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Findlay Airport
Findlay Airport
	IATA: FDY; ICAO: KFDY; FAA LID: FDY;
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	City of Findlay
Serves	Findlay, Ohio
Location	Hancock County, Ohio
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (-5)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (-4)
Elevation AMSL	813 ft / 248 m
Coordinates	41°00′43″N 083°40′07″W / 41.01194°N 83.66861°W
Map
	FDY FDY
Runways
Statistics (2021)
Aircraft operations
Aircraft operations	24,550
Based aircraft	26
	Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Findlay Airport (IATA: FDY, ICAO: KFDY, FAA LID: FDY) is 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of Findlay, in Hancock County, Ohio.^[2]

History

Lake Central Airlines scheduled flights to Findlay from 1961 until 1965-66. In the late 1960s, Northern Airlines provided commuter service to Findlay. The airline provided 6 weekday departures (fewer on weekends). Three of the flights were nonstop to Cleveland Hopkins International & three to Lima, OH, continuing to St. Mary's OH & Dayton.^[3]

The airport hosted a Wings & Wheels car show and EAA fly-in in 2023. The event featured a Ford Trimotor, food trucks, vintage cars, a kids' zone, and more.^[4]^[5]

Facilities and aircraft

Facilities

Findlay Airport covers 338 acres (137 ha) at an elevation of 813 feet (248 m). It has two runways: runway 18/36 is 6,499 by 100 ft (1,981 x 30 m) and runway 7/25 is 5,883 by 100 ft (1,793 x 30 m.^[6]

The airport has a fixed-base operator that offers fuel, both avgas and jet fuel, and amenities such as courtesy transportation, WiFi, a conference room, a crew lounge, and more.^[7]

Facility Upgrades

The airport applied to receive federal stimulus dollars in 2018 to improve a taxiway, but the proposal was rejected because a watchdog said the airport does not see enough traffic to justify the funds.^[8]

The airport did receive nearly $2 million from the US Department of Transportation in 2022 to build a new aircraft parking area, allowing the airport to receive larger aircraft, improve drainage, and improve pavement markings. An adjacent tie-down apron and the taxilane to the airport's t-hangars were also upgraded. Some federal funds were provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and additional funds were provided by the State of Ohio and the city of Findlay.^[9]^[10]

Aircraft

In the year ending July 15, 2021, the airport had 24,550 aircraft operations, average 67 per day: 98% general aviation, 2% air taxi and <1% military. For the same period, 26 aircraft were based at the airport: 20 airplanes, including 19 single-engine and 1 multi-engine, and 6 jets.^[6]

Accidents and incidents

On December 10, 1963 a Douglas A-26 Invader stalled and crashed during a landing approach, killing 3 in the plane.^[11]
On November 3, 1967, a Cessna 421 Golden Eagle crashed while on a demonstration flight for new customers. While on approach to Findlay, the aircraft got too low, and the pilot did not correct. The aircraft struck trees short of the runway. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the improper IFR operation on part of the pilot-in-command who misjudged altitude and misread instruments/altimeter settings.^[12]
On December 12, 1972, a Hawker-Siddeley HS.125-3A crashed on approach to Findlay. The crew encountered below minima weather conditions with fog and low ceiling. Unable to locate the runway, the captain decided to abandon the approach and initiated a go-around. The second approach was also missed, but on the third approach, the pilots descended below minimums on the instrument approach. The aircraft struck tree tops, stalled, and crashed into a wooded area a few yards short of the airport.^[12]
On February 22, 2022, a Piper PA32 Cherokee Six crashed while attempting an instrument approach at Findlay. Witnesses reported hearing a loud engine or low RPM noise followed by silence, while others said the plane's lights disappeared into houses around 150-250 AGL. An investigation is ongoing.^[13]