Fort Atkinson, US πΊπΈ Closed Airport
US-11350
-
1180 ft
US-IA
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 43.145Β° N, -92.053497Β° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: IA49
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Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
E/W |
2626 ft | 70 ft | TURF | Active Lighted |
Circa 2012-2014. The airport's owner and operator, Leo Jirak, passed away in January 2012. Satellite imagery from subsequent years shows the runway was no longer being maintained by 2013 and had been fully absorbed into the surrounding farmland by 2015.
The closure was the direct result of the death of its owner. Jirak Airport was a private airfield, and like many such strips, its operation was dependent on its sole owner-operator. After his passing, the family likely had no means or desire to continue maintaining an active runway, and the land was repurposed for its primary agricultural use.
The airport is permanently closed and no longer exists as an aviation facility. The land that once formed the runway has been fully reclaimed for agriculture and is actively farmed as cropland, indistinguishable from the adjacent fields. The farmstead, including a house and outbuildings that were associated with the airport's owner, remains to the west of the former runway location.
Jirak Airport was a classic example of a private American farm strip. It was not a public or commercial airport and had no significant historical events associated with it. Its purpose was to serve the general aviation needs of its owner. The airport consisted of a single turf runway, designated 18/36, with dimensions of approximately 2400 x 100 feet. Operations would have been limited to light, single-engine aircraft (e.g., Cessna or Piper models) used for personal and recreational flying.
There are no plans or prospects for reopening Jirak Airport. The land has been fully converted back to productive agricultural use, and the economic and personal motivation for the airport's existence is gone. Re-establishing an airport on the site would be impractical and is highly improbable.
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