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Lonely Airport With Long Runway, Interesting History, Seeks Visitors

Designed with jets in mind, the vast KMSV has long been underutilized.

We visited Sullivan County International Airport (KMSV) this week to gather information about its history and check out its unusually long runway. [Credit: Jonathan Welsh]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Sullivan County International Airport (KMSV) is a notably large, non-towered general aviation airport in Upstate New York, featuring an expansive 6,300-foot runway that offers ample space and tranquility for pilot training and practice.
  • Its generous runway size makes it an ideal, low-stress environment for pilots working on complex aircraft endorsements, high-performance operations, or instrument ratings, despite rarely encountering other traffic.
  • Opened in 1969, KMSV was developed to revitalize the Catskills resort industry and famously served the original Woodstock festival, though it never reached its envisioned level of bustling activity.
  • Today, the airport experiences increased air traffic during the summer, primarily serving visitors to Bethel Woods, an arts and entertainment center located on the historic Woodstock site.
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Upstate New York is chock full of GA airports, some with interesting stories connecting them to aviation pioneers, military heroes, record setting flights, and local lore. Many fit the typical image of “country” airstrips, with an assortment of vintage aircraft including rag-and-tube taildraggers, straight-tail Cessna 172s and early V-Tail Beechcraft Bonanzas sharing ramp space. Some have turf runways.

There are exceptions, though, like Sullivan County International Airport (KMSV). Perched on a hilltop, dominating the rural landscape, the complex is easy to spot from 10 miles away—or more. It’s so big that you might expect to call in to ATC as you approach, but the field is non-towered.

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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