Page Field facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Page Field
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Lee County Port Authority | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Fort Myers, Florida | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 17 ft / 5 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 26°35′12″N 081°51′48″W / 26.58667°N 81.86333°W | ||||||||||||||
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_(2020).svg) FAA diagram |
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 FMY
Location in Florida
FMY
Location in the United States
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| Runway | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2019) | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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Page Field (FMY) is a public airport located in Fort Myers, Florida. It is owned by the Lee County Port Authority. This airport is special because it helps manage air traffic for the larger Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). It mainly handles private planes, business flights, and military aircraft.
History of Page Field
Page Field was first built in 1927 as a regular airport for civilian use. When World War II began, the military took over the airport. It was renamed Fort Myers Army Air Field. Later, it became Page Field Army Airfield.
The United States Army Air Forces used it for important missions. They flew planes like the B-24 Liberator to look for enemy submarines. They also trained bomber pilots here. After the war ended, the airport went back to civilian control. First, the State of Florida managed it, then Lee County took over.
In the 1930s, National Airlines started offering flights from Page Field. By 1957, it was the only airline flying there. In the 1950s, a small terminal was built for passengers. This terminal was made bigger in 1960. A brand new terminal opened on the north side of the airport in 1975.
Jet planes, like the National 727s, started using Page Field in the mid-1960s. In 1975, Eastern Air Lines also began flying from FMY. By 1981, many major airlines served the airport. These included Air Florida, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, and United Airlines.
However, Page Field became too small for all the airline flights. So, on May 14, 1983, all the airlines moved to a new, bigger airport. This new airport is now called Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). Today, Page Field is a "reliever airport." This means it helps reduce traffic at RSW by handling general aviation, business, and military flights.
Since 1983, Page Field has handled millions of aircraft operations. In 1987, it had its busiest year ever, with over 120,000 aircraft movements.
Airport Facilities
Page Field covers about 588 acres (238 hectares) of land. It sits at an elevation of 17 feet (5 meters) above sea level. The airport has two runways, both paved with asphalt.
- Runway 5/23 is 6,406 feet (1,953 meters) long.
- Runway 13/31 is 4,910 feet (1,497 meters) long.
In 2019, the airport had over 114,000 aircraft operations. This means planes took off or landed about 314 times each day. As of early 2020, more than 400 aircraft are based at Page Field.
There are 21 local businesses at the airport. These include places for flight training, plane rentals (charter services), and aircraft repair.
In August 2011, a new building called "Base Operations at Page Field" opened. This is a modern building that offers many services for pilots and passengers. It has a front desk, lounges for pilots, and rooms for planning flights. There's also free Wi-Fi and a gift shop. The airport has a large area for parking business aircraft. It also provides fuel for planes.
In October 2019, a new Multi-Use Hangar opened. This large building provides more space for aircraft. It also has offices for flight crews.
Page Field helps the local economy a lot. It brings in about $385 million every year.
Awards
- The Florida Department of Transportation recognized Page Field as the General Aviation Airport of the Year in both 2002 and 2008.
