Sparrevohn LRRS Airport is a military

airstrip An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

located south of Sparrevohn, in the

Bethel Census Area Bethel Census Area is a census area in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population is 18,666, up from 17,013 in 2010. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community is the ci ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. The airstrip is also located south of

McGrath, Alaska McGrath (''Tochak’'' in Upper Kuskokwim, ''Digenegh'' in Deg Xinag) is a city and village on the Kuskokwim River in Alaska, United States. The population was 301 at the 2020 census. Despite its small population, the village is an important ...

, and west of

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

. It is not open for public use.

Overview

Sparrevohn Airport is a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

military airstrip. Its mission is to provide access to the

Sparrevohn Long Range Radar Site Sparrevohn Air Force Station (AAC ID: F-15, LRR ID: A-06) is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located southwest of Fairbanks, Alaska. The ground control intercept (GCI) station was closed on 1 Novembe ...

for servicing and other requirements. The airstrip was constructed in 1952 as part of the construction of the Sparrevohn Air Force Station. During the station's operational use as a manned radar station, it provided transportation for station personnel and for supplies and equipment to be airlifted to the station. With the manned radar station's closure in 1983, the airstrip now provides access to the site for supply runs and to transfer crews. It is staffed by five or fewer civilian contractors at any one time, and is not open to the public. During the winter months, it may be inaccessible due to the extreme weather conditions at the location.

Facilities and aircraft

Sparrevohn LRRS has one

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...

designated 16/34 with a

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

surface measuring 4,198 by 151 feet (1,280 x 46 m). For the 12-month period ending July 17, 1978, the airport had 240

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

aircraft operations, an average of 20 per month.

References

External links

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{{USAF Pacific Air Forces Airports in the Bethel Census Area, Alaska Military installations in Alaska