Bremerton National Airport

Bremerton Executive Airport (IATA: PWT, ICAO: KPWT, FAA LID: PWT) is eight miles southwest of downtown Bremerton, in Kitsap County, Washington.^[1] It is owned by the Port of Bremerton.^[1] The Executive Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a general aviation facility.^[2]

Bremerton Executive Airport
IATA: PWT ICAO: KPWT FAA LID: PWT
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Port of Bremerton
Serves	Bremerton, Washington
Elevation AMSL	444 ft / 135 m
Coordinates	47°29′25″N 122°45′53″W
Website	Port of Bremerton website
Map
PWT Location in Washington Show map of Washington (state) PWT PWT (the United States) Show map of the United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 2/20 6,000 1,829 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Aircraft operations 66,000 Based aircraft 118
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

It is the largest airport on the Kitsap Peninsula with an all-weather, fully lit 6,000-foot runway.^[3] It was known as Kitsap County Airport until July 1, 1983.^[3]

History

In 1936, about 15 local residents founded an airport, then known as Fleet Field which later became Bremerton National Airport. They turned an old lakebed known as Bayes' Bog into a 600-foot-long, 15-foot-wide gravel landing strip.^[4] During World War II, Kitsap County Airport was used by the United States Navy as an outer landing field for NAS Seattle.^[5] Military use continued throughout the Cold War and it would occasionally host temporary detachments of aircraft from the Navy.^[6]

The taxiways and runways of the Kitsap County Airport hosted a NASCAR Grand National (now Cup Series) event, on August 4, 1957, for the 1957 NASCAR season.^[7] Parnelli Jones won in a Oscar Maples Ford.^[7]

The airport has a second runway which has been closed for some time and is currently used as a drag strip by Bremerton Motorsports Park.^[8] In 1954, Kitsap County Airport was the site for the SCCA Seafair Nationals. This was Ferrari's debut on a Northwest track at a time when the company was just starting to dominate west coast sports car racing.^[9]

In 2019, the airport was described as a potential candidate for expansion as part of Washington State's Department of Transportation effort to expand commercial airport space in the Puget Sound region.^[10] In July 2020, the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Committee (CACC) announced that they would submit a shortlist of expansion candidates within the year, and in December 2020, Bremerton National Airport was placed on the shortlist, along with Arlington Municipal Airport, Paine Field, Sanderson Field, Tacoma Narrows Airport, and South Lewis County Airport.^[11][12]

On April 29, 2021, the CACC released a white paper detailing the benefits of each site. While Bremerton National Airport was described as being able to "provide additional general aviation aircraft storage capacity and expand business aviation support", the CACC was concerned about the distance between the airport and major interstates, including the travel time between counties.^[13]

Facilities

The airport covers 1,729 acres (700 ha) at an elevation of 444 feet (135 m). Its one runway, 2/20, is 6,000 by 150 feet (1,829 x 46 m) asphalt.^[1]

In the year ending December 31, 2019, the airport had 66,000 aircraft operations, averaging 181 per day: 98% general aviation, 1% military, and <1% air taxi. 118 aircraft were then based at this airport: 105 single-engine, 6 multi-engine, 3 jet, 3 helicopter, and 1 glider.^[1]

See also

• List of airports in Washington

References

1. FAA Airport Form 5010 for PWT PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 10, 2023.
2. "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on 2012-09-27.
3. "Port of Bremerton celebrates the grand re-opening of the Bremerton Marina on May 31, 2008,". HistoryLink.org. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
4. "Rising on Wings of Memory". Kitsap Sun.
5. "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Washington, Seattle area". Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
6. "Enterprise". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
7. "NASCAR race results". Racing Reference. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
8. "Bremerton Motorsports Park Home Page". Bremerton Motorsports Park. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
9. Baer, Arnie. "1954: The First Ferrari Invasion" (PDF). Rudow Specialty Publishing. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
10. "Hunt Is On For Location For Additional Commercial Airport For Puget Sound Region". opb. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
11. "Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission: A Status Report" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. July 1, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
12. "Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission 2020 Report" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. December 1, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
13. "CACC White Paper Summary April" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. April 29, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-09-11.

External links

• Official website
• Bremerton National (PWT) at WSDOT Airport Directory
• Aerial image as of June 1990 from USGS The National Map
• FAA Terminal Procedures for PWT, effective December 26, 2024
• Resources for this airport:
  • FAA airport information for PWT
  • AirNav airport information for KPWT
  • ASN accident history for PWT
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures