EVV, Evansville Regional Airport

EVV, Evansville Regional Airport

General Impression:

Evansville Regional Airport, is a small airport with only 9 gates.  Despite having 9 gates, EVV does not have any jet-bridges.  Though there are signs at the passenger gates that claim “jet-bridge” service coming soon.  It evokes memories of air-travel from the 1930s and 1940s, but is a quiet place to relax before your flight.  The structure and facilities are very industrial and utilitarian with much of the interior structure being unfinished concrete.  It truly reminds you that you’re in the Midwest.

EVV’s signage touting that it will soon have jet-bridges.

All the concessions are in the main terminal mezzanine before the security checkpoint, so if you want to go to the restaurant, bar, or internet café you will have to pass through the security checkpoint, which, at an airport of this size really isn’t an issue.

 

Perhaps one of EVV’s most endearing qualities is that it still has an old-fashioned 1940s style observation deck facing the main runway and over-looking the ramp.  Another interesting thing is the random play structure located in the ticketing area.  This is bound to keep small children entertained for quite some time.

WIFI:

Free WIFI is provided in a internet café that provides ample charging for your electronic devices as well as a comfortable place to relax before or in-between your flight.  The WIFI SSID is EVAADG and does not have password encryption.  For an airport of this size, it could be easily described as a ‘lounge’.  Considering that at most two 50-seat regional jets are in the airport at a time, it is unlikely to be full.

Power:

As said before, power is accessible in the internet café.  However in the passenger hold areas there isn’t access to power.

Plane Spotting:

While EVV is far from an active airport, it does have an old-fashioned observation deck, an ode to the ‘golden era’ of aviation.  It’s before the security checkpoint, so you don’t even have to be a ticketed passenger to watch the active area.

Restaurants/Shops:

As with airports of this size, there isn’t a lot of choice, there’s a single airport run restaurant that shares concession space with a small shop.  Directly next to it is a bar, though its signs were illuminated, it was closed (likely because I traveled there on a Sunday).
Terminal map:

Airport Website:

http://www.evvairport.com/
Statistics:

Runways: 3

Rwy 4/22

8020 x 150 ft

Approach lighting: MALSR 1,400ft medium intensity.

ILS
Rwy 18/36:

6286 x 150ft

No ILS and no approach lighting.

RWY 9/27:

3,497 x 75ft

No ILS, no approach lighting.

Average daily operations: 113

ICT, Mid-Continent Airport (Wichita)

Facilities:

ICT’s current facilities are very interesting.  Just looking at the terminal design as it is today it is very easy to see its roots.  ICT was first designed in 1951, as such the terminal was designed to accommodate old prop-drive aircraft DC-4s and Lockheed Constellations mainly.  The old terminal was actually two separate small passenger-hold buildings that would allow for aircraft to park directly on both sides of the building.  As ICT entered the jet-age it became apparent that it needed to be upgraded to handle jet-bridges.  In 1976 it was redesigned with two concourses.  Second levels were added to the old concourses and connected to each other by a second-level walkway which connected to the main terminal building.  Despite this, and a major renovation in 1989, the terminal feels very much like the 1950s all over again.  One almost expects to hear Frank Sinatra or Glenn Miller playing on the PA system here.

The airport authority has put together a great slideshow showing the evolution of ICT: http://www.flywichita.org/MCA-image-library.php 

That being said, the airport has more than ample space for the regional jets it mainly handles.  As such there is not much in the way of concessions, only a small sports bar and a Great American Bagel.

Seeing the brickwork on the inside gives the facility a turn of the century feel.

Spacious hold facilities for a very sleepy airport

Power outlets:

ICT does have several charging desks which are great to use laptop computers.  However they do not have charging polls or in-seat charging that many travelers are accustomed to for charging their mobile phones or tablet computers.

The free WiFi is fast, but I think a 737 is faster…

WiFi:

ICT does have free WiFi that works reasonably well, the SSID is “free” and there isn’t a password.

Airlines:

AirTran

Allegiant

American Airlines

Frontier

Delta

United

Terminal diagram:

Concourses: 2

Gates: 11

Elevation: 1,333ft

Runways: 3

Rwy 1L/19R:

10,301 x 150ft

ALSF2 2,400ft high intensity approach lighting (1L) MALSR 1,400ft medium intensity approach lighting system (19R)

ILS approach

Rwy 1R/19L:

7,301 x 150ft

MALSR 1,400ft medium intensity approach lighting system (1R and 19L)

ILS/DME approach

Rwy 14/32:

6,301 x 150ft

4-light PAPI wit 3-degree glide path

Airport website: http://www.flywichita.org/

HSV Huntsville/Decatur International Airport

Passenger Facilities:

HSV’s modern, open concourse.

A very nice painting, at first thought a 747 or a Concorde would seem out of place at HSV, considering that I ran into an AN-8 there, anything is possible.

Gates: 12

Power outlets: HSV, like many airport terminals does not seem to have access to power outlets at first glance.  There aren’t any dedicated charging stations located in the passenger hold areas.  However at every gate at there are four power outlets on the walls that are within reach of the seating area.  Given the fact that the airport is much larger than the passenger volumes it handles and the demographic flying out of the airport, it’s unlikely that there will be any fights over power outlets.

WIFI: WIFI is provided free, the SSID is the IATA airport identifier ‘HSV’.  Reception is good throughout the terminal and because of the limited number of passengers traveling through at any given time, the bandwidth is more than ample.  Also, unlike many larger airports that provide free WIFI (DEN), I did not get disconnect during my session.

VIP Lounges: there aren’t any airline associated VIP lounges.  Though the Blue Marble does have a smoking area/lounge that over-looks the taxi way.

Restaurant: McAlister’s Deli.  McAlister’s is reasonably priced (for an airport) and provides good menu selection.  It also has a seating area that over-looks one of the Airtran gates and gives a good view of one of the active runways.

The view from McAlister’s Deli.

Plane Spotting:  HSV is a good airport for plane spotting, there’s a good view from any gate, though the hold area of gates 9 and 10 gives a good 180 degree view of the taxiway and active runway(s).  It may not be as busy as an ATL or ORD, but it does provide for some pretty good spotting.  When I visited I saw an Anotonov AN-8 which is a rare aircraft over in Russia let alone here in the U.S.

The AN-8 I ran into. A rare sight indeed.

Overall impression;

HSV is a modern, quiet airport that is a great place to spend a few hours on a layover or a diversion.  If you enjoy plane spotting (like myself) it is a pleasant surprise.  The airport has an open feel and there’s more than ample hold-area seating.  The gates are designed to handle aircraft ranging in size from CRJ-200s to 737s and MD-80s.  The hold seating areas were designed to easily accommodate the full load of those larger aircraft.  Since most of the traffic are 50 seat regional jets this helps to contribute to the open, quiet and hassle free feel of HSV.

Airlines:  Airtran, American Airlines, Delta, Us Airways, United

Service:

Airtran: Baltimore/Washington, Orlando

American: Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth

Delta: Atlanta, Detroit

US Airways: Charlotte, Washington D.C. (National)

United: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Washington (Dulles)

Terminal map:

Airport Website: http://www.hsvairport.org/hia/index.html

Interesting facts:

The airport is relatively new, it was opened in 1967, and despite its small size it has a Four Points hotel operated by Sheraton located above the ticketing area.  In 2009 passengers departing from HSV paid the highest average airfare of any airport in the country.  In 1989 it was the first airport in the U.S. to use an ASR-9  dual-channel airport surveillance radar system.

Statistical information:

Gates: 12

Concourses: 1

Elevation: 629ft

Runways: 2

Rwy 18R/36L:

12,600ft x 150ft asphalt

ALSF2: 2,400ft high intensity lighting

MALSR: 1,400ft medium intensity lighting

ILS equipped

Rwy 18L/36R:

10,006ft x 150ft asphalt

MALSR: 1,400ft medium intensity lighting

ILS equipped.

Average aircraft operations/day: 221