Easterwood Airport (CLL)

Easterwood Airport

Easterwood Airport (Easterwood Field) is serving as the regional airport for Texas A&M University, Brazos County, Texas, and Bryan-College Station. Tha facility can be reached from Farm-To-Market Road 60 West (Raymond Stotzer Parkway), about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) from Texas A&M University and three miles southwest of College Station. No public transportation is available from Easterwood Airport to the surrounding areas; however, in 2019, a new university bus route started its operations aimed to connect CLL with the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center and Engineering Quad. Easterwood Airport bus route is available only to those with a University ID or Brazos Transit District ID. Despite managing and owning the property, there are no aviation courses at the University.

Easterwood Airport

History

In 1938 the Board of Directors of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (as Texas A&M was known at the time) authorized the development of the facility at the existing site. The University applied to the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) to receive a certification as a primary flight training school that was under provisions of the Civilian Pilot Training Program.

In 1940 CLL officially opened and was named after the U.S. Navy Lieutenant Jesse L. Easterwood. The Lieutenant was a former A&M student who was enlisted in the British Royal Naval Air Service in 1917. After being commissioned as Ensign, Easterwood was promoted to Lieutenant in the Naval Air Service. Thus he became the second American who qualified as Naval Aviation Pilot. In 1918 he was serving with the Royal Flying Corps and achieved sixteen successful raids behind German lines. The Lieutenant served in three foreign countries and died in an airplane accident in the Canal Zone on May 19, 1919. Jesse Easterwood was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously “for distinguished and heroic service as an aviator.”

In 1940 the airport had one hangar and a turf landing strip and taxiway, which were eventually paved through funding that was provided by the CAA, the Works Projects Administration (WPA), and Texas A&M.

In 1948 a large hangar was moved to the airfield from a U.S. Army flying field located near Corsicana, Texas. The FAA established a Flight Service Station (FSS) at CLL in 1951, and the same year, Pioneer Airlines started scheduled air service. Numerous changes have occurred, including relocating the Flight Service Station to Montgomery County, and American Eagle and United Express now offer scheduled air service.

The first control tower was erected at the Easterwood Airport in 1952, and in five years, a commercial passenger terminal was constructed. In 1984 work started on an extension of Runway 16-34 to its present 7,001-foot (2,134 m) length. At the same time, the parallel taxiway was extended to Runway 16-34.

Work on improvements of the airport access road started in 1988 as well as constructions of a new passenger terminal began. The new McKenzie Terminal opened in 1990, and it was decided to convert the old passenger terminal into a general aviation terminal. Subsequently, in 1994 CLL was remodeled and re-opened for service as a modern aviation facility, housing line service, flight operations as well as support of personnel.

Facilities

The facility covers about 700 acres (280 hectares). It includes two runways, 11/29, which is 5,158-foot (1,572 m) x 146 ft, asphalt and 17/35, which is 7,000-foot (2,100 m) X 150 ft. Asphalt-concrete, all-weather runway, an FAA control tower, an approach lighting system, an OmniRange-ILS Navigation Aid, and FAA radio communication all are available at the facility.

In the year ending December 31, 2019, CLL had 56,749 aircraft operations, that on average equals 155 per day: 58% general aviation, 9% air taxi, 33% military, and <1% airline. 50 aircraft were then based at this airport: 25 single-engine, 18 jet, five multi-engine, and two helicopters.

Easterwood Airport

Informational boxes