Roberts Field

Built in the 1920s, passenger flights arrived at the airport in 1940.[5] During World War II the airfield was used by the United States Army Air Forces as a bomber base. After the war the federal government sold the airport to the city for $1.[5]

For a substantial part of the airport's history, United Airlines was the only airline to serve Redmond. In 1947 United started Douglas DC-3s service, which flew a route > Portland - Redmond - Klamath Falls - Sacramento - San Francisco - Monterey - Santa Barbara - Los Angeles.[6] In 1959, United updated this service with a more efficient Convair 340s, which eliminated certain stops that were not needed due to larger fuel tanks, and more efficient turboprop's. This new route was > Seattle - Portland - Redmond - Klamath Falls - Sacramento - San Francisco and back.[6]

In 1959, West Coast Airlines replaced United had Douglas DC-3s service which a route from Portland, OR - Salem, OR - Redmond, OR - Klamath Falls, OR - Lakeview, OR - Burns, OR - Boise.[6] West Coast Airlines later merged with Bonanza Air Lines and Pacific Air Lines to form Air West which became Hughes Airwest. In 1972 Hughes Airwest began Fairchild F-27s service, which flew nonstop to Portland and direct to Sacramento, San Francisco and Seattle.[7] By 1975 Hughes Airwest had introduced McDonnell Douglas DC-9s aircraft, which served a flight to Redmond. They flew nonstop to Portland and direct to San Francisco and Los Angeles.[7] In 1980 Hughes Airwest had four scheduled DC-9 flights per day from Redmond. Two flights went to San Francisco via Redding and two went to Seattle via Eugene.[7] In the mid 1980s, Hughes Airwest merged into Republic Airlines, which continued DC-9s service at Redmond. In 1981, Republic sstarted flying DC-9-30s nonstop to Portland (OR), Eugene, and Klamath Falls, continuing to San Francisco or Seattle.[7]

Terminal and ramp, with central Cascade Range in the distance, Dec 2010

Other Jet service into Redmond includes Alaska Airlines Boeing 727-200s the flew to Los Angeles[8] and Seattle, Pacific Express BAC One-Elevens to Portland, San Francisco and some other cities, Pacific Southwest Airlines BAe 146-200s to San Francisco and Reno Air McDonnell Douglas MD-80s to San Jose.

On August 1, 2006 Horizon Air began twice daily nonstops to Los Angeles with Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s. The airlines then educed service to one daily, starting on June 24, 2008.[9] By 2010 this flight to LAX had ended.[10][11] In the late 2000s (decade), Allegiant Air flew McDonnell Douglas MD-80s to Las Vegas twice a week and twice-weekly to Phoenix, Arizona's suburban airport Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), also with MD-80s. In early 2012 Allegiant Air indicated it would fly to Oakland, California beginning in April.[12] However, on May 23, 2012 Allegiant Air announced it would end all service to the airport on August 12.

In 2005 Delta Connection flights on SkyWest Airlines began to Salt Lake City on Canadair CRJ-100s, now replaced by the CRJ-700.[13] All United Express flights on SkyWest Airlines are being flown with Canadair regional jets following the retirement of Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias by SkyWest. All Alaska Airlines flights operated by Horizon Air are operated with the Bombardier Q400, the largest and fastest of the Dash 8 family.

Former Roberts Field Manager Carrie Novick and USFS Redmond Air Center manager Dan Torrence, members of their staff, and Jamin and Jeshua Marshall (of Larry and His Flask) meet Sen. Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential primary campaign

Horizon announced cuts to Seattle and Portland service in 2009, as it continued to phase out its smaller aircraft in favor of Q400's. The airline's seat capacity from Redmond is expected to remain nearly the same. United Express announced it would make its regional jet service to Denver year-round, thus giving RDM passenger service to a second hub in addition to the Delta Connection service to Salt Lake City.[14]

United Express then announced it would upgrade its CRJ 200 flights to Denver from weekend only to daily and would expand service to San Francisco as the EMB-120 was replaced with CRJ 200 regional jets. This will increase daily seats despite the reduction from three flights per day to two. Flight time will be reduced by nearly an hour.[15]

Passenger boardings increased in the first half of 2010.[16] United resumed three Redmond-San Francisco flights a day in November 2010 after several years with only two flights.[17]. In 2011, passenger boardings were 3% higher than 2010 (through October), thus being the busiest year since the airport opened[18]

In early 2013 American Eagle announced it would offer nonstop service to Los Angeles for American Airlines with these flights replacing the service by Alaska Airlines regional connector Horizon Air. A method known as a "travel bank" was used, where local individuals, businesses, and civic entities pre-purchased travel vouchers from the airline, acting as a commitment to the required level of demand on the route, which began in June, and is served by SkyWest Airlines Canadair CRJ-200s branded as American Eagle.[19][20][21]

By mid-2014 United announced the end of all flights between Portland and both Redmond and Eugene, due to SkyWest's elimination of the EMB-120 from its fleet; the routes are ostensibly unable to support CRJ service.[22] A year later, a transition of the once-daily Los Angeles flight to irregular seasonal operations was acknowledged by American Airlines; Service to LAX resumed in 2015.

In summer 2016 daily service was added on American Eagle started service between Redmond and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, also using regional contractor SkyWest's CRJ-700; the flights began sooner than expected due to travel-bank fundraising among the Central Oregon community.[23][24]

In 2017 Delta Airlines added service to Seattle. In 2018 United Airlines added routes to LAX beginning April 9.

In Summer 2019, United added seasonal flights to its hub at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. This is the airport's only non-stop service to a destination east of the Mississippi River.

A passenger terminal was built in 1950 and replaced in 1981 by a 6,000-square-foot (560 m²) terminal.[5] In 1992-93 the terminal was expanded to 23,000 square feet (2,100 m²).[5]

By late 2009 Roberts Field completed another large terminal expansion, designed by HNTB.[25]

Redmond, Oregon passenger terminal, upper deck restaurant area

Along with increased parking, the facility has increased its area by about 600%,[26] allowing more room for security and traveler services, as well as concessions and gate operations. While the new bi-level structure is capable of supporting jet bridges, the low frequency of full-size jets operating from the terminal, and no indication of tenant airline desire, means that these bridges are not currently included, though walking distance to and from planes has been reduced.[27][28][29]

In October 2009 most sections of the expanded passenger terminal opened for public use; the improvements include more numerous check-in counters and bathrooms, along with a two-story, windowed departure lounge. Travelers also may now use covered walkways between aircraft and terminal.[30]

A year after the expansion's completion, a bar and restaurant opened in the secure area. Efforts to add additional concessions are currently underway. A restaurant was in the main terminal until 2009, but this is the first time that food and drink are available in the departure gate area.

Since the airport began displaying public art in the terminal, it has sold nearly $100,000 worth of artworks to travelers.[31]

USFS and aerial firefighting ramps at Roberts Field

The airport upgraded its mass-casualty vehicle in 2011 due to larger commercial jets using Roberts Field; while the old unit could handle 37 patients, the new truck is prepared for an incident involving over 100.[32] In early 2012, the airport began hosting a MEDEVAC helicopter operated by Lifeflight.[33][34] In May 2016 the airport runways were closed for nearly three weeks, allowing their intersection to be reconstructed as part of a project to re-pave them both.[35]

Roberts Field covers 2,518 acres (1,019 ha) at an elevation of 3,080 feet (939 m). It has two asphalt runways: 5/23 is 7,038 by 150 feet (2,145 x 46 m) and 11/29 is 7,006 by 100 feet (2,135 x 30 m). It has one concrete helipad H1, 48 by 48 feet (15 x 15 m).[1]

In 2017 the airport had 41,931 aircraft operations, average 115 per day: 62% general aviation, 17% air taxi, 20% airline, and <1% military. 85 aircraft were then based at the airport: 55 single-engine, 15 multi-engine, 6 helicopter, and 9 jet.[1]

• Redmond Municipal Airport - Roberts Field, official site
• Aerial image as of July 2001 from USGS The National Map
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective January 28, 2021
• FAA Terminal Procedures for RDM, effective January 28, 2021
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KRDM
  • ASN accident history for RDM
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KRDM
  • FAA current RDM delay information