became the site of the first night airmail flight. The airfield was purchased by the North Platte in 1929. In 1941, additional runways were constructed and the airfield became the site of the B-17 training command during WWII. It was renamed Lee Bird Field that same year, after the son of a North Platte pioneer family and military instructor. The Airport Authority began operating the airport in July 1963 and it was renamed the North Platte Regional Airport Lee Bird Field in June 1992. It covers 1,544 acres and has two runways: 12/30 is concrete at 8,001 X 150 ft.; 17/35 is asphalt at 4,436 X 100 ft. Today, the airport sees approximately 20,000 flights a year and over the last decade has grown from a GA (general aviation) airport into one of Nebraska’s largest regional fields, operating almost around the clock, 365 days a year. SkyWest has direct, daily flights to Denver, and because of its location between Denver and Omaha, it’s 8,000 ft. runway, and the presence of Trego Aviation, its full-service FBO, it’s ideally positioned for “quick turn” jet fueling (getting aircraft ready for their next flight legs as expeditiously as possible). There are 45 T-hangars for GA aircraft; one corporate hangar owned by NebraskaLand Bank; another hangar owned by LifeNet, which provides emergency medical air transport; a unit of the Civil Air Patrol, the Lee Bird Composite Squadron; and an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) unit onsite. THE NEED FOR A NEW TERMINAL What the North Platte Regional Airport does not currently have is a modern, well-equipped, TSA-enabled, passenger terminal. The existing terminal was built in 1952 and can only hold up to 50 passengers, with little space for luggage and amenities, and several accessibility shortcomings. Plans are underway for the new terminal include modern, energy-efficient building systems; a jet boarding bridge; modern, accessible restrooms; an enlarged and updated parking lot; and more food and beverage options, among other improvements. According to Airport Manager, Justin Gosnell, the terminal project has just gone out to bid, and 95 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 04, ISSUE 03 NORTH PLATTE REGIONAL AIRPORT
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