Ellington Field

Continent: North America

Country: United States

Region: Texas

Ellington Field
Location	Houston, Texas
IATA code	EFD
ICAO code	KEFD
Airport type	Mixed-Use Public
Website	http://www.fly2houston.com/ellington
Overview map	Google Maps
Communications
Tower	126.050
Ground	121.600
Clearance
Approach
ATIS	135.575
Departure	122.950

Ellington Field is a joint use civil/military airport. It is a former U.S. Air Force superbase named for Lt. Eric Lamar Ellington, an Army Signal Corps Aeronautical Division pilot killed in a Wright C Flyer accident. Due to BRAC closures, EFD was acquired by the City of Houston in 1984, but is now a rapidly expanding Joint Reserve Base, consolidating the Houston area National Guard and Reserve units. EFD houses the operations of the Texas Air National Guard, Oklahoma Air National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, Army National Guard, and NASA, in addition to its general aviation tenants. Ellington Field is operated and maintained by the Houston Airport System, the fourth largest multi-airport system in the nation and the sixth largest in the world!

EFD is home to the Collings Foundation's Vietnam Heritage Flight, and hosts the Commemorative Air Force's annual "Wings Over Houston" Airshow. It is also the place where many of the astronauts from the world-renowned Johnson Space Center receive their flight familiarization and training. Many professional sports team's chartered flights land at EFD while in Houston.

You can expect to see F-16 "Vipers" of the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 138th Fighter Wing sitting alert. Southwest Services FBO is a popular stop over for transient military aircraft. The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston bases 3 Eurocopter MH-65 Dauphins for SAR and port security missions. NASA's T-38 "Talons", Gulfstream Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA), DC-9 "Weightless Wonder VI" or "Vomit Comet", the last 2 flying WB-57F "Canberras", and the only airworthy Airbus 377SG "Super Guppy" are all based at Ellington. A large variety of bizjet and general aviation aircraft base and transit KEFD.

EFD is a FAR 139 Class IV Airport with 24 hour Air Traffic Control and an "A" ARFF Index.
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Official Spotting Locations

There are currently NO official spotting locations for EFD.

Other Spotting Locations

Inside the airport grounds

Hilliard Street

Hilliard Street just east of Brantley Avenue (next to CFR/ARFF Firehouse) there is a 6 foot tall chain-link fence with 3 strands of barbed wire on top, so bring a ladder.

Blume Avenue

Blume Avenue near Sherbourne Street there is a usually empty parking lot with a 6 foot chain-link fence with 3 rows of barbed wire on top, so bring a ladder.

Brantley Avenue

Brantley Avenue near Goodwin Street is is a prime position for photographing aircraft in flight using runways 4/22.

Off Airport

Farley Road

Farley Road off of Genoa Red Bluff is a prime position for photographing aircraft in flight using runways 17R/35L in the morning. It is advisable to not travel far enough down Farley Road into the sight of the Air National Guard area.

McDonald's

McDonalds located at Beltway 8 and Genoa Red Bluff is perfect for evening 17R arrivals.

Old Galveston Road

Old Galveston Road (Highway 3) near Bay Star Road has areas where one can get different angles on the approach/departure of aircraft.

Locations to Avoid

There are no unmarked Locations to Avoid. There are U.S.A.F. Security Forces and N.A.S.A. security stationed on site and patrolling. Houston Police Department patrols periodically as well as the Harris County Constables, but all are aware of aviation photographers and whereas you might get checked out, they are all respectful and professional.

Regular Traffic

Oklahoma Air National Guard's 138th Fighter Wing: ASA F-16 Vipers
Texas Air National Guard: Reece RC-26 Fairchild SA-227 "Metroliner"
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston: Aerospatiale/Eurocopter MH-65C "Dauphins"
U.S. Army National Guard: Boeing AH-64 "Apaches"
NASA: Northrop T-38 "Talon", Airbus Industries 377SGT-F "Super Guppy", Martin (English Electric) WB-57F "Canbera", Douglas DC-9 "Weightless Wonder" or "Vomit Comet", Various Grumman corporate jets used for VIP transport or Space Shuttle Training. The Zero G 727 also contracts to NASA to fly parabolic reduced gravity training sorties.
Collins Foundation: McDonnell F-4D "Phantom II", McDonnell TA-4J "Skyhawk", Lockheed T-33 "Shooting Star", Grumman S-2F "Tracker", Bell UH-1E "Huey".
There is a fair amount of General /Aviation activity at EFD including some MiGs, Learjets, Challengers, Falcons, Aero Vodochodys, light aircraft, and many professional sports team's chartered flights land at EFD while in Houston.

External links

• Houston Airport System's EFD official webpage
• NASA JSC Aircraft Ops at EFD official webpage
• Wings Over Houston official webpage
• HoustonSpotters.net regional aviation spotters and photographer's webpage on EFD