Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage, Alaska

Merrill Field Airport

Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage, Alaska

Merrill Field (IATA: MRI, ICAO: PAMR, FAA LID: MRI) is a public-use general aviation airport located one mile (1.6 km) east of Anchorage, Alaska, USA. The airport is owned by the municipality of Anchorage. It opened in 1930 as the Anchorage Aviation Field and was named in honor of Alaska Aviation pioneer Russell Merrill.

Merrill Field, located on the east end of 5th Avenue in Anchorage, was the city’s first public airport when it opened in 1930. It was the only airport in Anchorage until 1951 when an airfield was needed to launch the largest and fastest commercial aircraft ever to build a long and heavy runway.

The construction of the original 5 acres of land, one mile east of the city, was completed on 22 August 1 of 22. Originally named Anchorage Aviation Field, it was later renamed Anchorage Municipal Airport. The airport is now named Russell Merrill, an Alaskan aviation pioneer. Merrill Field had an aerodrome beacon and was dedicated on 25 September 1932 in Merrill’s honor.

The airfield is used as the primary field for private wheel-equipped aircraft in the warmer months and as the primary field for ski-equipped aircraft in the winter. A portion of the property was used as a municipal landfill.

For the 12 months ending September 2010, the airport had 126,24 flights, all of which were normal flights. The airport has 844 aircraft: 786 single engines, 41 multi-engines, 16 helicopters, and a glider.

There are no grounded jets, although a retired Boeing 727 donated by FedEx is used as a training assistant in the Department of Aviation Technology at Anchorage, University of Alaska, located at the airfield. It is not ventilated.

When it landed in February 2011, the Boeing 72 was the largest aircraft to land at Merrill Field. Landing requires special permission from the city, and a preparatory survey of the runway and airfield infrastructure so that the aircraft can land safely; The captain had previously practiced landing on a flight simulator.

Quick Information
Name	Merrill Field
Address	800 Merrill Field Dr, Anchorage, AK 99501, United States
Status	Active
Country	United States
Type	Public
Owner	Municipality of Anchorage
Phone	-+1 907-343-6303
Code	MRI
Elevation	42 m
Passengers	50
Aircraft operations	–
Lon	–
Serves	–
Website	Merrill Field
Based aircraft	–
Facebook Link	–
Twitter	–
Instagram	–
Hub for	–

Airfield hosts two locally owned flight schools, air taxi services, and fixed-base operators. An extension of the Q Taxiway connects the airport to the Alaska Regional Hospital for MEDEVAC operations.

A portion of the airport is built on the closed Merrill Field Landfill. This section requires a bit more maintenance due to disposal and emissions.

See More…