Valdez Airport
Valdez Airport Pioneer Field | |||||||||||
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 Valdez Airport, left background, as seen in an aerial photo taken 1974 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | State of Alaska DOT&PF - Northern Region | ||||||||||
| Serves | Valdez, Alaska | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 128 ft / 39 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 61°08′02″N 146°14′54″W / 61.13389°N 146.24833°W | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  VDZ | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2021) | |||||||||||
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Valdez Airport (IATA: VDZ, ICAO: PAVD, FAA LID: VDZ),[2] also known as Pioneer Field, is a state-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Valdez, a city in the Chugach Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska.[1]
Facilities and aircraft
[edit]Valdez Airport covers an area of 836 acres (338 ha) at an elevation of 128 feet (39 m) above mean sea level. It has one asphalt paved runway designated 6/24 which measures 6,500 by 150 feet (1,981 x 46 m).[1]
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 10,300 aircraft operations, an average of 28 per day: 37% air taxi, 53% general aviation, 5% commercial, and 5% military. At that time there were 35 aircraft based at this airport: 25 single-engine, 1 multi-engine, 7 helicopter and 2 ultralight.[1]
Airlines and destinations
[edit]Historically, the airport had scheduled passenger jet service provided by Alaska Airlines during the mid-1970s. The Alaska Airlines system timetable dated February 1, 1975 lists a Boeing 727-100 flight nonstop to Anchorage. Era Aviation served the airport during the 1980s with Convair 580 and de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 turboprops.
Accidents near VDZ
[edit]- On April 25, 1964, an Air National Guard Fairchild C-123 Provider impacted Prince William Sound 1.5KM off shore 3 minutes after takeoff at night during heavy snowfall. All 4 occupants were killed.[3]
- On February 25, 1985, a USAF Boeing RC-135 crashed into a mountain after a few MLS approaches to Valdez Airport in poor visibility. All 3 occupants died.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for VDZ PDF, effective 2023-08-10
- ^ Great Circle Mapper: VDZ/PAVD - Valdez, Alaska
- ^ Accident description for 56-4388 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on August 14, 2023.
- ^ Accident description for 55-3121 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on August 14, 2023.
External links
[edit]- FAA Alaska airport diagram (GIF)
- FAA Terminal Procedures for VDZ, effective August 7, 2025
- Resources for this airport:
- FAA airport information for VDZ
- AirNav airport information for PAVD
- ASN accident history for VDZ
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations for PAVD
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for VDZ
