The Historical Society of Avon ParkAVON PARK, FL · EST. 1886
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Avon Park Executive Airport

Avon Park Executive Airport (FAA LID: AVO) is a city-owned, public-use general aviation airport located approximately two miles west of downtown Avon Park along State Road 64 West in Highlands County.[faa-avo] Encompassing approximately 320 acres, the facility features two paved runways arranged in an intersecting configuration: Runway 4/22 (5,374 feet in length by 100 feet in width) and Runway 9/27 (3,844 feet in length by 75 feet in width).[faa-avo]

Pre-War Civil Origins (1938–1941)

The airport originated in the late 1930s under the municipal administration of Mayor Marcus E. Covington, who spearheaded the acquisition of western flatwoods acreage to establish a permanent civil landing field for central Florida.[maxwell-1976]

The airfield was formally recognized in state statutory landmarks by the Florida Legislature in June 1941, when Chapter 20297, Laws of Florida 1941 designated the route of State Road 32 (modern State Road 64) extending west from the city limits past the "Avon Park Air Port."[laws-fla-ch20297-1941]

World War II Primary Flight Training (1941–1945)

In July 1941, as the United States War Department accelerated pilot production for national defense, the City of Avon Park negotiated a long-term operating lease with aviation executive Albert I. Lodwick, co-founder of the Lakeland School of Aeronautics.[mfh-lodwick][sage-gagne-1989]

Lodwick established the Lodwick Aviation Military Academy (LAMA), operating under contract with the United States Army Air Forces as the 61st Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (Primary), designated officially as Contract Pilot School No. 14.[mfh-lodwick]

Key elements of the wartime facility included:[mfh-lodwick][sage-gagne-1989][lpl-cadet-publications]

  • Flight Operations: The civilian academy maintained a fleet of more than fifty Boeing-Stearman PT-17 Kaydet biplane trainers, utilizing paved municipal runways and turf landing strips for primary cadet instruction.[mfh-lodwick]
  • Auxiliary Airfield (Ace Wright Field): To alleviate traffic density at the municipal airport, the academy established an auxiliary grass landing field known as Ace Wright Field, located several miles outside the city for practice takeoffs, landings, and engine-out procedures.[lpl-cadet-publications]
  • Cadet Billeting and Logistics: Aviation cadets were billeted in downtown Avon Park at the converted Highlands Lakes Hotel on Lake Lillian (accommodating 234 cadets) and at Lake Byrd Lodge, with dining halls, classrooms, and administrative offices located within the hotel complexes.[maxwell-1976][sage-gagne-1989]
  • Instructional Scope: Between October 1941 and November 1944, the school graduated between 2,800 and 3,413 Army aviation cadets who completed their primary flight curriculum before progressing to basic flight schools.[mfh-lodwick][sage-gagne-1989]

Distinction from Avon Park Air Force Range

Historical accounts distinguish Avon Park Executive Airport from the separate military installation east of the town:[mfh-lodwick]

  • Avon Park Municipal / Executive Airport (AVO): Situated 2 miles west of town on State Road 64; civilian-operated contract primary flight training school for cadet biplanes (1941–1944).
  • Avon Park Army Airfield (Avon Park Air Force Range): Situated 10.5 miles east across the Kissimmee River valley on a 107,059-acre reservation; military-operated heavy bomber base (III Bomber Command, Third Air Force) training B-17 Flying Fortress, B-26 Marauder, and B-29 Superfortress combat crews on active bombing targets under Col. Clint T. Johnson.[laws-fla-ch20297-1941]

Post-War Municipal Operations (1945–Present)

Following the cessation of wartime training in November 1944, the airport facility was declared federal surplus property.[mfh-lodwick] In 1947, the War Assets Administration executed a quitclaim deed transferring all airport land, runways, taxiways, and military hangars back to the City of Avon Park under the Surplus Property Act of 1944.[maxwell-1976]

During the post-war decades, the airport evolved into a critical center for regional commercial aviation and agriculture:[maxwell-1976][faa-avo]

  • Agricultural Aviation Hub: The field served as the central operating base for agricultural aerial applicators (crop-dusting and aerial spraying services) supporting the extensive citrus groves of Highlands, Hardee, and Polk counties.[maxwell-1976]
  • General and Corporate Aviation: Upgraded with modern aeronautical navigation aids (NDB and GPS approaches), automated weather observation systems (AWOS-3), Jet-A and 100LL fueling facilities, and private hangar complexes, the airport was officially renamed Avon Park Executive Airport to reflect its role in regional business aviation.[faa-avo]

References

Where this comes from

Evidence
corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
Review
unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
Rights
society

Sources

  1. Museum of Florida History, Florida Department of State, Lodwick Aviation Military Academy — Avon Park Municipal Airport, World War II Historical Sites, Central Listing (2026)
  2. Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell, The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (references/the-first-hundred-years-of-avon-park_leoma-bradshaw-maxwell_1976.md) (1976)
  3. Legislature of the State of Florida, Chapter 20297, Laws of Florida 1941: Establishing Certain State Roads in Highlands County (1941)
  4. Waneta Sage-Gagne, Training Army Pilots in Lakeland and Avon Park during World War II: A Photographic Essay — Tampa Bay History 11(2), 1989 (1989)
  5. Lakeland Public Library Digital Special Collections, Lodwick School of Aeronautics Cadet Publications: the 1941 LAMA and 1943 LAMA cadet annuals of the Avon Park school (2026)
  6. Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Airport Master Record for Avon Park Executive Airport (AVO / Form 5010) (2026)

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