Departure
99%
vs 95% ▲ 4
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Michael J. Smith Field is a public general aviation airport at Beaufort, North Carolina, on the Crystal Coast, named in honour of local astronaut Michael J. Smith who died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. It offers three hard-surfaced runways, none longer than about a mile, and is a popular stop for pilots visiting the Beaufort and Morehead City area.
Michael J. Smith Field is a publicly owned general aviation airport serving Beaufort and the wider Crystal Coast area of Carteret County, North Carolina. It is owned and operated by the Carteret County-Beaufort Airport Authority and is named in memory of astronaut Michael J. Smith, a Beaufort native who was killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of 1986. For a visiting VFR pilot it is a straightforward uncontrolled field close to the coast, with three runways to choose from depending on wind, and easy access to historic downtown Beaufort and the Morehead City waterfront.
The airport lies about one mile north of the central business district of Beaufort and northeast of Morehead City, in Carteret County on the North Carolina coast, at coordinates 34.7338, -76.6604 and an elevation of 7 feet. It sits within range of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, whose approach and departure controllers provide the local air traffic advisory service for arriving and departing traffic, and clearance delivery for the field is also handled through Cherry Point.
Michael J. Smith Field has three paved, hard-surfaced runways. Runway 08/26 is the longest, with runway 08 measuring 4,997 ft and runway 26 measuring 4,708 ft; both directions are lit. Runway 03/21 is lit in both directions, with runway 03 at 3,319 ft and runway 21 at 3,670 ft. Runway 14/32 is unlit, with runway 14 at 3,999 ft and runway 32 at 3,504 ft. None of the runways is served by an ILS.
Air-to-ground and departure/approach advisories are provided by Cherry Point Approach/Departure on 124.1 MHz. Clearance delivery is available on 125.65 MHz, also via Cherry Point. The field's automated weather observation is broadcast on the ASOS frequency of 135.375 MHz. CTAF/Unicom is 122.8 MHz, which pilots should monitor for traffic advisories and airfield operations given the absence of a control tower.
There is no operating control tower at Michael J. Smith Field, so arriving and departing pilots should make position reports and coordinate traffic on the CTAF/Unicom frequency of 122.8 MHz. Given the field's proximity to Cherry Point's controlled airspace, pilots should also expect to be in contact with Cherry Point Approach/Departure on 124.1 MHz for traffic advisories in the vicinity.
The airport lies about one mile north of Beaufort's central business district and northeast of Morehead City, making the historic Beaufort waterfront and the Morehead City port area useful visual landmarks when inbound from the south or east along the coast.
The airport was formerly known as Beaufort-Morehead City Airport before being renamed Michael J. Smith Field in memory of astronaut Michael J. Smith, a native of Beaufort who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Historical airline service at the field included Piedmont Airlines, which by 1948 was operating a daily Douglas DC-3 service linking the airport with Raleigh/Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Cincinnati, among other destinations. In the mid-1970s the commuter carrier Wheeler Airlines served the field with Cessna 402 flights to Charlotte, Norfolk and Raleigh/Durham.
Michael J. Smith Field is owned and operated by the Carteret County-Beaufort Airport Authority and functions today as a general aviation airport supporting business, leisure and training flights on the Crystal Coast. Facilities include a terminal building, hangar space, tie-down areas, ground leases and fuel through the field's fixed-base operation. The airport authority describes the field as a key regional asset providing access to Historic Beaufort and the surrounding coastal area for general aviation pilots.