Illinois Valley Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Illinois Valley Airport
|
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Josephine County Airports | ||||||||||
| Location | Cave Junction, Oregon | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,394 ft / 425 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°06′13″N 123°40′57″W / 42.10361°N 123.68250°W | ||||||||||
| Runway | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Statistics (2004) | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
|
|||||||||||
|
Siskiyou Smokejumper Base
|
|
 Location in Oregon
Location in the United States
|
|
| Nearest city | Cave Junction, Oregon |
|---|---|
| Architectural style | mid-20th-century rustic |
| NRHP reference No. | 06001035 (original) 14000960 (increase) |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 17, 2006 |
| Boundary increase | November 24, 2014 |
Illinois Valley Airport is a public airport located in Oregon, United States. It's also known as the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base or the Cave Junction Airport. The airport is about four miles (6.4 km) southwest of Cave Junction, a city in Josephine County. It is owned by Josephine County.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
The Illinois Valley Airport was built by the U.S. Forest Service. It started operating in 1943. From 1943 to 1981, it was a special base for Smokejumpers.
What are Smokejumpers?
Smokejumpers are brave firefighters who parachute from planes into remote areas. They fight wildfires in places that are hard to reach by ground. At this base, smokejumpers made thousands of jumps to fight fires.
The Smokejumper Museum
Today, the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base is a museum. It's called the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Museum. You can take free tours of the museum. These tours are available daily from March 15 to November 15. Many community members and retired smokejumpers have helped restore the buildings.
Moon Trees and a Special Race
A firefighter named Stuart Roosa worked at the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base in 1954. Later, in 1971, he became an astronaut. He took special Douglas fir seeds with him on a trip to the Moon!
When he returned, the Forest Service planted these "Moon Trees" all over the U.S. Two of these special trees were planted at the Illinois Valley Airport. The smokejumpers took care of them.
Sadly, both Moon Trees at the airport died after the smokejumpers left. To honor Roosa's trip, a race called the Moon Tree Run (10k) used to be held every year. This race has recently started again thanks to volunteers. It's a mixed terrain race, and there's also a shorter 5k race.
What's at the Airport?
The Illinois Valley Airport covers an area of about 175 acres (71 hectares). It has one asphalt paved runway. The runway is 4,807 feet long and 75 feet wide (1,465 x 23 meters).
In 2004, the airport had 6,000 aircraft operations. All of these were for general aviation. General aviation means flights that are not for airlines or military. This includes private planes, training flights, and other non-commercial uses.
The airport used to have a restaurant and a small campground. It also offered aircraft rentals and flight lessons.
