Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA) lies in Mesa, Arizona, in the East Valley south-east of Phoenix Sky Harbor, and offers sim pilots three long, ILS-equipped runways inherited from its days as a US Air Force pilot training base. Today it combines scheduled Allegiant Air service with a busy general aviation and flight-training scene, making it a useful and characterful alternative to the more congested Phoenix airports.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport sits in Mesa, Arizona, and is operated by the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority. Originally built as a military airfield, it has since been redeveloped into a civilian facility that mixes scheduled airline flights, flight training and general aviation. For a simulator pilot it offers the appeal of very long, wide runways, a full instrument landing system, and an interesting history as a former Air Force base, all within easy reach of the Phoenix metropolitan area.
The airport is located at 33.3078 N, 111.655 W in Mesa, Arizona, at an elevation of 1362 feet, in the East Valley region south-east of the much busier Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. It is served by its own control tower and approach service, with Phoenix Approach/Departure providing the surrounding terminal control.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway has three parallel hard-surfaced runways, all lit. The northern pair, 12R/30L, is 10,354 feet long. The centre pair, 12C/30C, is 10,153 feet (10,152 feet in the reciprocal direction) and is equipped with an ILS on runway 30C. The southern pair, 12L/30R, is 9,272 feet long in both directions. All three runways are substantial enough to accommodate heavy jet traffic as well as light training aircraft.
Pilots should expect to work Phoenix Approach/Departure on 124.9 MHz. Gateway Tower operates on 118.8 MHz, with Gateway Ground and Clearance Delivery both on 128.25 MHz. The common traffic advisory frequency is 120.6 MHz. Weather information is available on the ATIS at 133.5 MHz, which also carries an AWOS-3 automated observation on the same frequency. Runway 30C is served by an ILS approach.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport traces its origins to a military airfield known as Higley Field, which later became Williams Air Force Base, a US Air Force pilot training installation. Following the base's closure it was redeveloped for civilian use and operated for a period as Williams Gateway Airport before adopting its current name, reflecting its transition from a military flight-training centre to a mixed-use civil airport serving the Phoenix East Valley.
The airport today handles scheduled airline service, principally with Allegiant Air, alongside a significant general aviation and flight-training presence, including flight schools and aviation businesses based on the field. General aviation pilots are served by an FBO, Gateway Aviation Services, which has been noted by visiting pilots for reasonably priced fuel and a full-service facility. The airport is also a designated port of entry with US Customs and Border Protection processing available for arriving international flights.
