Yucca Airstrip

Yucca Airstrip (IATA: UCC, ICAO: KUCC, FAA LID: NV11) is a private-use airport located 17 miles (27 km) north of the central business district of Mercury, in Nye County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located on the Nevada Test Site[1] and is owned by the United States Department of Energy. On the sectional chart it is depicted as an unverified airstrip.

Yucca Airstrip
Summary
OperatorDepartment of Energy
LocationNevada Test Site, Nevada, United States
Elevation AMSL3,919 ft / 1,195 m
Coordinates36°56′45″N 116°02′16″W
Map
KUCC is located in Nevada
KUCC
KUCC
Location of the airport in Nevada
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
01/19 4,990 1,521 Asphalt
14/32 9,000 2,743 Salt

Many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA. However, this airport is assigned NV11 by the FAA but has been assigned UCC from the IATA. [2]

History

The airport was the staging area for Shot Badger, a test of the Upshot–Knothole Series of nuclear test shots on April 18, 1953.[3]

Facilities

Yucca Airstrip Airport covers an area of 41 acres (17 ha) and has two runways, one located on the salt flat and a shorter, more recently constructed asphalt runway just east of the salt flat:

  • Runway 01/19: 4,990 x 75 ft (1,521 x 23 m), surface: asphalt
  • Runway 14/32: 9,000 x 200 ft (2,743 x 61 m), surface: salt

The asphalt runway was constructed in 2002 as part of an unmanned aerial vehicle test facility.[4]

References
  1. United States Geological Survey. Nevada Test Site. Geologic Surface Effects of Underground Nuclear Testing. Accessed on April 18, 2009.
  2. Airport information for KUCC at Great Circle Mapper.
  3. United States Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Tests
  4. Rosenberg, Zach (December 7, 2011). "Satellite images reveal secret Nevada UAV site". Flightglobal. Retrieved March 10, 2013.


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