Ocala International Airport

Ocala International Airport (IATA: OCF, ICAO: KOCF, FAA LID: OCF) is five miles west of Ocala, in Marion County, Florida.[1] It is also known as Ocala International Airport-Jim Taylor Field and was previously Ocala Regional Airport or Jim Taylor Field.

Ocala International Airport

Jim Taylor Field
Sign for the terminal at the airport in June 2020
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Ocala
ServesOcala, Florida
Elevation AMSL89 ft / 27 m
Coordinates29°10′21″N 082°13′27″W
Websitewww.OcalaAirport.com
Map
OCF
OCF
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 7,467 2,276 Asphalt
8/26 3,009 917 Asphalt
Statistics (2005)
Aircraft operations75,000
Based aircraft145

The airport is about 31 miles south of Gainesville Regional Airport.

Facilities

Ocala International Airport covers 1,532 acres (620 ha) at an elevation of 89 feet (27 m). It has two asphalt runways: runway 18/36 is 7,467 by 150 feet (2,276 x 46 m) and runway 8/26 is 3,009 by 50 feet (917 x 15 m).[1]

The airport opened in the early 1960s, replacing the previous Taylor Field just southwest of Ocala. Its 5000-ft runway was served by Eastern Airlines, with one Convair 440 flight a day with a routing of Jacksonville (JAX) - Gainesville (GNV) - Ocala (OCF) - Vero Beach (VRB) - Miami (MIA) and return. Eastern later operated Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop service with the last Electra flight leaving Ocala in 1972.

Later scheduled passenger airline service included:

Air Florida[2] Boeing 737, Boeing 727 and Douglas DC-9 jet service to Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Gainesville[3]

USAir Express (Operated by Allegheny Commuter)[4] Beechcraft turboprops to Orlando

Skyway Commuter Beechcraft turboprops and Piper prop service to Gainesville and Orlando[5]

The last airline flight left Ocala in 1987 when USAir Express pulled out; however, airport facilities were then expanded to include a 3,000 foot crosswind runway, an extension of the main runway to 6,900 feet, an instrument landing approach, and FAA Part 139 certification.

Scheduled passenger airline service is unlikely to return to Ocala.[6]

In 2004 a $1.3 million plan was put in motion to upgrade apron security systems. The airport is the first in the state to use the polycon pavement surface treatment.

In 2008 the airport had 75,000 aircraft operations, average 205 per day: 98% general aviation, 1% air taxi and 1% military. 145 aircraft were then based at the airport: 68% single-engine, 23% multi-engine, 6% jet and 3% helicopter.[1]

In May 2009 construction began on an air traffic control tower. The tower was certified and staffed as an FAA Level I contract control tower in summer 2010. A new terminal building was completed spring of 2020.

In 2012, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John released a Christmas album containing the track "I Think You Might Like It", whose music video features the FBO at the airport. Travolta lives nearby, at the Jumbolair fly-in community, which also makes an appearance in the video.[7]

References
  1. FAA Airport Form 5010 for OCF PDF, effective 2008-07-31
  2. "QH042582". www.departedflights.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  3. "QH090882p8". www.departedflights.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  4. "US060187". www.departedflights.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  5. "MCO85p3". www.departedflights.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  6. http://www.ocalafl.org/uploadedFiles/Development_Services/Engineering/Ocala_International_Airport/Guiding_Documents/Airport_Master_Plan_Final_Report.pdf Archived 2015-06-19 at the Wayback Machine (p. 4-19: "Consequently, no scheduled commercial passenger service is forecast for the Airport over the next 20 years.")
  7. Travolta, John; Newton-John, Olivia. "I Think You Might Like It". YouTube. Vevo. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
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