Middletown Regional Airport/Hook Field
V
isitors to Middletown are often
surprised to find out the City has
an airport that can accommodate
aircraft as large as 757s. With a
6,500-foot-long runway and an array
of aviation-related companies and
support services, Middletown Regional
Airport (MWO)—also known as
“Hook Field”—offers a wide variety of
opportunities for companies involved
in aviation or for people who just
want to visit and enjoy a weekend
of exploration. As the number of
operations has more than doubled in
the last three years to more than 7,500
per month, the number of businesses
with an aviation connection taking
advantage of Hook Field has also
substantially increased.
Companies with multiple regional
locations are able to quickly navigate
between their facilities by using Hook
Field. If they are just making a quick
stopover, they can take advantage
of the 40,000-gallon aboveground
fuel storage facility. Travelers have the
added convenience of car rentals
from the on-site Enterprise office
and choosing from a growing fleet
of vehicles.
Businesses and aviation enthusiasts
can also take advantage of easily
accessible aircraft storage. Hook Field
has 66 T-Hangar units; two 50’ x 50’
general aircraft hangers; and 39,000
square feet of corporate hangar spaces.
With more than 190 acres that can still
be developed, Hook Field has plenty of
room to grow for any aviation-related
opportunity.
Aircraft operators can obtain on-site
maintenance at Safe Skies Aviation’s
24,000-square-foot hangar. Skyport
Services (a division of Safe Skies)
specializes in historic restoration and
maintenance. Both companies have
added to their workforce in the past
year and look for further expansion.
One-time flight services are provided
at the airport through Royal Air Charter
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Services. The company recently added
a Learjet to the aircraft based at Hook
Field. Available charter services include
expedited freight service as well as
custom passenger charter services.
Commercial pilot training is available
through the Middletown Regional
Flight Training Institute (a Part
141-approved school). The school
recently added two flight instructors
and purchased an additional plane
due to their new partnership with
Clark State University. Even with the
increased demand for time, students
can achieve the required flight hours
needed after the simulator portion of
the curriculum has been accomplished.
Helicopter pilot training is also
available at the airport. The
Higher Ground Helicopter
Flight Academy offers
helicopter training as well
as regional point-to-point
charter services to respond
to the growing needs of the
business community around
Middletown.
Recently, the fastest growing
element of the airport has
been the skydiving school
and demonstration skydiving
team. Start Skydiving
School and Team Fastrax manages
500 operations each weekend during
the skydiving season, and since nearly
every jumper that “makes a weekend of
it” brings two to three others along to
enjoy the excitement of this high-thrill
experience, area hotels, restaurants and
attractions (including the Hook Field
Warbird Museum) benefit from the
increased business. Hook Field has the
added bonus of offering the largest
skydiving jump zone in the country.
Start Skydiving and the fixed-base
operator (FBO) recently invested more
than $40,000 to refurbish existing
offices and build space for additional
classroom and conference rooms;
give pilots a comfortable lounge
area; and offer private office space
Middletown Regional Airport/Hook Field — Continued
for visiting companies. That effort—
along with $50,000 spent on new
landscaping; observation and parking
areas; and a fresh coat of paint on all
the buildings—enhances the visitor
experience. Now visitors can even enjoy
a burger from the Drop Zone grill.
Besides the many aircraft coming and
going each day, the airport is home to
several other operations:
Harvey Gilman Aircraft Sales
Skyport Services
U-Save Car Rental
B&B Aero Services
B&B Hobby Shop in the passenger
terminal sells supplies and kits
to aircraft and car modeling
enthusiasts.
Williams Aviation Group
Chapter 1393 Experimental Aircraft
Association
Middletown Aviation Club
Middletown Aviation Foundation
#288 Pathfinder Civil Air Patrol
Specialized aircraft firefighting
training for local fire units is held at
the airport.
Butler County EMA emergency
units and the Sheriff’s helicopter are
housed at Middletown airport.
Middletown’s Aviation History
Butler County Warbirds
Museum
The Butler County Warbirds Museum is
located in the historic “City Hangar” at
the Middletown Regional Airport. The
museum is a not-for-profit corporation
formed for the purpose of acquiring
and maintaining historic aircraft
and establishing a series of mobile
and permanent historical displays for
use in educating and entertaining
the public. They also sell rides in the
museum’s 1943 Fairchild PT-19 at their
air show appearances. The museum is
open to the public on Saturdays and
Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is
free. The hangar is located at the corner
of Wedekind and Germantown Roads.
Aeronca Aircraft
Aeronca, contracted from Aeronautical
Corporation of America, manufactured
engine components
and airframe
structures for
commercial
aviation and the
defense industry.
The Aeronca Aircraft
Corporation was founded on Nov.
11, 1928. Backed by the financial and
political support of the prominent
Taft family and future Ohio senator
Robert A. Taft (who was one of the
firm’s directors), Aeronca became the
first company to build a commercially
successful general aviation aircraft.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the company
was a major producer of general
aviation aircraft, and also produced the
engines for some of their early designs.
Aeronca has now become a division
of Magellan Aerospace, producing
aircraft, missile and space vehicle
components at the same location
adjacent to Middletown ’s Hook Field.
The Aeronca logo was usually found on the
vertical stabilizer of Aeronca Champs.
The Sixth National Aeronca Association Convention was held June 14-17, 2012, at Hook Municipal Airport in Middletown, Ohio.
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