Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
GA Serves Cloquet, Moose Lake Communities
Moose Lake-Carlton County Airport was established as a "landing strip" by the city in 1951. Twenty years later the county assumed ownership and a volunteer effort got the strip lighted the next year. It became a paved runway in 1992.
Based on recommendations developed by the State Airport Pavement Management Program, the Carlton County Airport Commission decided the runway pavement at Moose Lake (4/22) should be reclaimed, incorporated into the aggregate base, and a new surface applied.
In 1933, the city of Cloquet assumed ownership on leased property which passed to city ownership in 1939. The airport was closed during WWII, but reopened in 1945 with two turf runways. The north-south runway was paved in 1958.
Carlton County is a great place no matter what you like. There's plenty of public land for outdoor recreation including the spectacular Jay Cook State Park.
Less strenuous recreation is available at a casino/hotel/restaurant complex. Unusual tourist attractions include the only gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Cloquet and world's largest agate in Moose Lake.
The aforementioned cities are the county's biggest and are served by two general aviation airports with all the facilities you'd like for a fly-in visit. Both are county owned and operated. Having an airport is great, but a pair is better. The owner can take advantage of "economy
of scale" so to speak, and nobody does that better than Carlton County. Financial and administrative support is supplied by county experts. County engineering staff are there for technical expertise.
Carlton County employs a full-time airport manager. The current incumbent is Quinten Anderson who's wisdom incorporates over 20 years of experience.
He'll talk knowledgably about everything from hangar rents to pavement maintenance, the latter having been put on the front burner by three recent runway rehabilitation projects.
In 2015 the Carlton County Airport Commission decided to rehabilitate all three runways in its system. Based on recommendations developed by the State Airport Pavement Management Program, the Commission decided the runway pavement at Moose Lake (4/22) should be reclaimed, incorporated into the aggregate base, and a new surface applied. It was a very successful project.
In 2019 the same program was completed on Runway 18/36 at Cloquet and in 2020 with Runway 7/25.
While the second runway at Cloquet was being rehabilitated, the runway lighting system was updated and guidance signs installed for improved safety.
Runway 18/36 at Cloquet used to be 17/35. Early in ground school pilots learn that the magnetic north pole is moving. That causes magnetic variation (or declination) to change. Isogonic lines on charts indicate what the variation is any location, just interpolate. Runway numbers are the magnetic bearing of the runway rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of 10.
If the magnetic bearing is 354 degrees the runway is called 35. When the pole moves enough to change the local variation 2-degrees the bearing becomes 356 degrees and the new name is Runway 36.
Cloquet-Carlton County Airport is the larger airport and has a history dating to the 1930s. It was originally a private airport called "Smith's Field."
In 1933, the city assumed ownership on leased property which passed to city ownership in 1939. The airport was closed during WWII, but reopened in 1945 with two turf runways. The north-south runway was paved in 1958.
It was extended overlaid and resurfaced many times. The 2019 project found up to 12 inches of asphalt in some places. Lights were added in 1964. Ownership of the airport was transferred to the county in 1968. Runway 7/25 replaced the east/west turf at the start of the millennium thus eliminating crosswind problems.
Moose Lake-Carlton County Airport was established as a "landing strip" by the city in 1951. Twenty years later the county assumed ownership and a volunteer effort got the strip lighted the next year. It became a paved runway in 1992 complete with a full lighting system. Moose Lake is at the very southern end of Carlton County.
A small part of the airport property is in neighboring Pine County, as is most of the Runway 4 approach. Minnesota requires land use and height restriction for all public airports and the geography slightly complicates that issue for Moose Lake.
Carlton County has two airports, but neither is associated with the county seat.
The city of Carlton (as is the county) was named for Reuben Carlton who was a member of the Minnesota Senate. The courthouse is an interesting bit of architecture and worth a look. Both airports have self-service aviation gas.
Cloquet also has Jet A, plus a courtesy car and "bicycles" for the more ambitious. Again, leveraging the "economy of scale" the same FBO provides services at both airports. From Agates to "Ultimate Texas Hold 'em," you can't help but find something you like in Carlton County including an efficient airport system.
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