Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport

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Several Rock County farms provided land for contract glider pilot training to the United States Army Air Forces in 1942. Training was provided by Morey Airplane Company using three turf runway locations in three township sections. C-47 Skytrains and Waco CG-4 unpowered Gliders were not used. The production CG-4A gliders were not delivered until after these northern civilian schools were closed. Aircraft furnished by the Army were single engine L type Cessna, Aeronca and Piper. There were no gliders and there was no glider towing. These schools became known as dead stick training.

The mission of the school was to train glider pilot students in approaches with the engine off, landing at a mark, night landing and strange field landing. Ground school instruction was in navigation, maintenance, meteorology, instruments, aircraft identification, chemical warfare defense, customs of service and physical training and drill.

These schools were inactivated at the end of 1942 or sooner. The farm fields used in Rock County were turned back to the farmers when the schools were closed. None of this glider pilot training in Rock County occurred at or on the current Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport space.

SWRA has, in the past, had scheduled airline passenger service. Wisconsin Central Airlines (later North Central and Republic) began service May 14, 1950.{{Cite web | title=North Central Airlines - history - 1950 routes - hermantheduck.org | url=http://www.hermantheduck.org/pages/routes/1950routes.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070907200357/http://www.hermantheduck.org:80/pages/routes/1950routes.html | access-date=2024-12-23 | archive-date=2007-09-07}} In 1979, it had service to Chicago-O'Hare on Republic Airlines and Midstate Airlines.[http://www.departedflights.com/JVL79intro.html Airlines and Aircraft Serving Beloit/Janesville, WI effective November 15, 1979], Departed Flights, Retrieved 2014-08-29 Republic's service ended October, 1981; Midstate's service began April 15, 1979 and ended December 31, 1979. Mid-Continent Airlines (later American Central Airlines) began service October 1, 1981,{{Cite web| title=New service to Sioux City, Iowa and Beloit/Janesville, Wisconsin | url=http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/jr1/jr8110/jr8110-1.jpg | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811141011/http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/jr1/jr8110/jr8110-1.jpg | archive-date=2023-08-11}} which ended July 25, 1985.

Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport covers an area of {{convert|1,343|acre|ha|lk=on}} at an elevation of 808 feet (246 m) above mean sea level. It contains three runways:

• Runway 14/32: 7,302 x 150 ft (2,226 x 46 m), surface: concrete, with approved ILS and GPS approaches
• Runway 4/22: 6,701 x 150 ft (2,042 x 46 m), surface: asphalt, with approved ILS and GPS approaches
• Runway 18/36: 5,004 x 75 ft (1,525 x 23 m), surface: asphalt

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 54,744 aircraft operations, an average of 150 per day: 90% general aviation, 10% air taxi and less than 1% military.

In August 2024, there were 87 aircraft based at this airport: 45 single-engine, 5 multi-engine, 33 jet and 4 helicopters.

The airport has an FBO that offers fuel as well as hangar parking, catering, courtesy cars, a conference room, a crew lounge, snooze rooms, and more.{{Cite web |title=revv Aviation|url=https://flightaware.com/resources/airport/KJVL/services/FBO/revv_Aviation|access-date=2022-11-15 | website=FlightAware}}

The Southern Wisconsin AirFest was an annual air show that hosted North American jet teams, such as the Blue Angels, the Thunderbirds and the Masters of Disaster. The event was discontinued following the 2012 season.{{cite news |last=Milam |first=Stan |url=http://www.rrstar.com/x1559138178/Wisconsin-s-AirFest-loss-could-be-Rockford-s-gain |title=Wisconsin |work=Rockford Register Star |location=Janesville, Wisconsin |publisher=GateHouse News |date=2012-11-22 |accessdate=2016-12-04 |quote=The southern Wisconsin show is not likely to return until a U.S. jet team is signed on for future air shows. }}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

• 2003: The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were scheduled to perform but, due to an accident in late September, they were unable to perform at the show. In their place was the CF-18 Hornet
• 2004: U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
• 2005: U.S. Navy Blue Angels
• 2006: U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper East Demo Team
• 2007: U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper East Demo Team and Codename: Mary's Lamb
• 2008: Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds
• 2009: U.S. Navy Blue Angels
• 2010: U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Canadian Armed Forces Snowbirds
• 2011: VFA-122 Super Hornet West Coast Demo Team
• 2012: United States Army Golden Knights Parachute Team and Black Diamond Jet Team

• On August 27, 1999, a Walker Breezy was destroyed on takeoff when it impacted terrain. The aircraft was starting on a cross-country flight to Beloit, Wisconsin. Witnesses say the plane climbed steeply and began a left turn. The plane then turned back to the right and fishtailed, poirposed, and began another right turn before pitching straight down and impacting terrain. The airline transport pilot onboard was fatally injured.{{Cite web |title=N12BZ accident description |url=https://planecrashmap.com/plane/wi/N12BZ/|access-date=2022-11-04 | website=Plane crash map}}
• On February 16, 2021, a homebuilt Velocity V-Twin crashed after departure from Janesville. The plane had originally arrived from Appleton International Airport and departed for Florida after refueling. Roughly one minute from departure, the plane's pilots requested a return to the airport. The plane eventually crashed into trees one mile south of the airport in a reported steep dive. The aircraft received substantial damage and both pilots onboard died. {{Cite web |title=Preliminary NTSB report details engine trouble, steep dive before deadly Janesville plane crash|url=https://www.channel3000.com/preliminary-ntsb-report-details-engine-trouble-steep-dive-before-deadly-janesville-plane-crash/ |access-date=2022-11-04 | website=Channel 3000 News|date=27 February 2021 }}{{Cite web |title=2 dead in plane crash near Janesville airport|url=https://www.nbc15.com/2021/02/16/reports-of-a-small-plane-crash-in-janesville/|access-date=2022-11-04 | website=NBC15 WMTV News|date=16 February 2021 }}

{{Portal|Aviation}}

• Wisconsin World War II Army Airfields
• 31st Flying Training Wing (World War II)
• List of airports in Wisconsin

{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
• Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas {{OCLC|71006954|29991467}}
• Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC. {{OCLC|57007862|1050653629}}
• 1943 Glider Program Studies, USAF Historical Studies, Maxwell.

{{Refend}}

• [http://www.jvlairport.com/ Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport]
• {{cite web|url=http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/air/airport-info/arpts/janesville.pdf |title=Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport }} at Wisconsin Department of Transportation
• [http://www.swairfest.org/ Southern Wisconsin AirFEST], official site
• {{FAA-diagram|00938}}
• {{FAA-procedures|JVL}}

{{US-airport-ga|JVL}}

{{Aviation in Wisconsin}}

{{List of airports}}

{{USAAF Training Bases World War II}}

Category:1942 establishments in Wisconsin

Category:Airports established in 1942

Category:Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Wisconsin

Category:Airports in Wisconsin

Category:Buildings and structures in Rock County, Wisconsin

Category:USAAF Contract Flying School Airfields

Category:Former Essential Air Service airports

Category:USAAF Glider Training Airfields