Wikipedia

Henry County Airport (Ohio)

Henry County Airport (FAA LID: 7W5) is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Napoleon, a city in Henry County, Ohio, United States. It is owned by the Henry County Airport Authority.[1] This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.[2]

Henry County Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerHenry County Airport Authority
ServesHenry County, Ohio
LocationNapoleon, Ohio
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (-5)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (-4)
Elevation AMSL683 ft (208 m)
Coordinates41°22′27″N 084°04′04″W / 41.37417°N 84.06778°W / 41.37417; -84.06778
Websitehttps://www.henrycountyohio.gov/167/Airport
Map
7W5 is located in Ohio
7W5
7W5
Location of airport in Ohio
7W5 is located in the United States
7W5
7W5
7W5 (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
10/28 4,001 1,220 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations (year ending 10/3/2023)5,520
Based aircraft15
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

History

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Efforts to build a municipal airport for Napoleon had begun by mid February 1966, when arguments were being made in favor of such a facility.[3] However, in April the county commissioners rejected a proposal to use land from the county for an airport.[4]

Earlier efforts to build an airport had resulted in authority for the project devolved to the City of Napoleon. However, the availability of a state grant that required county involvement caused the latter to be brought back onboard the airport commission in February 1969.[5] The state grant was approved in early April.[6] A 60-acre (24 ha) parcel had been selected by mid April 1969 and a contractor selected late the following month.[7][8] Construction had started by mid August and the final layer of pavement was being applied to the runway in mid November.[9][10] The airport was completed by the end of the year, but was prevented from opening by a lawsuit brought by nearby property owners.[11] They argued that the airport would hurt their property values and the injunction was not to be lifted until the airport commission purchased their land.[12][13] After initially being ruled in the owners' favor, the decision was overturned in late July 1971 and the airport permitted to open.[14] The airport and its 4,100 ft (1,200 m) was finally dedicated on 30 December 1974.[15][16] By mid February 1975, the terminal building that was erected the year before was still largely empty.[17]

A new airport manager was hired in 1978 after the existing manager refused a new contract.[18][a] Two 250 ft (76 m) runway extensions were completed in 1979.[20][21] By early February 1983, three hangars – including one 10-unit t-hangar – had been built.[21]

S&P Aviation took over as the fixed-base operator in November 1991, but announced it would leave for the Fulton County Airport less than two years later. The company cited a lack of coordination with the county and a reduced budget as reasons for the move.[22]

The airport received a federal grant in early July 2009 to replace runway approch lights.[23]

In 2023, concerns over the airport's future were raised because much of the maintenance work at the airport is performed by volunteers.[24]

Facilities and aircraft

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Henry County Airport covers an area of 47 acres (19 ha) at an elevation of 683 feet (208 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 10/28 with an asphalt surface measuring 4,001 by 60 feet (1,220 x 18 m).[1]

The airport has a fixed-base operator that sells fuel and offers services such as general maintenance and hangars as well as amenities like conference rooms, a crew lounge, pilot supplies, and more.[25][26]

For the 12-month period ending October 3, 2023, the airport had 5,520 aircraft operations, an average of 106 per week: 100% general aviation, <1% air taxi, and <1% military. At that time there were 15 aircraft based at this airport: 14 single-engine, and 1 multi-engine.[1]

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 17 July 1997, a Cessna 120 crashed due to engine failure after taking off from the airport, injuring the pilot.[27]
  • On 22 June 1998, a Beechcraft Bonanza suffered a landing gear collapse while landing at the airport.[28]
  • On February 3, 2001, an Enstrom F28A helicopter was substantially damaged after the main rotor separated and it collided with terrain while on final approach to the Henry County Airport. The pilot said the purpose of the flight was to provide a sightseeing/orientation flight to the two passengers during an airport open house. According to the pilot, the helicopter developed an in-flight vibration just after takeoff. He returned to the airport, and the main rotor detached 10 feet above the ground. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the fatigue failure in the fillet radius of the mast, which resulted in the separation of the main rotor system.[29]
  • On April 21, 2018, a Taylorcraft BC12-65 was damaged during a runway excursion while landing at the Henry County Airport. The airplane was touching down when it ran off the runway and overturned.[30]

See also

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References

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Footnotes

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  1. ↑ The fixed-base operator would be named Eagles Nest, Inc.[19]

Notes

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  1. 1 2 3 4 "FAA Airport Form 5010 for 7W5" (PDF). FAA. . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective November 30, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Appendix A: List of NPIAS Airports with 5-Year Forecast Activity and Development Cost". National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) Reports. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-10-27.
  3. ↑ "Airstrip Facilities Increase County's Potential". Northwest-Signal. 17 February 1966. p. 2. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Henry County Refuses Ground for Airstrip". The Blade. 26 April 1966. p. 21. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  5. ↑ Braatz, George (19 February 1969). "Napoleon Airport Panel Reorganizing in Attempt to Get State Aid". The Blade. p. 49. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "$100,000 Granted for County Airport". Northwest Signal. 4 April 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "2,000 Signers Reported on Petition for Henry County Vote on Airport". The Blade. 16 April 1969. p. 49. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  8. ↑ "C.F. Gerken Awarded Contract for Airport". Northwest Signal. 26 May 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "[Untitled]". Northwest Signal. 20 August 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "[Untitled]". Northwest Signal. 17 November 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Airport's Fate Up to Court". The Blade. 21 January 1971. p. 21. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Lawsuit Seeks to Block Construction of Napoleon-Henry County Airport". The Blade. 14 May 1969. p. 51. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  13. ↑ "Henry County Airport Closed by Suit". The Blade. 19 December 1969. p. 23. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "Court Rules in Favor of Airport". Northwest-Signal. 26 July 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Henry County Struggle Over Airport Ended". The Blade. 31 December 1974. p. 11. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  16. ↑ "Airport Dedicated". Northwest-Signal. 31 December 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  17. ↑ Perrault, Larry (19 February 1975). "Plans, Headaches Mix as Flying Buff Builds Airport to Serve Henry County". The Blade. p. 19. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Keedy, Kathy (20 April 1978). "Michael Jacobs Hired as New Operator of County Airport". Northwest-Signal. p. 2. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  19. ↑ Shoop, Kathy (3 February 1983). "Mike Jacobs Keeps the Henry County Airport on the Go". Northwest Signal. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "Notice to Bidders". Northwest-Signal. 5 October 1979. p. 9. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  21. 1 2 Shoop, Kathy (1 February 1983). "Henry County Airport Grows Over the Years". Northwest Signal. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  22. ↑ Liskai, Brian P. (6 July 1993). "County Airport Gets New Managers". Fulton County Expositor. p. 1. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  23. ↑ Griteman, Brenna (9 July 2009). "Henry County Airport Receives $300,000 Grant". Northwest Signal. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  24. ↑ Lazenby, Jen (31 May 2023). "Concerns Shared About Future of Henry County Airport". Northwest Signal. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  25. ↑ "Ames Aviation FBO Info & Fuel Prices at Henry County (7W5)". FlightAware. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  26. ↑ "Airport | Henry County, OH". www.henrycountyohio.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  27. ↑ "Ridgeville Pilot Released from Hospital After Crash". Archbold Buckeye. 23 July 1997. p. 6. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  28. ↑ "2 in Plane Uninjured as Landing Gear Fails". The Blade. 24 June 1998. p. 13. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  29. ↑ "Enstrom F28A crash in Ohio (N98PM) | PlaneCrashMap.com". planecrashmap.com. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  30. ↑ "OSHP Investigating Plane Crash in Henry County - The Village Reporter". The Village Reporter. 2018-04-22. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
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