A Historical Overview Of Olean Airport's Construction

when was the olean airport built

The Cattaraugus County-Olean Municipal Airport (KOLE) is a public-owned airport located 10 nautical miles north of Olean, New York. The airport was dedicated on May 30, 1959, and has been improving yearly with the help of FAA and NYS grants. The earliest depiction of the Olean Airport was on a 1929 Rand-McNally Standard Map of NY with Air Trails, described as a commercial airport with a 1,500-foot runway.

Characteristics Values
Name Cattaraugus County-Olean Municipal Airport
Location Township of Ischua, NY
Year Built 1929 (first depicted on a map)
Official Opening 30 May 1959
Elevation 2135 ft (651 m) above mean sea level
Area 426 acres (172 ha)
Runway 4/22: 4,800 ft (1,463 m) by 100 ft (30 m) with an asphalt surface; 16/34: 2,135 ft (651 m) by 100 ft (30 m) with a turf surface
Aircraft Operations 25,550 (in the 12 months ending 9 July 2009)
Aircraft Based at the Airport 12 (92% single-engine, 8% multi-engine)

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The Cattaraugus County-Olean Municipal Airport was dedicated on May 30, 1959

The dedication ceremony in 1959 was a grand event, with approximately 200 private planes flying in, along with a Mohawk Airlines plane. The Olean Pilots Club held a fly-in breakfast, and members of the National Midget Race Plane Association put on a flying exhibition. The event attracted approximately 10,000 spectators.

The construction of the Olean Airport was necessitated by the need for a longer runway to accommodate larger corporate aircraft. The airport was built primarily to serve the local industries, and it received support from both flyers and non-flyers in the community. Over the years, the airport has undergone several improvement projects, including the addition of new hangars, obstruction removal, and runway resurfacing.

Today, the Cattaraugus County-Olean Municipal Airport is a bustling aviation facility, serving the entire WNY region. It is home to two dozen aircraft and offers various amenities, including tie-down spaces, a fuel station, and improved lighting. The airport is also centrally located, making it a convenient option for many travellers and businesses.

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The airport is located 10 miles north of Olean, NY, and is the highest elevated airport in the state

The Cattaraugus County-Olean Municipal Airport is located 10 miles north of Olean, NY, and is the highest elevated airport in New York State. The airport is also known as Olean Airport and is situated at the top of County Road 81 off of Route 16 North, just inside the township of Ischua, NY. It is 2,135 feet (651 meters) above mean sea level.

Olean Airport was dedicated on May 30, 1959, and has been dubbed "The Island In The Sky" by local pilots. It is a public-owned and public-use airport, serving the entire WNY region. The airport covers an area of 426 acres and has two runways. The main runway, 4/22, is 4,800 feet long and 100 feet wide, with an asphalt surface. The second runway, 16/34, is 2,135 feet long and 100 feet wide, with a turf surface.

The airport has undergone several improvements over the years. In 2014, a new 10-bay t-hangar project was completed, providing much-needed rental space. In 2016, an obstruction removal project cleared tall trees from critical areas around the runways, improving visibility for approaching aircraft. The airport also installed new LED lighting on the main hangar and implemented a new high-speed internet system and WiFi for guests.

Olean Airport is home to around two dozen aircraft and offers various amenities, including tie-down spaces, a heated hangar, and a self-serve fuel station with a kiosk. It has a long-standing relationship with Mercy Flight and serves as a flight training facility for Bell Helicopter Pilots. The airport is utilized by a diverse range of users, from Washington DC politicians to entertainers and large companies interested in the area.

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Olean Airport is home to two dozen aircraft, with two 10-bay hangars and a heated main hangar

The Cattaraugus County-Olean Municipal Airport, also known as the Olean Airport, is a public-owned and public-use airport. It is located 10 nautical miles north of the central business district of Olean, a city in Cattaraugus County, New York. The airport is situated at the top of County Rd 81 off of Rt 16 North, just inside the township of Ischua, New York.

The Olean Airport offers a range of amenities and services for pilots and guests. It has three tie-down spaces at the far north end of the ramp and a self-serve fuel station with a light QT POD kiosk. The airport also features a pilot lounge equipped with a conference table, rocking chairs, and a couch, providing a comfortable resting area for pilots during layovers.

The airport's main hangar recently received new LED lighting, enhancing visibility for guests arriving after dark. This improvement was made possible by the City of Olean Electric Division. Additionally, the airport has an Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) operated by VISALA, providing pilots with real-time weather conditions, including critical landing information such as wind speed, direction, and precipitation.

Olean Airport, dubbed "The Island In The Sky" by local pilots, is the highest elevated airport in New York State. It has a 4,800-foot-long grooved runway sitting at 2,135 feet above sea level. The airport covers an area of 426 acres and includes two runways: 4/22, with an asphalt surface, and 16/34, with a turf surface.

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The earliest depiction of the airport was on a 1929 Rand-McNally Standard Map of NY, and it was also described in the 1933 Airport Directory

The Olean Airport, also known as the Cattaraugus County-Olean Municipal Airport, has a long history that dates back to the early 20th century. While the exact date of construction is unknown, the earliest known depiction of the airport is on a 1929 Rand-McNally Standard Map of New York. This map, which included air trails, labelled the airport as a commercial airport operated by D. Murphy, with a 1,500-foot runway. The map also showed a gas station adjacent to the airport and a small, dark building serving as the airport office.

Further insights into the early days of the Olean Airport come from a series of photographs taken in 1930 by Archibald Schuyler. These photos depict the airport as a grass airfield with a single arch-roof hangar and a small office building, consistent with the description on the 1929 map. Schuyler's photographs from this period provide a valuable visual record of the airport's early infrastructure.

In addition to the visual evidence, the Airport Directory Company's 1933 Airport Directory offers a written description of the Olean Airport. It is referred to as a commercial airport in Maplehurst, with a sod field spanning 50 acres and measuring 1,800 feet by 1,000 feet. Notably, the directory mentions a hangar with "Olean Airport Hinsdale NY" painted on the roof, further emphasising its commercial nature.

The Olean Airport continued to operate and was mentioned again in the 1934 Department of Commerce Airport Directory. However, sometime between 1934 and 1937, the airport closed down, as it was no longer listed in the subsequent editions of the Airport Directory. Despite this closure, the airport played a significant role in the local aviation landscape during its early years, serving as a commercial hub and accommodating small aircraft.

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The airport has undergone several improvement projects in the past decade, including a new 10-bay hangar and runway resurfacing

The Cattaraugus County-Olean Municipal Airport, also known as Olean Airport, has been improving annually, thanks to grants from the FAA and NYS. The airport has undergone several improvement projects over the past decade, including a new 10-bay hangar and runway resurfacing.

The Olean Airport was first depicted on a 1929 Rand-McNally Standard Map of NY with Air Trails, described as a commercial airport with a 1,500-foot runway. It was officially dedicated on May 30, 1959, and has been serving the region ever since.

In recent years, the airport has seen significant enhancements through various projects. In 2014, a new 10-bay t-hangar was constructed, providing much-needed rental space for its residents. This addition complemented the existing hangar facilities, which include two 10-bay t-hangars and a heated main hangar.

Another notable improvement was the runway resurfacing project, which was completed in August 2022. This project gave the airport a new grooved runway, seamlessly transitioning from the grass strip 16-34 to runway 4-22. The grooved runway is an impressive 4,800 feet long and 100 feet wide, sitting at an elevation of 2,135 feet above sea level.

Additionally, the airport has benefited from an obstruction removal project in 2016, where tall trees were cleared from critical areas around the runways, improving visibility for approaching aircraft. The perimeter fence project, completed in 2017-2018, further enhanced security by securing the entire airport property.

The airport also continuously improves its guest experience with amenities such as high-speed internet and a pilot lounge. These improvements, along with its central location in the WNY region, make the Olean Airport a convenient choice for various users, including Washington DC politicians, entertainers, and large companies.

Frequently asked questions

The Olean Airport was built in 1929 and was first depicted on a 1929 Rand-McNally Standard Map of NY with Air Trails. It was dedicated on May 30, 1959.

The Cattaraugus County-Olean Municipal Airport is located 10 nautical miles (12 mi, 19 km) north of the central business district of Olean, a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States.

The Olean Airport is the highest elevated airport in New York State. The airport sits at 2,135 feet (651 meters) above sea level.

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