Western Nebraska Regional Airport

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Western Nebraska Regional Airport is three miles east of Scottsbluff, in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. The airport is owned by the Airport Authority of Scotts Bluff County. It sees one passenger airline, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.The airport is named after William B. Heilig. Known as "Scottsbluff's Mr. Aviation," he was a World War II United States Army Air Force primary flight instructor, a civilian flight instructor, and manager of the city’s airport.Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 10,608 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 9,221 in 2009 and 9,864 in 2010. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport based in enplanements in 2008 but it is non-primary commercial service based in enplanements in 2009 and 2010.HistoryWestern Nebraska Regional Airport opened in 1934; it had a hangar, commercial airline connections, air mail service, lighted fields, a weather bureau station, and was a pilot training facility.With the United States entry into World War II Scottsbluff promoted its municipal airport for military/defense purposes. On September 5, 1942 Scottsbluff was selected as one of seven satellite air bases in Nebraska. Twenty-eight farms were vacated so construction could begin at a cost of 5.5 million dollars. The original Scottsbluff Municipal Airport closed to make way for the new airfield; the old airport later became a prisoner of war camp.