Felts Field

Felts Field

Facts about Felts Field

Felts Field is an airport located and owned by the Spokane County, Washington. It lies adjacent the scenic Spoken Valley River.

In 1926, the Felts Field Airport of the Spokane County, Washington became the first-ever federally designated airports in the district. It was recognized by the United States Department of Commerce as a Parkwater airport. The airport was named as Parkwater Aviation Field.

In 1927 of September, the National Air Derby of the Spokane County and Air Races renamed the airport to Felts Field in honor of the Washington Air National Guard aviator, James Buell Felts, who lost his life after the crash in May.

James Buell Felts is one of the earliest aviators of Spokane. He was a lieutenant and a son of the Spokane Valley’s prominent apple orchardist.

In 1929 of August, two pilots, Lieutenant Nick Mamer and Art Walker, broke the record and had a journey across the Felts Field. They stayed in the air for 120 hours. They flew from Spokane to New York and vice versa. They returned on August 20, 1929, after their tiring trip.

The 7,200-mile trip was the first transcontinental refueling. It also broke the world record as they have had that nonstop trip.

In 1939, Lieutenant Nick Mamer and company lost their lives due to commercial aircraft wreck. In honor of the late Lieutenant, a clock tower was built. It is located west of the Skyway Café.

The Felts Field Airport became the center of flight training or instruction, aircraft repair, and aerial photography. This airport was considered to be the first airmail and commercial flights that come in and out of Spokane.

The commercial air traffic was transferred to the Geiger field after the World War II in 1940 as there was a significant activity with the military and general aviation traffic that Felts Field could no longer accommodate it. The Felts Field still continues to cater small plane aviation and private jet charter services, though.

The Felt Fields has two runways. The concrete 4L/22R is 4,499 by 150 feet, and the asphalt 4R/22L is 2,650 by 75 feet. It has a landing area exclusive for the seaplane – powered fixed-wing aircraft that can take off and land on water. Its designated area is 3W/21W, 6,000 by 100 feet.

Last 2009, the airport has a total of 75,124 aircraft operations with a percentage of 89% for the general aviation, including private jet charter services.

Washington is a district within the United States of America that remained to be one of the must-travel destinations around the world. It is, in fact, the capital of the country. The district has many attractive spots like the museum and historic sites that include the clock tower built in honor of Lieutenant Nick Mamer.