Kielce 2023-02-10
Kielce Maslow Airport.
Geographic coordinates: 50.898N 20.731E. Elevation 308 m (1,010 ft).
Kielce Masłów Airport is a civilian sports airport located in Masłów Pierwszy, Masłów Commune, Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Province.
The initiators of the construction of the airport were the Kielce Provincial Board of the Air and Gas Protection League. Efforts began in 1931. A convenient site was found north-east of Kielce, about 10 km from the city center. On October 5, 1932, the District Land Office in Kielce handed over to the Ministry of Military Affairs the area for the sports airport in Masłów. The Polish Army handed over the area to the management of the "Liga". At the same time, the building, a former manor house in the village, was handed over. The noble manor was rebuilt into a building for pilots, airport administration and a restaurant. The future ascent field was leveled, rolled, and a circle with the inscription "Kielce" was placed in the middle. Two modern hangars have been built in the north-western part of the airport. Much of the work was done in community service. It was the first airport in the Kielce region.
The ceremonial opening of the airport took place on June 27, 1937. Thousands of inhabitants of Kielce and the surrounding area came to the ceremony. A holy mass was held, after which the building was consecrated by Bishop Franciszek Sonik. Then there were aerobatics shows and parachute jumps.
In Masłów, a glider, aviation and parachute section was launched, and above all, an aviation school was launched. A modeling workshop for the youngest candidates for aviators has been opened in a nearby school. In 1938, the school had 12 RWD-8 and 2 RWD-17 aircraft. The RWD-13 medical plane was also based at the airport. There were also some private planes.
In 1938, the airport in Masłów received the task of organizing the 4th National Gliding Competition. The event took place from July 10-23, 1938. Some of the contestants managed to fly 200 – 300 km despite the unfavorable weather. Unfortunately, captain pilot Eugeniusz Makowski died in this competition. It was the biggest aviation event at this airport, before the aggression of the Germans on the Republic of Poland.
On September 3, 1939, the Germans made a bomb attack on the airport. Several planes were destroyed because not all machines could be evacuated or dismantled and hidden outside the airport. Main airport facilities; the hangars and the mansion were not destroyed. On August 9, 1944, the Germans mined the airport buildings and destroyed them.
After the end of the war, on September 28, 1945, the Kielce Aero Club was established. On April 12, 1947, the Kielce Voivodship District of the Aviation League was established. From September 1947, the organization of annual glider competitions began. The reconstruction of the damaged airport infrastructure has begun. In 1948, the construction of a new hangar was completed.
A great event in the history of Kielce Masłów airport was the holy mass celebrated by Pope Saint John Paul II on June 3, 1991.
Kielce Masłów Airport has the ICAO code – EPKA. Radio communication: Masłów Radio 118.080 MHz. The airport has a hard RWY 106/286 (11R/29L), 900 m x 30 m, concrete surface. There is a second ground RWY – grass 106/286 (11L/29R), 900 m x 200 m. The southern airport circle is obligatory for aircraft. The airport manager is the Kielce Aeroclub. Contact +48 41 311 0706, +48 41 311 0893.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman