Chehalis–Centralia Airport

Coordinates: 46°40′37.3000″N 122°58′57.9000″W / 46.677027778°N 122.982750000°W / 46.677027778; -122.982750000
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46°40′37.3000″N 122°58′57.9000″W / 46.677027778°N 122.982750000°W / 46.677027778; -122.982750000

Chehalis-Centralia Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerLewis County
ServesChehalis and Centralia, Washington
LocationChehalis, Washington
Elevation AMSL177 ft / 54 m
Websitewww.ci.chehalis.wa.us/airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16/34 5,000 1,524 Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Aircraft operations47,710
Based aircraft101

Chehalis–Centralia Airport (IATA: CLS, ICAO: KCLS, FAA LID: CLS) is a city-owned public use airport located in Chehalis, a city in Lewis County, Washington.[1][2] The airport lies one mile (1.6 km) west of the town.

History

20th century

The area was first served by an airport during the early 1900s on the Borst family homestead located near the Skookumchuck River and present-day Fort Borst Park in Centralia.[3] The city of Centralia made attempts to make an official airport at the site beginning in 1926, but a combination of the Great Depression and the competing Chehalis airport ended the endeavor by the mid-1930s.[4]

Chehalis–Centralia Airport began in 1927, when the Donahoe family, which also owned an adjoining golf course, sold the city of Chehalis and Lewis County approximately 44 acres (18 ha) of their 600 acres (240 ha) farm for over $13,000. The parcel, known as Donahoe Field, was dedicated as an airstrip on May 21, 1927 during a ceremony attended by an estimated crowd of 4,000 people, with flying performances by a dozen aircraft, including military airships. The nine-hole golf course was also part of the dedication. In 1928, the first hangar was built. Existing in the present day, it measured 5,000 square feet (460 m2) at its beginning.[4] During the same year, the county purchased an additional 50 acres (20 ha) to expand the airfield.[5] By September 1929, the airfield, described as a municipal airport, was leased to the federal government who began installing lighting and preparing the grounds to be used as an emergency airstrip. Management of the airport was undertaken by the St. John Air Service from the late 1920s into the mid-1930s, which included the airplane, Queen of the Cowlitz, a sister ship to Charles Lindbergh's, Spirit of St. Louis.[4]

By World War II, the airport covered 295 acres (119 ha), and became known as a city-county airport. During WWII, the federal government seized the airport, using it as a training facility for new pilots and a practice strip for Boeing bombers,[6] and also developed two 5,000 feet (1,500 m) runways. By 1960, the airport was given to its current owner, the city of Chehalis.[5]

21st century

In 2020, the airport was granted a loan through the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), with an estimated completion cost of $1.48 million, to construct two, 12,000 US gallons (45,000 L; 10,000 imp gal) above-ground fuel storage tanks, with additional requirements towards environmental hazard mitigation, emergency preparedness, contamination control, and "cultural resource monitoring".[7][8]

The Aviation Division of WSDOT chose Chehalis–Centralia Airport in 2021 as one of six beta-test sites in Washington state to be used as an airfield for electric aircraft.[9] The same year, the airport was awarded $59,000 through the Airport Rescue Grant via the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic economic hardships.[10]

The airport property expanded in late 2023 with a $316,000 purchase of a surplus property owned by the city. Known as the Barnes property, it is located directly south of Airport Lake and though it is within the levee, the area is prone to minor flooding due to a small creek on the grounds. A new master plan is to be drafted to include the recently acquired parcel with a schedule for it to be adopted in 2024. No immediate plans for the usage of the new property by the airport have been proposed.[11]

Early aviators

Chehalis and Centralia, similar to other smaller communities during the beginnings of human flight, were enticed by the ventures of flying machines. The earliest recorded aviator in the area was John Brown, who attempted to construct an airplane at the Tynan Opera House in Chehalis. However, there is no record that the apparatus ever achieved flight. The first aviator to achieve flight in Lewis County was Claude Berlin, a local grocer who undertook flying lessons to become a licensed pilot. He officially piloted a Curtiss biplane over Centralia on May 30, 1912 during the city's Hub City Festival, attempting to bless new buildings by dropping champagne bottles during the flight. He hit at least one of the targets. In 1914, Gustav (George) Stromer took flight during Chehalis' Fourth of July celebrations, and after several issues of mechanics and strong winds, managed to land on the fields at the Green Hill School. Stromer would perform the first recorded night flights in the region, and after a week of performances, survived a crash north of Centralia at Waunch Prairie, ending his flying pursuits in the Twin Cities. Other early aviators include the first woman pilot, listed only as Mrs. Crown, and Kenneth Arnold, famed for his report on flying saucers in 1947.[12]

Flooding

During the Second World War, the United States Department of War built levees around the airfield[6] and in 1942 installed a levee pump. During severe flooding due to the Great Coastal Gale of 2007, the pump failed, forcing an intentional break of the levee that led to increased damages in the community. A modern, electric two-pump station was completed in 2018[6] with funding provided by the Chehalis River Basin Authority at a cost of $1.14 million.[13][14] The pumps, able to siphon as much as 12,000 gallons per minute, worked without fail during a January 2022 flood event.[6]

Facilities and aircraft

Chehalis–Centralia Airport covers 438 acres (177 ha), which contains one asphalt runway: 16/34 measuring 5,000 by 140 feet (1,524 m × 43 m).[15][citation needed] Surrounded by a levee built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the airport also contains a endorheic lake, aptly named Airport Lake, at the northeast portion of the field.[13]

For the 12-month period ending June 30, 2011, the airport had 47,710 total operations, an average of 131 per day: 90% general aviation, 9% air taxi, and <1% military. There were 105 aircraft listed as based at the airport: 81% single-engine, 5% multi-engine, 3% jet, 8% helicopter, 2% ultralight, and 2% glider.[citation needed] A master plan update in 2023 reported an annual operations total of approximately 50,000 flights and the airport was a base for 56 aircraft; over half the flight operations were listed as belonging to small business jets.[15]

Commercial service

As of 2022, the Chehalis–Centralia Airport is not served by a commercial airline, however, West Coast Airlines previously operated scheduled flights to Chehalis. Flights began after World War II and ceased by 1958.[citation needed]

Training and flight programs

The Lewis County Civil Air Patrol is stationed at the airport. Providing limited free instruction to people as young as 12 years old, the program offers a flight academy with the possibility to earn a pilot's license.[16] The airport also hosts a chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Flying Start Program, a guidance course meant for adults over the age of 18. The half-day class provides free mentorship, a first flight, and instructions on how to continue flight training in the future.[17]

An annual event that coincides with the city's ChehalisFest celebration, the airport hosts free flights for children and teenagers. Referred to as "Young Eagle Flights", a chapter of the EAA, young flyers may even briefly handle the controls of the aircraft.[18]

The airport has been host as a layover stop for the Goodyear Blimp during trips along the West Coast. The blimp, visiting every few years, provides free tour flights while stationed at the field.[19]

Economy

Several businesses operate on airport land which is part of Chehalis' Twin City Town Center district. Economic reports from 2021[13] and 2022[14] specify that over 1100 jobs are supported by the airport and the shopping district, with over 500 additional positions of employment that are connected due to the existence of the airfield. The airport receives no annual tax stipend from the state, and is considered "financially self-sustaining", generating $1.2 million in tax revenue to Chehalis and Lewis County and an additional $7.8 million for Washington state.[6]

As of 2023, the 2018 levee pump build was estimated to have a return on investment of $39 for every $1 in construction cost, protecting approximately $45 million in property.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Chehalis-Centralia Airport". AirNav. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  2. ^ "CLS - Chehalis-Centralia Airport". SkyVector. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  3. ^ McDonald, Julie (November 15, 2021). "Massive Borst Barn a Casualty of the Columbus Day Storm". Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Jones, Pat (April 7, 2007). "Air Travel Fascinated Many in Its First Years". The Chronicle. p. 3. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Chehalis-Centralia Airport History". FlyCLS.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f The Chronicle staff (August 4, 2023). "Chehalis Basin Strategy progress in review: Chehalis-Centralia Airport pump station replacement". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  7. ^ "Recommendation to award the Above-Ground Fuel Storage Tanks Project" (PDF). ci.chehalis.wa.us. City of Chehalis.
  8. ^ Chronicle Staff (March 30, 2022). "Chehalis Approves Additional $109,820 Contract for $1.48 Million Airport Fuel Storage Project". The Chronicle. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  9. ^ Fitzgerald, Celene (February 24, 2021). "Chehalis-Centralia Airport Selected as Test Site for Electric Aircraft Feasibility Study". The Chronicle. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  10. ^ Chronicle Staff (July 7, 2021). "Lewis County Airports to Receive Combined $91,000 in American Rescue Plan Funding". The Chronicle. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  11. ^ Sexton, Owen (December 1, 2023). "Chehalis Water Department moves to surplus land near airport, transfer it to airport fund for future development". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  12. ^ Jones, Pat (July 22, 2006). "Lewis County had faith in the future of aviation". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Chronicle Editorial Staff (April 30, 2021). "Our Views: Chehalis-Centralia Airport Pump Project Just One Success Story". The Chronicle. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  14. ^ a b Zylstra, Matthew (April 6, 2022). "New Pumping System Proves Its Worth After January Flooding Event". The Chronicle. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  15. ^ a b Sexton, Owen (October 2, 2023). "Chehalis-Centralia Airport continues master plan update process with first of three open houses". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  16. ^ Zylstra, Matthew (May 27, 2022). "Local Civil Air Patrol Rebounding From Pandemic Membership Drop, Looks Forward to Full Recovery". The Chronicle. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  17. ^ Sexton, Owen (May 19, 2023). "Free Flights to Again Be Offered for Kids at the Chehalis-Centralia Airport This Summer". The Chronicle. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  18. ^ Vander Stoep, Isabel (April 23, 2021). "300 Kids Take Off in Airport's Free Young Eagle Flights". The Chronicle. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  19. ^ Nailon, Jordan (July 12, 2016). "The Blimp Is Back: Iconic Goodyear Airship in Twin Cities for Second Time This Month". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
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