The Whiteside County Airport , also known as Joseph H. Bittorf Field, is a public-use airport serving
Rock Falls, Illinois
Rock Falls is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. The recorded population was 8,606 at the 2020 census, down 7.12% from 9,266 in 2010. The city is located on the Rock River, directly opposite its twin city of Sterling.
Geogr ...
, United States, as well as the Sauk Valley and
Dixon area.
Runways and facilities
The airport has two runways. Runway 7/25 measures 6499 x 150 ft (1981 x 46 m) and is friction. This length makes the runway capable of serving aircraft from the
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two un ...
and
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a series of Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus.
The A320 was launched in March 1984, Maiden flight, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air F ...
families.
The other runway, 18/36, is 3900 x 100 ft (1189 x 30 m) and is also asphalt.
The airport's
FBO is Sauk Valley Aviation. The airport offers fueling and parking services in addition to aircraft rental and flight training; aircraft maintenance, modifications, cleaning, and parts; and pilot services like a courtesy car, lounge, and WiFi.
Aircraft
Based on the 12-month period ending March 31, 2021, the airport averages 90 aircraft operations per day, or roughly 33,000 per year, consisting of 98%
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 ...
, 2%
air taxi
An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand.
In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) an ...
, and <1% military. For that same time period, there are 41 aircraft based on the field: 40 single-engine and 1 multi-engine.
Accidents and indcidents
*On July 27, 2006, a Beechcraft Baron executed a forced landing at Whiteside County Airport. The aircraft had been in a holding pattern following a missed approach at the airport when an engine failed.
Instrument Meteorological Conditions
In aviation, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) is a METAR, flight category that describes weather conditions that require pilots to fly primarily by reference to Flight instruments, instruments, and therefore under instrument flight rule ...
prevailed at the time. The pilot received serious injuries. The probable cause of the accident was determined to be fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to ensure an adequate supply of fuel for the flight.
*On July 23, 2021, a
Cessna 150
The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 22-23. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. In 19 ...
flown by aviation YouTube personality
Dan Gryder crashed while flying at the Whiteside County Airshow near the airport. The aircraft performed an off-airport emergency landing and flipped onto its top. Neither Gryder nor his passenger were injured, and both refused medical treatment. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
See also
*
List of airports in Illinois
This is a list of airports in Illinois (a U.S. state), grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public-use and military airports in the state. Some private-use and former airports may be included where notable, such as airports that ...
References
External links
Whiteside County Airport official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiteside County Airport
Airports in Illinois
Transportation in Whiteside County, Illinois