Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field sits southeast of Boise, Idaho, and is a joint-use aerodrome shared by airline, cargo, military and general aviation traffic. Home to the Idaho Air National Guard's Gowen Field and the National Interagency Fire Center, it offers a sim pilot the chance to fly into a busy Class C field set against the backdrop of the Boise foothills. Two long parallel hard-surfaced runways, one with an ILS, make it a straightforward but operationally varied destination.
Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field is a joint-use airport located southeast of the city of Boise, Idaho, combining scheduled airline and cargo operations with an active Idaho Air National Guard presence and general and business aviation traffic. The field is also home to the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates wildland firefighting resources across the United States, giving the airport an unusual mix of civil, military and firefighting traffic that makes it an interesting destination for a visiting VFR or IFR pilot.
The airport lies within Class C airspace and is served by its own approach and departure control, with Salt Lake City Center providing overlying en route control. Pilots operating in and out of the nearby airfields to the west are cautioned by the FAA to exercise care above 4,500 feet MSL in that area, and to review the relevant Letter to Airmen for detailed local guidance before flying in the vicinity of Boise.
Boise has two parallel hard-surfaced runways. Runway 10L/28R is 9,957 feet long, lit, with an ILS serving Runway 28R. Runway 10R/28L is 9,748 feet long, lit, with an ILS serving Runway 10R. Field elevation is 2,844 feet.
Boise Tower operates on 118.1 MHz, with Ground on 121.7 MHz. Approach and Departure control is on 119.6 MHz, and ATIS is broadcast on 123.9 MHz. Clearance delivery is available on 125.9 MHz, and Salt Lake City Center can be reached on 128.05 MHz. Unicom is on 122.95 MHz, with a further radio frequency of 122.2 MHz also published. Military ground and air operations frequencies of 29.87 MHz (Air National Guard) and 41.5 MHz (Army National Guard) are also in use at the field given the co-located Gowen Field military presence.
As a Class C, tower-controlled airport, arrivals and departures at Boise are sequenced by ATC rather than flown as a traditional visual circuit. Pilots are advised to review current NOTAMs, including the Letter to Airmen covering the Boise area, and to be alert to complex airfield geometry and hold-short lines that can appear in unexpected places on the airport surface.
Gowen Field has long combined civil airline operations with a military role as the base for the Idaho Air National Guard, reflecting its status as a joint-use airport. The airport is also notable as the home of the National Interagency Fire Center, the national coordination point for wildland firefighting resources, which adds a further operational dimension to the field beyond routine airline and general aviation traffic.
Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field continues to operate as a joint-use airport handling air carrier, cargo, military and general and business aviation traffic. The presence of the National Interagency Fire Center means the field can see significant firefighting-related air traffic in addition to its regular civil and military schedules.
