Purdue University's Airport: An On-Campus Aviation Hub

Purdue University Airport (IATA: LAF, ICAO: KLAF, FAA LID: LAF) is a public-use airport in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. It is owned by Purdue University and is located 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southwest of the central business district of Lafayette, Indiana, in West Lafayette. Purdue University Airport was founded in 1930 and was the first university-owned airport in the United States.

Purdue University Airport is a public-use airport in Tippecanoe County, Indiana

Purdue University Airport (IATA: LAF, ICAO: KLAF, FAA LID: LAF) is a public-use airport in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. It is owned by Purdue University and is located 2 nautical miles (3.7 km or 2.3 mi) southwest of the central business district of Lafayette, Indiana, in West Lafayette. Purdue University Airport was the first university-owned airport in the United States when it opened in 1930. The airport is home to Purdue University's School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, with over 1,000 students, and its nationally known flight school. The original hangar, now known as the Niswonger Hall of Aviation Technology, is still used by the Department of Aviation Technology for offices, classrooms, and laboratories.

The Purdue University Airport covers an area of 527 acres (213 ha) at an elevation of 606 feet (185 m) above sea level. It has two asphalt runways: 10/28, which is 6,600 by 150 feet (2,012 x 46 m), and 5/23, which is 4,225 by 100 feet (1,288 x 30 m). Runway 10 has a Category 1 ILS approach, and both runways 10 and 28 are served by GPS WAAS approaches. The airport also has a VOR-A approach available. Runway 10 occasionally uses a shortened configuration, where aircraft land at the beginning of the runway but do not use its full length, allowing both runways to be used simultaneously.

The Purdue University Airport is one of the busiest airports in Indiana due to the heavy traffic generated by Purdue University and its flight programs. It is served by Southern Airways Express, offering daily passenger flights to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The airport also serves commercial airline passengers, passenger and cargo charters, and military operators. In addition, it has an FAA-staffed air traffic control tower, making it the second busiest tower in Indiana.

The airport has a rich history in aviation. Amelia Earhart, an adjunct faculty member at Purdue University, prepared her Lockheed Model 10 Electra airplane for her around-the-world flight attempt in Hangar 1 at the airport. During World War II, hundreds of members of the U.S. Army, Navy, and War Training Service, as well as several commercial pilots from Latin America, received their training at the airport. Purdue University also had its own airline based at the airport, first known as Purdue Aeronautics Corporation and later as Purdue Airlines, operating from 1942 to 1971.

It is the second-busiest airport in Indiana

Purdue University Airport (IATA: LAF, ICAO: KLAF, FAA LID: LAF) is indeed the second-busiest airport in Indiana. It is a public-use airport in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, and is owned by Purdue University. It is located 2 nautical miles (3.7 km or 2.3 mi) southwest of the central business district of Lafayette, Indiana, in West Lafayette.

The airport is one of the busiest in Indiana due to the high traffic generated by Purdue University and its flight programs. The Purdue University Airport is second only to the Indianapolis International Airport in terms of passenger traffic. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the airport handled 3,161 passenger boardings in 2022. The airport is served by Southern Airways Express, offering daily flights to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

Purdue University Airport has an FAA-staffed air traffic control tower, which is the second busiest in Indiana. The airport covers 527 acres of land, with two asphalt runways: 10/28 and 5/23. Runway 10 has a Category 1 ILS approach, and both runways 10 and 28 are served by GPS WAAS approaches. The airport also offers a VOR-A approach. Runway 10 occasionally employs a land and hold short operation (LAHSO) procedure, allowing both runways to be used simultaneously.

The history of Purdue University Airport is quite remarkable. Founded in 1930, it was the first university-owned airport in the United States. Inventor-industrialist David E. Ross donated the land, and it became an emergency landing strip the same year. The airport has a rich aviation legacy, with Amelia Earhart preparing her plane for her around-the-world flight attempt in Hangar 1. During World War II, the airport trained hundreds of US Army, Navy, and War Training Service personnel, as well as commercial pilots from Latin America. Purdue University even operated its own airline, Purdue Airlines, from 1942 to 1971.

The airport is home to Purdue University's flight school

Purdue University has its own airport, the Purdue University Airport (LAF), which was the first university-owned airport in the United States. The airport was founded in 1930 when inventor-industrialist David E. Ross donated a tract of land to be used as an aeronautical education and research facility at Purdue University. The airport is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and is 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southwest of the central business district. It covers an area of 527 acres (213 ha) at an elevation of 606 feet (185 m) above sea level.

The Purdue University Airport is home to Purdue University's nationally known flight school, which offers instruction from pre-solo all the way through Air Transport Pilot. The airport has two asphalt-paved runways: 10/28 and 5/23, and is served by Southern Airways Express, offering daily passenger flights to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

The original hangar, now known as the Niswonger Hall of Aviation Technology, is still used by Purdue University's Department of Aviation Technology for offices, classrooms, and laboratories. The airport is also used for maintenance and inspection training by the Aeronautical Engineering Technology program. Purdue University's rich legacy in aviation includes the fact that Amelia Earhart prepared her plane for her around-the-world flight attempt at the airport in 1937. During World War II, hundreds of members of the US Army, Navy, and War Training Service, as well as several commercial pilots from Latin America, were trained at the airport.

The Purdue University Airport is a busy airport, second only to the Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana, and is an important part of the university's aviation programs. It serves commercial airline passengers, passenger and cargo charters, and military operators, and is the "largest classroom on campus" for over 1,000 students in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology.

Purdue University Airport is the first university-owned airport in the US

Purdue University Airport (LAF) in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, is the first university-owned airport in the United States. It was founded in 1930 when inventor-industrialist David E. Ross donated a tract of land to be used as an aeronautical education and research facility at Purdue University. The US government designated Purdue University Airport as an emergency landing strip on November 1, 1930, and Runway 5/23 was paved later that decade. Amelia Earhart prepared her plane for her around-the-world flight attempt in Hangar 1 at the airport. The original hangar, now known as the Niswonger Hall of Aviation Technology, is still used by Purdue University's Department of Aviation Technology for offices, classrooms, and laboratories. The bay that once held Earhart's plane now contains aircraft used by the Aeronautical Engineering Technology program for maintenance and inspection training.

Purdue University Airport covers an area of 527 acres at an elevation of 606 feet above mean sea level. It has two asphalt runways: 10/28 and 5/23. Runway 10 has a Category 1 ILS approach, and both runways are served by GPS WAAS approaches. A VOR-A approach is also available. Runway 10 is sometimes used in a shortened configuration, with aircraft landing at the beginning of the runway but not using its full length, allowing both runways to be used simultaneously. This procedure, known as a land and hold short operation (LAHSO), is common in the US.

The airport is home to Purdue University's nationally known flight school, which offers instruction from pre-solo to Air Transport Pilot. It is also the "largest classroom on campus" for over 1,000 students in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. Purdue University Airport is one of the busiest airports in Indiana, second only to Indianapolis International Airport. It is served by Southern Airways Express, which operates daily passenger flights to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The airport also serves commercial airline passengers, passenger and cargo charters, and military operators.

Purdue University Airport has a rich aviation legacy, with a history of fostering innovation and improving efficiency, safety, reliability, and the passenger experience. It has played a significant role in the university's long aviation history, including training hundreds of members of the US Army, Navy, and War Training Service during World War II, as well as several commercial pilots from Latin America. From 1942 to 1971, Purdue University had its own airline based at the airport, first known as Purdue Aeronautics Corporation and later as Purdue Airlines, operating Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-6, and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jet aircraft.

The airport offers daily round-trip flights from Greater Lafayette to Chicago

Purdue University has its own airport, the Purdue University Airport (LAF), which was the first university-owned airport in the United States when it opened in 1930. The airport is located in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southwest of the central business district of Lafayette, Indiana, in West Lafayette. It is one of the busiest airports in Indiana, serving commercial airline passengers, passenger and cargo charters, and military operators.

The Purdue University Airport offers daily round-trip flights from Greater Lafayette to Chicago, in partnership with Southern Airways Express. This provides a convenient and cost-effective option for travellers in the region, with savings on parking and transportation. The airport is also served by other airlines, including Southern Airways Express, which offers flights to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

The airport covers an area of 527 acres (213 ha) and has two asphalt-paved runways: 10/28 and 5/23. Runway 10 has a Category 1 ILS approach, and both runways are served by GPS WAAS approaches. The airport is equipped with an FAA-staffed air traffic control tower, which is the second busiest in Indiana.

Purdue University Airport has a rich history in aviation. It was once used by Amelia Earhart, who prepared her plane for her around-the-world flight attempt in Hangar 1. During World War II, hundreds of members of the U.S. Army, Navy, and War Training Service, as well as several commercial pilots from Latin America, received their training at the airport. The original hangar, now known as the Niswonger Hall of Aviation Technology, is still used by Purdue University's Department of Aviation Technology. The airport also houses the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, serving as the "largest classroom on campus" for over 1,000 students.

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