Beech Factory Airport

Beech Factory Airport covers an area of {{convert|1,280|acre|ha}} at an elevation of 1,408 feet (429 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 1/19 with a concrete surface measuring 8,000 by 100 feet (2,438 x 30 m).

For the 12-month period ending May 13, 2008, the airport had 32,700 aircraft operations, an average of 89 per day: 86% general aviation and 14% military. At that time there were 77 aircraft based at this airport: 27% single-engine, 38% multi-engine, 13% jet and 22% military. Following the merger of the Cessna and Beechcraft employee flying clubs, Cessna's flying club has since moved from their previous base at Wichita Mid-Continental Airport to Beech Factory Airport.

The airport was founded in 1928 as part of a 148-acre land tract purchased from the city to house the Knoll Aircraft Company.{{cite news|newspaper=The Witchita Beacon|date=November 1928|title=How Knoll's New Factory will look}} The Yellow Air Cab Company purchased the assets in 1930, followed by Beechcraft in 1940.

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Other airports in Wichita

• Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport
• Colonel James Jabara Airport
• Cessna Aircraft Field
• McConnell Air Force Base
• Westport Airport

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Other airports in metro

• El Dorado / Captain Jack Thomas Airport
• Augusta Municipal Airport
• Lloyd Stearman Field (Benton)

Other airports in region

• List of airports in Kansas
• List of airports in Oklahoma

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On November 20, 2013 at approximately 9:30 pm CST, a Boeing 747-400 Dreamlifter with registration N780BA and operated by Atlas Air was en route to McConnell Air Force Base when it landed at the wrong airport. The pilots initially erroneously thought that they were at Beech Factory Airport. After reviewing coordinates with ATC and communicating with local ground control, it was determined that they were in fact at Colonel James Jabara Airport.{{cite web

| title = Kansas: Plane left stranded after landing 'by mistake'

| url = https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-25034358/kansas-plane-left-stranded-after-landing-by-mistake

| publisher = BBC News Online

| date = 2013-11-21

| accessdate = 2017-08-13

}}{{cite web

| first = Daniel

| last = Mori

| title = ATC recording of Dreamlifter crew in contact with McConnell AFB with captions

| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P6LV-DKMrc

| publisher = YouTube

| date = 2013-11-23

| accessdate = 2017-08-13

}}{{cite web

|title = Audio of Dreamlifter crew in contact with McConnell AFB

|url = http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2013/11/21/10/05/fS59I.So.80.mp3

|publisher = The Wichita Eagle

|date = 2013-05-21

|accessdate = 2017-08-13

|archive-date = 2020-11-22

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201122155624/http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2013/11/21/10/05/fS59I.So.80.mp3

|url-status = dead

}} The plane successfully took off at 1:15 pm CST on November 21 and landed at nearby McConnell AFB.{{cite web

| first1 = Rick

| last1 = Plumlee

| first2 = Molly

| last2 = McMillin

| title = Wayward Dreamlifter captivates the Air Capital

| url = http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article1128134.html

| publisher = The Wichita Eagle

| date = 2013-11-21

| accessdate = 2017-08-13

}} The NTSB opened an investigation about the mistaken landing.{{cite web

| first = Jerry

| last = Siebenmark

| title = NTSB opens investigation into Dreamlifter's wrong landing

| url = http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article1128256.html

| publisher = The Wichita Eagle

| date = 2013-11-22

| accessdate = 2017-08-13

}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.ksdot.org/divAviation/pdf_pic_pages/WichitaBeech_P135.pdf Beech Factory Airport] at Kansas DOT Airport Directory
• {{FAA-procedures|BEC}}
• {{US-airport-minor|BEC|BEC}}

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Category:Airports in Kansas

Category:Beechcraft

Category:Buildings and structures in Sedgwick County, Kansas

Category:Transportation in Wichita, Kansas

Category:Transportation in Sedgwick County, Kansas