Oakland County International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located in Waterford Township,
Oakland County
Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan ...
, Michigan, United States. The airport is located approximately one mile from the center of Waterford Township and
Oakland County
Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan ...
. It is included in the
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
(FAA)
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. NPIAS was developed and now maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
It identifies existing and proposed airports tha ...
for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a non primary commercial service facility.
It is the sixth-busiest airport in the United States without scheduled passenger service. Charters carrying sports teams competing at the now-defunct
Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Sho ...
nearby frequently used the airport. The airport was originally called Pontiac Municipal Airport when it opened in 1928 and became Oakland-Pontiac Airport later before adopting its current name.
The airport holds an open house every year, showing aircraft based at PTK, military aircraft and vintage aircraft. The
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
acts as security for the open house.
History
The city of
Pontiac Pontiac may refer to:
*Pontiac (automobile), a car brand
*Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief
Places and jurisdictions Canada
*Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality
** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...
purchased of land on September 12, 1928, and on November 27 of that year the airport opened. It received its dedication the following June and was named Pontiac Airport. The Oakland County government bought the airport on February 25, 1967. The Oakland County Board of Commissioners gave the airport its current name on March 7, 1996, after L. Brooks Patterson suggested renaming the airport.
During 2013, Lakeshore Express operated by
Pentastar Aviation
Pentastar Aviation is an American aviation services company based in Waterford, Oakland County, Michigan. It provides domestic and international private charter flights, avionics, maintenance services, in-flight catering and FBO services. Origina ...
operated flights from PTK to
Chicago-Midway
Chicago Midway International Airport , typically referred to as Midway Airport, Chicago Midway, or simply Midway, is a major commercial airport on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the ...
and Pellston.
Lakeshore Express flights suspended operation in April 2014 as operator Pentastar Aviation elected to cease operating the flights.
Facilities and aircraft
Located at 6500 Patterson Parkway, Waterford, MI 48327, Oakland County International Airport covers an area of at an elevation of 981 feet (299 m) above
mean sea level
There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics. Each mean serves to summarize a given group of data, often to better understand the overall value ( magnitude and sign) of a given data set.
For a data set, the '' ...
. It has three
asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...
paved
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 ...
s: 9R/27L is 6,521 by 150 feet (1,987 x 46 m); 9L/27R is 5,676 by 100 feet (1,730 x 30 m); 18/36 is 2,582 by 75 feet (788 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 126,290 aircraft operations, an average of 346 per day: 90%
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 ...
, 10%
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) ...
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
. At that time, there were 623 aircraft based at this airport: 308 single-engine airplanes, 204 jets, 96 multi-engine airplanes, and 15
helicopters
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
.
Added to the airport facility in 2004, as part of a noise abatement project, is a Ground Run-up Enclosure, or "Hush House." This 3-sided structure is used by aviation mechanics for testing turbine powered aircraft. The airplane is taxied inside the structure and turned so the exhaust and thrust is facing the rear wall. The mechanics can then run the engines at high power. A majority of the noise will be either absorbed by the walls or deflected upward, reducing the impact to the surrounding community.
The airport has seven FBOs that offer fuel, aircraft maintenance, catering, hangars, courtesy transportation, conference rooms, crew lounges, snooze rooms, showers, and more.
Accidents & Incidents
*On April 5, 1982, a Beech 95 Travel Air crashed at Oakland County Airport.
*On December 11, 1984, a Piper PA-31 Navajo crashed at Oakland County Airport.
*On July 4, 1987, a Beech S35 crashed at Oakland County Airport.
*On January 10, 1988, a Fairchild SA226T Merlin crashed while operating at the airport.
*On May 25, 1988, a Chappel Ratsrepus 30 crashed while operating at the airport. Destructive wing/aileron flutter is suspected, but the theory is not sufficiently substantiated through research and investigation to be considered the probable cause of this accident.
*On August 26, 1989, a Fiel BD-5 crashed after takeoff from Oakland County. The probable cause was found to be the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in a stall/spin. The accident was caused by an excessive pull-up maneuver and the pilot's lack of total experience in the aircraft.
*On August 26, 2001, a Hughes 269B was substantially damaged during a simulated autorotation at Oakland County. The engine failed during the power-recovery phase of autorotational descent, and a main rotor blade contacted the tailboom after touchdown. It was found the operator did not comply with associated checklists.
*On September 2, 2003, a Cessna 152 sustained substantial damage when its nose landing gear collapsed while landing at Oakland County. The probable cause was found to be the solo student pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
*On December 3, 2003, a Cessna 152 impacted terrain while executing a forced landing near Pontiac. The aircraft was on final for Oakland County Airport when it experienced a loss of engine power, the cause of which could not be determined.
*On September 18, 2004, an Abbott RAF 2000 sustained substantial damage during a forced landing at Oakland County. The private pilot onboard had completed an engine run for 30-40 minutes before takeoff to verify operation after a recent engine cooling system modification. The pilot noted performance was not as expected on initial climbout, and the aircraft started to lose power, forcing the pilot to land off-airport despite an attempt to return to the airport. The probable cause was found to be partial power loss due to overheating of the cylinders due to the pilot's improper servicing of the modified engine cooling system, particularly doing so without maintenance instructions available for reference.
*On January 27, 2006, a Bellanca 7ECA impacted terrain while maneuvering for landing at Oakland County. The plane, which had been operating in the traffic pattern, was reported to be in a steep bank before descending and impacting the ground. The commercial pilot and flight instructor onboard received fatal injuries. The probable cause of the accident was found to be an excessive bank angle executed by the flight crew and their failure to maintain airspeed during the turn, leading to an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with the ground. A contributing factor was low altitude.
*On September 29, 2006, a Beechcraft B19 Musketeer crashed at Oakland during a hard landing. The aircraft porpoised during landing, resulting in a nose landing gear collapse. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's failure to perform a go-around when he realized the aircraft was not stabilized on final.
*On September 5, 2007, a
Cessna 172 Skyhawk
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.Cessna 172 Skyhawk
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.Cessna 172 Skyhawk
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.Luscombe 8 was substantially damaged during a landing attempt at Oakland. The pilot reported that the aircraft weathervaned into the 90-degree crosswind after touchdown which the pilot was unable to correct. The aircraft skidded off the runway, struck airport lights and signs, and came to rest on the nose, damaging the fuselage and the right wing. The probable cause was found to be the pilot's failure to main control of the aircraft while landing with a left quartering tailing. Contributing was the pilot's inability to conduct a go-around due to carburetor-ice induced loss of engine power.
*On December 23, 2016, an Aeronca 15AC Sedan was substantially damaged while landing at Oakland County. The sole pilot onboard, who was uninjured, was practicing landings in the aircraft, which was tail-wheel equipped. After 15 landings, all of which were uneventful, the aircraft suddenly swerved left after touchdown on the final attempt. The pilot attempted to regain control, but the aircraft entered another swerve to the right and impacted a snowbank near the runway, at which point it nosed over.
*On April 9, 2017, a Piper PA-28 Cherokee crashed during a touch-and-go due to a landing gear collapse. The two onboard were uninjured, but the aircraft was substantially damaged. The probable cause of the incident was found to be maintenance personnel's improper securing of an unused instrument lamp socket, resulting in an electrical short of the landing gear controls, preventing the gear from transitioning to the full down & locked position.