The Airport is operated by the five-member Mason City Airport Commission, which employs five full-time and two-part time employees, and, according to Airport Manager, Dave Sims, relies partially on funds from Mason City for its operating expenses.

The Airport is also home to approximately 50 general aviation aircraft. Paul International Airport, Burlington Southeast Iowa Regional Airport, and Fort Dodge Regional Airport. Its commercial carrier, Air Choice One, offers flights to Chicago O’Hare, Minneapolis/St. The Airport is a certified Part 139 facility, categorized it as a non-primary commercial service airport. The airport now occupies over 1,100 acres, consists of two asphalt runways (12/30 is 5,502 ft.), and has a precision instrument landing approach to allow aircraft to land even in inclement weather.

In the 1960s, the Airport’s primary runway, 18/36, was extended to its current length of 6,501 feet, and the farmhouse was replaced with the current terminal facility. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, along with pilot Roger Peterson, in the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, after a concert in nearby Clear Lake. The Mason City Airport will forever be remembered as the site of a famous crash which killed musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. A remodeled farmhouse was used as the first terminal during the Airport’s dedication on June 22, 1946.ĭuring the 1950s, the Airport saw commercial airline service from several airline companies, including Mid-Continent, Braniff, and Ozark. At the time, the Airport had two paved runways, associated taxiways, and a small ramp area. It saw its first official landing in March 1945. In February 1942, the City of Mason City purchased 312 acres of land for a new airport, and began construction. The Mason City Municipal Airport is located six miles west of downtown Mason City, Iowa, in Cerro Gordo County. Mason City Municipal Airport Unique in the Midwestīusiness View Magazine interviews Dave Sims, Airport Manager at Mason City Municipal Airport, as part of our series on regional American airports.

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