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Airport Terminology – beyond what you hear in a movie. 

“You can be my wingman anytime.” This is a quote you might hear in a 30-year old movie about some cocky fictional flyboys. You might not hear this around a regional airport, but spend enough time on our website or in our lobby and you’ll hear things. Hey, nothing bad – you might hear some terminology that sounds like “inside baseball.” With that in mind, here is your Wingman’s Guide to Terre Haute Regional Airport Tips and Terms.

Aerotech Park – Aerotech Park is a 250-acre business park, located within the THRA Airport Development Zone. It has airside and landside sites available for lease and has Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) capabilities. It’s a regional economic driver. 

Hulman Field – The land for Terre Haute Regional Airport was originally donated by industrialist, Anton Hulman, Jr. The airport was later named Hulman Field in his honor, and given the three letter identifier it still carries today – HUF.

Airfield – The facilities. Hulman Field is our airfield –the place where takeoff, landing and other aviation services happen.

FBO – Fixed Base Operator. An FBO is the entity granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport for fueling, hangaring, flight training, and aircraft rental, among other services. Hoosier Aviation is the Fixed Base Operator of Terre Haute Regional Airport.

UAS – Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Also known as ‘drones’, Unmanned Aircraft Systems are just that – planes without a human pilot onboard. The aircraft is controlled from an operator on the ground.  THRA has some expertise in UAS.

Restricted Airspace – Certain airspace is traffic-restricted or even prohibited for safety and security concerns. Usually, this is airspace used by the Department of Defense or other military entities for training exercises. 

Control Tower – Of course you know the control tower, that tall building at any airport where controllers monitor and direct traffic. Not all towers are created equal – Hulman Field has a 24-hour FAA Control Tower.

T-Hangar – You know what a hangar is…so, what’s a T-Hangar. Simply, it’s a type of hangar, primarily used for private aircraft as an economical and space-saving alternative to rectangular hangars.

Got some of your own terms and tips to add? Let us know. If we can, we’ll add ‘em in.