Montauk Airport

Montauk Airport was constructed in 1957 to improve access to the East End community, which was being developed as a summer resort.{{cite news |title=Work to Start Soon On Montauk Airport |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 29, 1957 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/09/29/archives/work-to-start-soon-on-montauk-airport-montauk-group-to-build.html |access-date=2009-08-30}} Perry Duryea Jr., a former pilot of the Naval Air Transport Service, was one of the early partners of the corporation that developed the airport, and often piloted his own plane between Montauk and Albany while serving as a member of the New York State Assembly.{{cite news |last=Drumm |first=Russell |title=Perry Duryea, Lobsterman, Leader |newspaper=The East Hampton Star |date=January 15, 2004 |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=teh20040115-01.1.4 |access-date=2025-01-04 |via=NYS Historic Newspapers}}{{cite news |title=Long Island Journal |first=Irvin |last=Molotsky |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0F13F8345413718DDDA10994DE405B888BF1D3 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 18, 1978 |access-date=2009-10-12}} The following year, regular flights were proposed between Montauk and LaGuardia Airport in New York City during the summer season for use by vacationers and sport fishermen.{{cite news |title=Airline to Offer Montauk Service |url= http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A14F63955117A93C2AB178FD85F4C8585F9 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 20, 1958 |access-date=2009-10-12}}

In 1961 there was attempt by Suffolk County to buy the airport and turn it into a county airport, but the plans ultimately failed.{{cite news |title=Montauk Airport Is on the Market |author=Hewitt, Janis |url=http://easthamptonstar.com/?q=News/2012802/Montauk-Airport-Market |newspaper=The East Hampton Star |date=August 2, 2012 |access-date=2014-04-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108072954/http://easthamptonstar.com/?q=News/2012802/Montauk-Airport-Market |archive-date=November 8, 2012}}

The small airport has been used by various celebrities visiting the Hamptons including Mick Jagger who was inspired to write a 1976 song Memory Motel based on an actual Montauk motel. He and Bianca Jagger had been staying at Eothen, the estate of Andy Warhol in Montauk. Other celebrities spotted at the airport included Sarah Ferguson, Nicole Kidman, Robert De Niro, Jimmy Buffett, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Lou Reed.{{cite news| url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-08-10/news/33141955_1_airport-manager-general-aviation-reliever-airport-public-use-airports | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130124348/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-08-10/news/33141955_1_airport-manager-general-aviation-reliever-airport-public-use-airports | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 30, 2013 | title=Montauk airport for sale for $18 million | location=New York | work=Daily News | agency=Associated Press | date=August 10, 2012 | access-date=2014-04-26}}

In 2007, Montauk Airport received two grants from the Federal Aviation Administration to install an Automated Weather Observing System to provide pilots with current weather conditions at the airport and a Precision Approach Path Indicator to visually alert pilots if they are on the glidepath while preparing to land.{{cite press release |title=Bishop Announces $75,000 Worth of Grants for Montauk Airport Safety |publisher=Congressman Tim Bishop |date=July 26, 2007 |url=http://timbishop.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=79&parentid=3§iontree=&itemid=1064 |access-date=2009-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708150331/http://timbishop.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=79&parentid=3§iontree=&itemid=1064 |archive-date=July 8, 2010 }} An additional grant was received from the FAA in 2008 to install taxiway edge lights.{{cite press release |title=Bishop Announces $67,000 Grant for Safety Lighting at Montauk Airport |publisher=Congressman Tim Bishop |date=June 11, 2008 |url=http://timbishop.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=79&parentid=3§iontree=&itemid=1344 |access-date=2009-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708141614/http://timbishop.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=79&parentid=3§iontree=&itemid=1344 |archive-date=July 8, 2010 }}

The airport was bought by a new (undisclosed) buyer on June 14, 2022. East Hampton Town earlier had expressed interest in buying the airport.{{cite news | last=Walsh | first=Christopher | date=June 22, 2022 | url=https://www.easthamptonstar.com/villages-business/2022622/montauk-airport-sold | title=Montauk Airport is Sold |work=The East Hampton Star}} In July 2012 the airport was listed as for sale by descendants of the original owners including Duryea's son Chip with Douglas Elliman Real Estate agents Paul Brennan and Ronald White. The price of the property is $18 million.{{cite news |title=Montauk Airport is on the market for $18M

|url=http://therealdeal.com/blog/2012/07/31/montauk-airport-is-on-the-market-for-18m/ |newspaper=The Real Deal |date=July 31, 2012 |access-date=2012-08-04}}{{cite web |url=http://www.elliman.com/long-island/428-east-lake-drive-montauk-nqrcamp |title=428 East Lake Drive Montauk NY |work=Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate |access-date=2012-08-15}}

East Hampton town (which owns the much bigger East Hampton Airport 15 miles west of the Montauk airport), Suffolk County, and the State of New York have all said they do not have the funds to buy the airport. They have said the airport would be legally required to remain an airport until 2019 since it had received an FAA grant in 2009. Under zoning requirements, it could be divided into six residential lots.

Montauk Airport covers an area of 40 acres (16 ha) at an elevation of 7 feet (2 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 6/24 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,246 by 75 feet (989 x 23 m).

For the 12-month period ending September 10, 2010, the airport had 30,361 aircraft operations, an average of 83 per day: 83.5% general aviation and 16.5% air taxi. At that time there were 12 aircraft based at this airport: 75% single-engine and 25% multi-engine.

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• On March 7, 2009, a Cirrus SR22 went off the runway and burst into flames while practicing a takeoff from the Montauk Airport. The student pilot and instructor escaped from the aircraft without injuries.{{cite news |last1=Drumm |first1=Russell |last2=Small |first2=Timothy |title=Close Shave at the Montauk Airport |newspaper=The East Hampton Star |date=March 12, 2009 |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=teh20090312-01.1.1 |access-date=2025-01-04 |via=NYS Historic Newspapers}}
• On July 31, 2007, a Piper PA-28-181 crashed into trees at the Montauk Airport after aborting a landing and attempting a go-around. The pilot was uninjured and rescued by an airport employee and two people from a nearby beach.{{cite news |last=Hewitt |first=Janis |title=Crash Landing at Airport; Federal Grants |newspaper=The East Hampton Star |date=August 2, 2007 |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=teh20070802-01.1.8 |access-date=2025-01-04 |via=NYS Historic Newspapers}}
• On July 7, 2003, a Piper PA-34-200T crashed into the waters of Big Reed Pond in Montauk County Park after taking off from the Montauk Airport, killing the pilot and two passengers. The men had gone out earlier in the evening on a fishing trip for striped bass and were flying back to Republic Airport during the middle of the night. The plane was discovered the next morning by a family canoeing in the pond.{{cite news |last=Hewitt |first=Janis |title=Cause Unknown As Flight Home Ends in Pond. Three Men Killed in Mysterious Descent |newspaper=The East Hampton Star |date=July 11, 2003 |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=teh20030710-01.1.1 |access-date=2025-01-04 |via=NYS Historic Newspapers}}

• List of airports in New York

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• {{cite web|url= https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/aviation/repository/air_dir/mtp.pdf |title=Airport diagram }} from New York State DOT
• {{FAA-procedures|MTP}}

{{US-airport-ga|MTP}}

{{New York City Area Airports}}{{Airports on Long Island, New York}}

Category:Airports established in 1957

Category:Montauk, New York

Category:Airports in Suffolk County, New York