Departure
93%
vs 95% ▼ 3
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Southwest Michigan Regional Airport (KBEH) is a general aviation and corporate field just northeast of Benton Harbor, Michigan, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. It offers a long ILS-equipped runway alongside two shorter crossing strips, making it a useful and well-lit destination for simulator pilots exploring the southwest Michigan area.
Southwest Michigan Regional Airport, known historically as Twin Cities Airport Ross Field, serves the twin communities of Benton Harbor and St Joseph in Berrien County, Michigan. Jointly owned by the two cities, it is classed by the FAA as a regional general aviation facility and today handles corporate, charter and private traffic rather than scheduled airline services, giving it the feel of a busy but uncontrolled GA field for visiting simulator pilots.
The airport lies about two nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Benton Harbor, Michigan, close to Interstate 94 and the I-94 Business Loop. Traffic in the area is worked by South Bend Approach/Departure, which also provides a clearance delivery frequency for the field, reflecting its position within the wider South Bend terminal environment near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.
Southwest Michigan Regional has three physical runways. The main runway, 10/28, is 5,984 feet long with a hard surface, lit in both directions, and equipped with an ILS on runway 28. A second hard-surfaced runway, 14/32, is 3,653 feet long and lit on both ends. A third hard-surfaced runway, 18/36, is lit throughout, with 3,144 feet available on runway 18 and 2,489 feet on runway 36.
The field has no active control tower - the original tower, opened in 1973, was abandoned after the 1981 controller strike and was demolished in 2013 - so traffic is worked as an uncontrolled aerodrome. CTAF/UNICOM is on 123 MHz. South Bend Approach/Departure is available on 118.55 MHz, with a South Bend clearance delivery frequency of 119.7 MHz for IFR departures. Automated weather is broadcast on the ASOS frequency of 121.55 MHz, and a Lansing Radio flight service frequency of 116.6 MHz is also listed for the field. Runway 28 is served by an ILS approach.
With the control tower long since closed, pilots operate the airfield as an uncontrolled field, self-announcing intentions and positions on the CTAF/UNICOM frequency of 123 MHz. No specific circuit heights, noise abatement procedures or local restrictions are documented.
The airport sits about two nautical miles northeast of central Benton Harbor, making the built-up area of the Benton Harbor/St Joseph twin cities, and their position close to the Lake Michigan shoreline, useful references when inbound. Interstate 94 and the I-94 Business Loop pass near the field and can assist with orientation on approach.
The airport opened as Twin Cities Airport Ross Field and carried that name until it was rebranded Southwest Michigan Regional Airport in mid-April 1993, with the Ross Field name retained locally. A control tower opened in 1973 but was abandoned following the 1981 air traffic controllers' strike and never reopened, eventually being demolished in 2013. Between 1960 and 2000 the field was served by a succession of airlines including North Central Airlines, Republic Airlines, Mississippi Valley Airlines, Air Wisconsin, Iowa Airways and, most recently, Mesaba Airlines, which from 1995 to 2000 flew five daily services to Northwest Airlines' Detroit hub under the local marketing slogan 'You Can Get There From Here'. Proximity to larger airports at Chicago, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and South Bend ultimately drew away that traffic, and scheduled passenger service ended in 2000.
Southwest Michigan Regional Airport is now used primarily for general aviation and corporate flying, with no scheduled airline service. It is home to more than eighty privately based aircraft, including a fleet operated by a Fortune 200 company, and it hosts the Wolverine Composite Squadron of the Michigan Wing Civil Air Patrol. The airport also supports charter flights and occasional medical transport operations, and is used by the US Coast Guard for refuelling during Lake Michigan operations.
