced the original airport authority established in 1959. This legislation commissioned the Authority to govern the affairs of the Airport District. This currently includes Space Coast Regional Airport, Arthur Dunn Airpark, and Merritt Island Airport.

The 1963 Act established policies for the funding of Authority activities, including an ad valorem tax not to exceed one mil on all taxable properties within the geographical bounds of the District. Also included was the authorization of the District to issue general obligation bonds and revenue bonds to finance the acquisition, construction, or development of airport property or facilities.

Past airline service

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the airport had scheduled passenger airline service operated by Eastern Air Lines, which utilized Boeing 727-100 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jetliners for flights into and out of TIX. According to the Dec. 1, 1970 edition of the Official Airline Guide (OAG), Eastern was operating four departures a day from Titusville with nonstop flights to Miami as well as nearby Melbourne and Orlando with continuing, same plane jet service direct to Atlanta, Boston, Huntsville, AL, St. Louis, Seattle and Washington, D.C.[1] These direct flights to Huntsville, St. Louis and Seattle were part of Eastern's "Space Corridor" service linking centers of aerospace activity in the U.S. during the NASA Apollo program lunar exploration mission launches from the nearby Kennedy Space Center.[2] However, Eastern then began to reduce its flight schedule from the airport. The Sept. 6, 1972 Eastern Air Lines system timetable lists only one flight a day departing the airport nonstop to Orlando with continuing, same plane service direct to Atlanta, Philadelphia and Boston.[3] It appears that minimal customers, the end of the Apollo spaceflight missions and the effects of airline deregulation in 1978 led to Eastern eventually discontinuing all service.

Plane hits deer

In 2010, the airport made regional news when a pilot, flying at night, hit a deer on takeoff. He landed the plane with a damaged gear, but no major damage. There is a 7-foot (2.1 m) fence surrounding the airport.[4]

Current Airport Authority

http://www.flairport.com/Governing authority The current Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority consists of seven members. Two members are appointed from Brevard County election Districts I, II, and IV, and one member is appointed at-large by the Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County. The Authority exercises hiring and oversight responsibility for the Authority's Executive Director, a full-time civil servant airport executive who has actual day-to-day responsibility for the operation, maintenance and supervision of Space Coast Regional Airport, Merritt Island Airport, Arthur Dunn Airpark and associated airport staff personnel.[5]

Facilities

Space Coast Regional Airport covers 1,650 acres (668 ha) and has two runways:

Warbird Museum

The Valiant Air Command is a frequently flyable collection of planes used in World Wars I & II.[6] It is based here, along with a permanent collection of additional aircraft from the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and the first Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum.[7] The museum provides an exhibit of air history, offering a static display of vintage Warbird aircraft, including a Douglas C-47A. Veteran tour guides recount war stories.

Events

Industry

Bristow Helicopters' Bristow Academy, a helicopter flying school, employs 160 and training 350 people a year in Schweizer 300CBIs, Robinson R22s, Robinson R44s, and Bell 206Bs. They have 59 helicopters. It is the world's largest civilian helicopter school.[9]

The Zero Gravity Corporation offers weightless flights in its modified Boeing 727 and Airbus A300 cargo planes.

NASCAR

The taxiways and runways of the Titusville-Cocoa Airport hosted a NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) event, on December 30, 1956, for the 1957 NASCAR season.[10] Fireball Roberts won in a Peter DePaolo Ford.[10]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Dec. 1, 1970 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Titusville (TIX) schedules
  2. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, June 13, 1967 Eastern Air Lines system timetable
  3. ↑ http://www.departedflights.com; Sept. 6, 1972 Eastern Air Lines system timetable
  4. ↑ Knapp, Andrew (19 October 2010). "Plane hits deer on takeoff". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 1B.
  5. ↑ http://www.flairport.com/home.htm
  6. ↑ Valiant Air Command
  7. ↑ VALIANT AIR COMMAND WARBIRD MUSEUM - Titusville Florida
  8. ↑ "Warbirds take to the air". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. 22 March 2009. pp. 1A.
  9. ↑ Berman, Dave (11 January 2011). "Flight school want city help". Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 8C.
  10. 1 2 "NASCAR race results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 21 April 2011.

References

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