El Reno Regional Airport

El Reno Regional Airport (ICAO: KRQO, FAA LID: RQO) is in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States, five miles southwest of El Reno, which owns it. The FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013 categorized it as a general aviation facility. Many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, but this facility is RQO to the FAA and has no IATA code. History The airport opened in 1943 as a United States Army Air Forces World War II primary (stage 1) pilot training airfield by the Army Air Forces Training Command Gulf Coast Training Center (later Central Flying Training Command). It was known as El Reno Field or Mustang Field. It was operated by the 320th Flying Training detachment, with the Midwest Air School as a contract flying training provider. The Oklahoma Air College, Inc. also was a contractor to the USAAF at El Reno. Fairchild PT-19s were the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks assigned. During wartime, the airfield had three turf runways, their alignment now unknown. It had several (between 3 and 6) local auxiliary landing fields for emergency or overflow landings. Known auxiliaries were at Calumet and Union City with several others in the El Reno area. Pilot training at the airfield apparently ended during the summer of 1944, with the reduced demand for new pilots. The airfield was turned over to the local government at the end of the war. An aviation museum called the Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field announced it would be opening in one of the original World War II hangars in January 2025. Facilities The airport covers 698 acres (282 ha) an elevation of 1,420 feet (433 m). It has two runways: 17/35 is 5,600 by 75 feet (1,707 x 23 m) concrete and 18/36 is 4,630 by 190 feet (1,411 x 58 m) turf. In the year ending February 12, 2008 the airport had 24,825 aircraft operations, average 68 per day: 99.9% general aviation and 0.1% military. 24 aircraft were then based at the airport: 79% single-engine and 21% multi-engine. Tornadoes El Reno Regional Airport has been hit or came close to being hit by multiple tornadoes over the years. On April 24, 2006, a short lived, anti-cyclonic, open air funnel tornado hit the airport directly. Although rated a weak F1 tornado on the Fujita scale, it did heavy damage to 2 hangars, and damaged multiple airplanes, causing $1.5 million dollars in damage. On May 8, 2007, an EF1 tornado touched down just east of the airport. This tornado was on the ground for 1.8 miles and was 150 yards wide. It did not directly affect the airport. On May 31, 2013, the airport was barely spared by one of the strongest tornadoes ever recorded when the 2013 El Reno tornado passed less than a mile south of the airports runway. This multiple vortex tornado became the widest tornado ever recorded at 2.6 miles across. Mineral rights lease Every three years El Reno conducts a bidding for mineral rights on 320 acres (130 ha) of airport land. This is required because the city acquired the facility years ago from the Federal Aviation Administration. The proceeds must be used for either improvements at El Reno airport or other aviation-related purposes. The winning bid was made by Haggard Land Company, which offered $15,000 per acre plus a 20 percent royalty for any oil or gas it extracts from the land. The reported value of the deal to the city was $4,800,000. Mayor Matt White said his goal was to pay off the airport debt, currently estimated at $600,000. See also Oklahoma World War II Army Airfields 31st Flying Training Wing (World War II) References External links FAA Terminal Procedures for RQO, effective July 9, 2026 Resources for this airport: FAA airport information for RQO AirNav airport information for KRQO FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures