Delano Municipal Airport

Delano Municipal Airport is a public airport two miles (3 km) southeast of Delano, in Kern County, California. It is owned by the City of Delano.Most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, but Delano Municipal Airport is DLO to the FAA and has no IATA code.Facilities and aircraftDelano Municipal Airport covers 546acre and has one asphalt runway (14/32) measuring 5,651 x 75 ft (1,722 x 23 m).In the year ending January 23, 2006 the airport had 19,000 aircraft operations, an average of 52 per day, all of which were general aviation. There are 44 aircraft based at this airport: 68% single engine, 5% multi-engine and 27% helicopters.HistoryDelano Airport opened in April 1940. It was built by the Federal Government with monies appropriated by Congress for Development of Landing Areas for National Defense (DLAND) after World War II broke out. It was built by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA).In late 1943 the United States Army Air Forces acquired usage rights to the airport. It was placed under the jurisdiction of the IV Fighter Command. The 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group (NFOTG) used the faciity, named Delano Army Airfield as part of the Army Air Forces Night Fighter School which had transferred from Florida to Hammer Field, California. Delano was used as an auxiliary training airfield and the school operated a combination of modified Douglas A-20 Havocs for night fighter operations, designated P-70, and new prototype YP-61 Black Widow purpose-built night fighters