Bowman Field safety area program, Louisville, Kentucky

Project Summary

Bowman Field was established in 1919 and is one of the United States’ longest continuously operating general aviation airports. Three of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis at Bowman. The airport gained Hollywood status when it was used for the James Bond film “Goldfinger.”

Today, the airport is operated by the Louisville Regional Airport Authority (LRAA). Set on 426 acres, the facility has two runways and is a reliever for Louisville International Airport. Surrounded by neighborhoods and golf courses, trees are a safety concern for pilots using Bowman. When a number of trees penetrated critical airspace for the main runway, the LRAA initiated a safety program to address the issue.

Hanson has been providing services for the program, including surveying, arborist and landscape architecture assistance, airspace reviews, engineering plans and specifications. The team also will develop avigation easements and property appraisals. More than 90 trees were removed and 15 trimmed over a golf course and state highway right of way for the main runway’s airspace. The program included planting trees with growth limits compatible with the runway’s airspace requirements. The safety program will address obstructions for all four runway ends.

Hanson also worked on an environmental assessment at Bowman.