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Durant Regional Airport–Eaker Field

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Airport type
  
Public

Serves
  
Durant

Website
  
aviation.se.edu/...

Code
  
DUA

Phone
  
+1 580-920-0574

Owner
  
City of Durant

Elevation AMSL
  
699 ft / 213 m

17/35
  
5,001

Elevation
  
213 m

Durant Regional Airport–Eaker Field

Address
  
10 Waldron Rd, Durant, OK 74701, USA

Similar
  
Durant City Landfill, Durant Environm Lab, Durant Sewage Disposal, Durant Accounts Receivable, Durant Parks Departme

Durant Regional Airport–Eaker Field (IATA: DUA, ICAO: KDUA, FAA LID: DUA) is three miles (5 km) south of Durant, Oklahoma. It was established in September 1943. The airport is home to Southeastern Oklahoma State University's Aviation Sciences Institute.

Contents

History

The airport is named for SOSU alum General Ira Eaker, a 1917 graduate of Southeastern who served in World War I and World War II. During World War II, General Eaker was commander of the Eighth Air Force in England and led several historic bombing missions against targets in occupied Europe and Germany.

The City of Durant named an airfield west of town in honor of then Captain Eaker in the 1930s. The U.S. Navy built the current airfield as an auxiliary field during World War II and it became Durant Municipal Airport after the war. It was later renamed Eaker Field.

For a year or two around 1951-52 Durant had scheduled airline flights—Central DC-3s.

Facilities

Eaker Field covers 840 acres (3.4 km2) and has one asphalt runway. Runway 17/35 is 5,001 x 100 ft (1,524.3 x 30.5 m).

In 2005 the airport had 46,355 aircraft operations, average 127 per day: 97.8% general aviation, 2.2% general aviation itinerant, 0.1% military. 21 aircraft were then based at the airport: 17 single-engine, 3 multi-engine, and 1 jet.

Expansion

On February 11, 2011, Eaker Field opened a new, modern 8,000 sq ft (740 m2) terminal building. The project was funded by the Durant Industrial Authority and by a grant provided by the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission.[1] The taxiway was also resurfaced for the first time since 1943.[2]

The original design called for an air traffic control tower to be added, but that plan was later scrapped due to the cost.

References

Durant Regional Airport–Eaker Field Wikipedia