Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Delta County Airport (KESC) is a county-owned, public-use airport at Escanaba on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering Essential Air Service-subsidised airline connections alongside a steady stream of general aviation, freight and medical flights. Its two long runways and unattended CTAF operation make it a straightforward and interesting stop for a VFR pilot exploring the Upper Peninsula.
Delta County Airport serves Escanaba, Michigan, as a county-owned, public-use field offering limited scheduled commercial service under the Essential Air Service programme alongside general aviation, air taxi, freight and medical flying. A retired Republic F-84F is displayed at the airport entrance along M-35 Highway, a distinctive marker for anyone arriving by road or air, and the field's mix of a long primary runway and a crosswind strip gives simulator pilots a genuine feel for a small but capable regional Part 139 airport.
The airport lies in Delta County in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, about two nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Escanaba. Portage Creek flows through the airport property before discharging into Portage Bay nearby, giving a useful water feature for orientation on the approach.
Delta County Airport has two physical runways. The primary runway, 09/27, is 6,485 feet long, hard-surfaced and lit. The secondary runway, 01/19, is 4,986 feet long, also hard-surfaced and lit. Neither runway is equipped with an ILS.
An AWOS-3 automated weather observation is available on 121.425 MHz. En-route traffic can reach Minneapolis Center on 127.65 MHz, and Green Bay Radio is available on 122.3 MHz. Airport traffic and unicom operations use 122.8 MHz as the CTAF/UNICOM frequency.
A Republic F-84F fighter is mounted at the airport entrance along M-35 Highway and serves as a clear ground reference for the field. Portage Creek and Portage Bay, adjacent to the airport property, offer a further visual cue for pilots approaching from the east or northeast.
Delta County Airport opened in April 1940 and has remained under county ownership ever since, serving Escanaba and the surrounding Upper Peninsula. It is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems as a non-hub primary commercial service facility and is one of the relatively small number of Part 139 certified airports nationally. The airport received a $1 million allocation from the US Department of Transportation in 2020 under the CARES Act to help offset the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on operations.
The airport supports scheduled Delta Connection service operated by SkyWest to Detroit and Minneapolis-St Paul under the Essential Air Service programme, alongside a substantial volume of general aviation and air taxi activity. Regular operations also include contract freight flights for FedEx and UPS, medical flights, military training, and charter work, and the airport is a supporter of the Upper Peninsula Honor Flight programme. A fixed-base operator on site provides fuel, general maintenance, aircraft parking, and courtesy and rental cars for visiting pilots.
