Merritt Island Airport
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Merritt Island Airport
| image = Merritt Island Airport 091.jpg
| IATA = COI
| ICAO = KCOI
| FAA = COI
| type = Public
| owner = Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority
| location = 900 Airport Road
Merritt Island, Florida
| elevation-f = 5.9
| elevation-m = 1.8
| coordinates = {{coord|28|20|30|N|080|41|08|W|type:airport_region:US}}
| r1-number = 11/29
| r1-length-f = 3,601
| r1-length-m = 1,098
| r1-surface = Asphalt
}}
Merritt Island Airport {{Airport codes|COI|KCOI|COI}} is a general aviation public airport under the administration of the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority. It located in Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, United States, northwest of Patrick Space Force Base.
History
In the early 1940s, the Brevard County Mosquito Control District constructed the Central Brevard Airport. The airfield included two sod landing strips: a north–south strip measuring approximately {{Convert|1,800|ft|m}} in length, and a northwest–southeast strip measuring approximately {{Convert|3,000|ft|m}} in length.
An operations building and maintenance hangar were located on the south side of the airfield and the Mosquito Control District had a maintenance hangar on the north side of the airfield. The north–south landing strip was eventually abandoned, replaced by various facilities such as T-hangars that currently occupy this area.
In 1966, the Brevard County Mosquito Control District deeded the Central Brevard Airport property over to the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority in exchange for ten acres of land located within Space Coast Regional Airport.{{cite web |url=https://www.bcpao.us/PropertySearch/#/account/2501003 |title=BCPAO - Property Search |accessdate=2023-08-25 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20230825175924/https://www.bcpao.us/PropertySearch/%23/account/2501003 |archivedate=2023-08-25 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.bcpao.us/PropertySearch/#/account/2300399 |title=BCPAO - Property Search |accessdate=2023-08-25 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20230825180645/https://www.bcpao.us/PropertySearch/%23/account/2300399 |archivedate=2023-08-25 }} Central Brevard Airport was renamed Merritt Island Airport and became a public general aviation facility some time after initial construction took place in 1970 and facilities were completed in 1974.{{cite web |url=http://www.flairport.com/home.htm |title=Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority |accessdate=2006-06-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619021053/http://www.flairport.com/home.htm |archivedate=2006-06-19 }}
Facilities
File:Merritt Island Airport (Merritt Island, Florida) 002.jpg
Merritt Island Airport covers {{convert|129|acre|ha|0}} and has one runway:
- Runway 11/29: {{convert|3,601|x|75|ft|m|abbr=on}}, surface: asphalt
=Government activities=
- Brevard County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit
=Businesses=
- Space Coast Aviation[http://www.spacecoastaviation.com Space Coast Aviation] - Merritt Island's FBO
- 2FLY Airborne[https://www.2flyairborne.com 2FLY Airborne] - international pilot training
- Buzz Airlines[http://www.buzzairlines.com Buzz Airlines] - aircraft charters; has a base at the airport
- Voyager Aviation International[http://www.voyageraviation.com Voyager Aviation International] - flight training
- Sebastian Communication Inc.[http://www.sebcomm.com Sebastian Communication Inc.] - avionics sales, installation and repairs
Accidents and incidents
On January 24, 2021, a man identified as 24 year old Abhishek Patter, a pilot from India who was training for his commercial airline pilot's license, crashed a plane, a Piper PA-28, on nearby waters as he was flying from Palm Beach County Park Airport to Merritt Island Airport. The 24-year-old was a student at 2Fly Airborne flight school in Merritt Island according to officials in Brevard County.{{cite web |url=https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2021/01/25/coast-guard-small-plane-found-after-crash-near-boynton-inlet/6698833002/ |title=PBSO IDs man found dead in plane that crashed off Boynton Inlet |accessdate=2023-08-25 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825183455/https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2021/01/25/coast-guard-small-plane-found-after-crash-near-boynton-inlet/6698833002/ |archivedate=2023-08-25 }} His body was found later by rescuers. He was the sole occupant of the aircraft when it crashed.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-26 |title=Body recovered after small plane crashes off Florida coast |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/body-recovered-after-small-plane-crashes-florida-coast-n1255662 |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=NBC News |language=en}}
See also
References
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060619021053/http://www.flairport.com/home.htm Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority] (official site)
- {{FAA-airport|ID=COI|use=PU|own=PU|site=03323.*A}}
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Merritt Island Airport}}
{{US-airport-ga|COI}}
{{Florida airports}}
Category:Airports in Brevard County, Florida
Category:Buildings and structures in Merritt Island, Florida