Pekin Municipal Airport
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = Pekin Municipal Airport
| image = Pekin airport 20231019 0541.jpg
| FAA = C15
| type = Public
| owner = City of Pekin
| operator = City of Pekin
| city-served = Pekin, Illinois
| location =
| elevation-f = 530
| elevation-m = 162
| website = [http://www.pekinmunicipalairport.com www.pekinmunicipalairport.com]
| coordinates = {{coord|40|29|18|N|89|40|33|W|region:US-IL_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}
| image_map = Map of Illinois highlighting Tazewell County.svg
| image_mapsize = 100px
| image_map_caption = Location of Tazewell County in Illinois
| pushpin_map = USA Illinois Tazewell County#USA
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_label = C15
| pushpin_mapsize = 180px
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of airport in Tazewell County
| r1-number = 9/27
| r1-length-f = 5,000
| r1-length-m = 1,524
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| stat-year = 2021
| stat1-header = Aircraft operations
| stat1-data = 9,000
| stat2-header = Based aircraft
| stat2-data = 45
| footnotes = Source: Federal Aviation Administration{{FAA-airport|ID=C15|use=PU|own=PU|site=04936.1*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. effective 30 June 2011.
| timezone = UTC−06:00
| utc = -6
| summer = UTC−05:00
| utcs = -5
}}
Pekin Municipal Airport {{airport codes|||C15}} is a city-owned public-use airport located {{convert|4|nmi|mi km|spell=in}} south of the central business district of Pekin, a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. It is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.[http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/ National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems] for 2011–2015: [http://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias/reports/media/2011/npias_2011_appA.pdf Appendix A (PDF, 2.03 MB)]. Federal Aviation Administration. Updated 4 October 2010.
The airport was named the Illinois Department of Transportation's General Aviation Airport of the Year award in 2021. Airport management referenced significant airport upgrades as critical for the award. Later that year, the airport was set to receive nearly $2 million from the State of Illinois as part of its Rebuild Illinois program, aimed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The money went towards repaving the ramp near the t-hangars, repaving the airport access road, and replacing the airport's fuel system.{{Cite web |title=Pekin Municipal Airport receives Illinois General Aviation Airport of the Year award|url=https://www.pekintimes.com/story/news/2021/10/08/pekin-facility-named-illinois-top-general-aviation-airport/6020728001/|access-date=2022-09-02 | website=Perkin Daily Times}}{{Cite web |date=2021-12-02 |title=Pritzker Administration Invests $94 Million in Capital Funding to Revitalize Public Airports Including Bolingbrook’s Clow International Airport |url=https://www.wjol.com/pritzker-administration-invests-94-million-in-capital-funding-to-revitalize-public-airports-including-bolingbrooks-clow-international-airport/ |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=WJOL News}}
Facilities and aircraft
Pekin Municipal Airport covers an area of {{convert|215|acre|ha|lk=on}} at an elevation of {{convert|530|ft|m}} above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 9/27 with an asphalt surface measuring {{convert|5,000|by|75|ft|m}}.
The airport has an fixed-base operator offering aviation fuel, aircraft parking, hangars, a passenger terminal, catering, and a courtesy car.{{Cite web |title=Pekin Municipal Airport|url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/C15/A3|access-date=2022-09-02 | website=AirNav.com}}{{Cite web |title=City of Pekin
|url=https://www.aopa.org/destinations/business/30816|access-date=2022-09-02 | website=Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)}}
In late 2022, the airport received $1.4 million to build 20 new t-hangars at the airport. Airport managers said the plan would help make progress on allowing additional pilots to rent hangar space at the airport as there are usually roughly 20 people on the wait list for a hangar. Construction is expected to begin in late winter or early spring of 2023.{{Cite web |last=Kramer |first=Mike |date=2022-11-11 |title=Yes, Pekin has an airport. Here's the plan for its $1.4 million construction project |url=https://www.pekintimes.com/story/news/local/2022/11/11/pekin-municipal-airport-readies-for-1-4-million-construction-project/69589835007/ |access-date=2023-02-08 |website=Pekin Daily Times |language=en-US}} Additional grants were awarded to replace the fuel system.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-26 |title=Pekin Municipal Airport planning $1.4 million construction project |url=https://www.chicagoconstructionnews.com/pekin-municipal-airport-planning-1-4-million-construction-project/ |access-date=2023-02-08 |website=Chicago Construction News}} Additionally, the airport received money from the State of Illinois as part of the Rebuild Illinois program during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite news |last=Gaul |first=Alex |date=2022-01-27 |title=Pekin Airport to receive $2 million in federal, state money |pages=2022-01-27 |work=25 News Now |url=https://www.25newsnow.com/2022/01/27/pekin-airport-receive-2-million-federal-state-money/ |access-date=February 8, 2023}}
For the 12-month period ending May 31, 2021, the airport had 9,000 aircraft operations, an average of 25 per day: 78% general aviation and 22% air taxi. At that time there were 45 aircraft based at this airport: 42 single-engine and 2 multi-engine airplanes as well as 1 helicopter.{{Cite web |title=AirNav: C15 – Pekin Municipal Airport|url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/C15|access-date=2022-09-02 | website=AirNav.com}}{{Cite web |title=C15 Pekin Municipal Airport|url=https://skyvector.com/airport/C15/Pekin-Municipal-Airport|access-date=2022-09-02 | website=SkyVector Aeronautical Charts}}
Accidents & Incidents
- On January 19, 2011, a Piper Cherokee 180 crashed while attempting to land at Pekin. The aircraft was practicing touch-and-gos when witnesses say it appeared to stall and impacted the runway.{{Cite web |last=Childs |first=Gary |date=2011-01-19 |title=Pekin plane crash leaves one injured |url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/2011/01/20/pekin-plane-crash-leaves-one/42531760007/ |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=Peoria Journal Star}}
- On August 18, 2016, an amateur-built Van's Aircraft RV-6A impacted terrain after taking off from runway 27 at Pekin. The pilot, who was seriously injured, told first responders that he had forgotten to latch the canopy before takeoff. He noticed 30 feet above the ground just after takeoff and got distracted trying to close it, leading to a loss of control, a stall, and a crash.{{Cite web |title=N576RV accident description|url=https://planecrashmap.com/plane/il/N576RV/|access-date=2022-09-02 | website=Plane Crash Map}}
See also
References
External links
- [http://msrmaps.com/map.aspx?t=1&s=11&lat=40.4887&lon=-89.6745&w=950&h=450&lp=---+None+--- Aerial photo as of 24 March 1999] from USGS The National Map
- {{FAA-procedures|C15}}
{{US-airport-minor|C15}}
Category:Transportation buildings and structures in Tazewell County, Illinois