Departure
91%
vs 95% ▼ 4
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Felts Field (KSFF) is a historic general aviation airport on the eastern edge of Spokane, Washington, sitting on the banks of the Spokane River about five miles northeast of the city centre. Once Spokane's principal commercial and military airfield, it now serves as the city's general aviation reliever, hosting a busy mix of light aircraft, seaplanes and based flying businesses. Its two paved runways, turf strip and river seaplane area, together with an ILS approach, make it a practical and historically rich destination for the VFR or IFR visitor.
Felts Field is an active general aviation relief airport for Spokane, Washington, jointly owned and operated by the City of Spokane and Spokane County under the Spokane Airport Board. It covers a bit over 400 acres beside the Spokane River and is home to more than 170 based aircraft and around 65 tenants, supported by a fixed-base operator and avionics services. For the visiting pilot it combines straightforward general aviation infrastructure with a strong sense of aviation heritage, including original 1920s and 1930s buildings that remain in use on the field.
The airport lies roughly five miles northeast of downtown Spokane, in the Spokane Valley area near the confluence of Rutter and Fancher, close to the Spokane River. Arriving and departing traffic is worked by Spokane Approach/Departure on 133.35 MHz, reflecting the field's position near Spokane's terminal airspace. A useful landmark for orientation is Fancher Beacon Hill, about one mile northwest of the field and roughly 650 feet above field elevation.
Felts Field has two parallel hard-surfaced runway pairs. The main runway, 04L/22R, is 4,502 feet long, lit, and equipped with an ILS on the 22R approach. The parallel runway, 04R/22L, is shorter at 2,641 feet and is a hard surface but unlit. Pilots should note the two strips are closely paired and parallel, typical of the field's original 1940s paving layout.
Felts Field's published frequencies are: Spokane Approach/Departure 133.35 MHz, ATIS 120.55 MHz, CTAF 132.5 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Tower 132.5 MHz, UNICOM 122.95 MHz, and Seattle Radio (flight service) on 122.2 MHz. The main runway, 22R, is served by an ILS approach.
Fancher Beacon Hill, roughly a mile northwest of the airport and about 650 feet above field elevation, is a helpful visual reference for pilots inbound to Felts Field. The Spokane River, which runs alongside the airport and hosts the field's seaplane operations, is another prominent landmark for locating the field from the air.
Felts Field traces its origins to 1919, when the Northwest Aircraft Company leased 1,000 acres from the City of Spokane to establish what was then known as Earl (or Ed) Hoisington Field. The Department of Commerce recognised the site as an airport in 1926, one of the first in the western United States, and it became the Inland Northwest's first airport and the home of the region's first National Guard air unit, the 116th Observation Squadron. In September 1927, following Spokane's National Air Races, the field was renamed for James Buell Felts, a Washington Air National Guard pilot killed in a crash that May. Through the 1930s and 1940s Felts Field served as Spokane's municipal airport, with scheduled airline service from an Art Deco terminal building that, along with other original structures, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In August 1929, Lieutenant Nick Mamer and Art Walker took off from Felts Field in the Spokane Sun-God on a record endurance flight, staying airborne for 120 hours before returning to the field. As wartime and post-war demand grew, a new airport was built west of the city, and in the summer of 1946 Northwest and United Airlines relocated their services there, to what became Geiger Field and later Spokane International Airport. Felts Field has since remained a busy general aviation and business aviation field, and aviators including Charles Lindbergh and Dorothy Fowler are associated with its history.
Felts Field continues to operate as Spokane's general aviation reliever airport, supporting a resident population of over 170 aircraft and around 65 tenant businesses. Facilities include a fixed-base operator, avionics services, two paved runways, a turf landing strip, and the ability to conduct water landings on the adjacent Spokane River. In 2022 the airport recorded 69,796 aviation operations, and it continues to host flying activity ranging from routine general aviation training to organised events such as the Air Race Classic, which selected Felts Field as the finish line for its 2025 race.