Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field
SPA · KSPA · Spartanburg, South Carolina · Spartanburg County · map
Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field is a public-use airport owned by the City of Spartanburg, 3 miles southwest of Spartanburg, South Carolina, 802 feet above sea level. Its one runway, 05/23, is 5,852 feet of asphalt. It has fuel (100LL avgas, Jet A) and about 79 general-aviation aircraft based on the field by the FAA's count. The FAA counts about 33,390 takeoffs and landings a year. About 16 passengers boarded flights here in the FAA's fiscal year 2024.
Quick answers answers refresh every morning
What is the airport code for Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field?
Its FAA code is SPA, and its ICAO code is KSPA.
Where is Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field?
It is 3 miles southwest of Spartanburg, South Carolina, 802 feet above sea level.
How long is the runway at Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field?
Its one runway, 05/23, is 5,852 feet long, asphalt.
Does Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field have a control tower?
No, it has no control tower.
What fuel can you buy at Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field?
The FAA's airport file lists 100LL avgas, Jet A.
Are there flight schools at Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field?
6 flight schools, flying clubs or college flight programmes are based within about 15 miles of it, including Carolina Soaring Association and 182 Flyers LLC. Compare them
Where are the nearest FAA examiners to Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field?
8 pilot examiners and 16 aviation medical examiners work within 50 nautical miles. See them by name
Weather and planning now, the forecast, warnings, pilot reports, winds aloft, restrictions
Fetching the weather now, the forecast, the warnings in force, pilot reports and the winds aloft for Spartanburg Downtown Meml/Simpson Field…
Wind map live wind over the area, from Windy.com
Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction; drag the time bar for the coming days. Map and forecast by Windy.com.
The airport facts, runways, radio, fuel and services, the FAA's remarks
The airport
- Codes
- FAA SPA · ICAO KSPA
- Kind
- Airport · open to the public · publicly owned
- Owner
- City of Spartanburg
- Elevation
- 802 feet above sea level
- Pattern altitude
- 800 feet above the airport
- Control tower
- No control tower
- Attended
- every day, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Lights
- runway lights see the remarks below; beacon sunset to sunrise
- Fuel and services
- 100LL avgas, Jet A; the services card below
- On the chart
- Charlotte sectional
- Magnetic variation
- 5W
- In the FAA's files since
- November 1937
Runway
For understanding the field, not for navigation.
| Runway | Length × width | Surface | Lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/23 | 5,852 × 100 ft | Asphalt, excellent | High-intensity lights |
- Runway 05: ILS with DME, PAPI, four lights on the right, medium-intensity approach lights with runway alignment lights (MALSR), tree 88 ft high 3,504 ft from the end
- Runway 23: PAPI, four lights on the left, 5,452 ft available for landing
Radio frequencies
| Common traffic advisory (CTAF) · UNICOM | 123.0 | |
| Clearance delivery | 120.55 | |
| Approach and departure · Departure procedure (BIMMR) · Departure procedure (BWALL) | 119.4 | |
| Spa and aWOS-3 | 133.925 | |
| Owing and center (remote transmitter) Low | 135.35 |
Automated weather (AWOS-3), by phone 864-587-2529.
Fuel and services as reported to the FAA
- Fuel
- 100LL avgas, Jet A
- Repairs
- airframe and engine: major repairs
- Parking
- hangars, tie-downs
- Also here
- gliders, flight instruction, aircraft rental
Other fields with jet fuel nearby: Greenville Spartanburg International (13 nm west), Greenville Downtown Airport (20 nm west), Donaldson Field (23 nm southwest).
The FAA's file records what is sold and done at the field, as the airport manager reports it, not who sells it or the price; fuel sellers (FBOs) are not named in any public file. Airports selling jet fuel in South Carolina · avgas.
The FAA's remarks as written in the airport file, spelled out
- Airport existed prior 1958.
- Activate rotating beacon - the common traffic frequency.
- Activate approach lights (MALSR) runway 05; runway end identifier lights runway 23; PAPI runway 05 and 23; high-intensity runway lights runway 05/23 - the common traffic frequency.
- Pattern altitude: 800 feet above ground level for piston aircraft, 1300 feet above ground level for turbo prop aircraft and small jets.
- Glider operations.
Flights and activity in the air now, the airlines, based aircraft, takeoffs and landings
Activity now checking the volunteer receiver network…
Within ten miles
- Looking…
Arrivals and departures, last hour
- Looking…
From the volunteer receiver network, a few minutes behind at most; aircraft whose owners asked the FAA not to be displayed are left out; no person is named. Open the live map here.
Based aircraft as counted for the FAA, fiscal year 2024
Based aircraft, as a table
| aircraft | |
|---|---|
| single-engine | 55 |
| multi-engine | 12 |
| jets | 3 |
| helicopters | 4 |
| other | 5 |
The FAA's count is the general-aviation aircraft kept on the field (singles, twins, business jets, helicopters) from its Terminal Area Forecast, the latest year with an actual count; airline fleets are never counted as based anywhere, so a big airline airport shows a small number. The register section below shows how many aircraft are registered to owners in town, a different measure again.
Takeoffs and landings a year about 33,390, the FAA's fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024)
Takeoffs and landings, as a table
| a year | |
|---|---|
| air taxi and commuter | 5,566 |
| general aviation, travelling | 12,649 |
| general aviation, local | 14,785 |
| military | 390 |
Local flights stay in the traffic pattern or nearby, often practice; travelling flights arrive from or leave for somewhere else. Counts at airports without a tower are the FAA's estimates. How this compares nationally: Airports by the numbers.
Who flies and works here aircraft registered in town, the companies, the examiners nearby
Aircraft registered in Spartanburg from the FAA register
67 aircraft are registered to owners in Spartanburg, South Carolina: 39 piston singles, 10 business jets, 5 turboprops, 5 piston twins, 3 helicopters. Not every one of them is based at this airport; the based-aircraft count above is the FAA's figure for this airport alone.
Companies and organisations in town with two or more aircraft:
Individuals are counted, not named (the site's policy at this time). All aircraft registered in South Carolina.
Who works here from the FAA's certificate lists and the register
Flight schools, flying clubs and college flight programmes based within about 15 miles:
- Carolina Soaring Association 2 aircraft · Spartanburg Carolina Soaring Association is a volunteer-operated flying club based at Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport in South Carolina.
- 182 Flyers LLC 1 aircraft · Spartanburg
- Spartanburg Area Flight Education LLC 1 aircraft · Spartanburg
- Upstate Flyers LLC 1 aircraft · Woodruff, 13 miles away
- Greenville Flight LLC 3 aircraft · Greer, 15 miles away Greenville Aviation is a flight school and aircraft rental company established in 1967 in Greenville, South Carolina.
- Rut-Roh Flyers LLC 1 aircraft · Greer, 15 miles away
Charter operators and airlines based in Spartanburg:
- Aloft Aviation Services LLC 2 aircraft on the certificate
- Gb Airlink INC 1 aircraft on the certificate
Repair stations in Spartanburg:
- Airflow Performance, LLC Airflow Performance manufactures fuel injection systems for experimental and certified aircraft, primarily for Lycoming engines.
Companies in the same town as this airport, and schools within about 15 miles of it (each placed at the main public airport of its town, or at the town's centre); not every one of them works from this field. All operators · all repair stations · all flight schools · all FBOs.
Examiners and inspectors nearby designated by the FAA · within 50 nautical miles
8 pilot examiners (the FAA's designated pilot examiners, who give the practical tests for pilot certificates) are based within 50 nautical miles: 8 for private pilot, 8 for commercial and instrument, 4 for airline transport pilot, 4 for flight instructor; 8 for airplanes, 5 for multi-engine airplanes. Also nearby: 1 sport aviation examiner, 16 aviation medical examiners, 4 mechanic examiners, 3 airworthiness representatives (manufacturing), 3 engineering representatives, 1 parachute rigger examiner, 2 training center examiners.
- William Porcher Dubose private pilot, commercial and instrument; airplanes · Spartanburg Memorial Downtown Airport · Spartanburg, SC (0 nm) · (803) 256-3544 · [email protected]
- Brett Avery Zukowski private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Greenville, SC (20 nm) · (864) 201-9356 · [email protected]
- Gregory Collins private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot; airplanes · Rutherford County Airport FBO · Rutherford, NC (26 nm) · (828) 460-3646 · [email protected]
- Leonard Litton private pilot, commercial and instrument, flight instructor, instructor renewals, military competency; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Piedmont, SC (27 nm) · (703) 389-7709 · [email protected]
- David Alan Smith private pilot, commercial and instrument, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes · Fletcher, NC (40 nm) · (828) 458-8484 · [email protected]
- Darrin Murphy private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Gastonia Municipal Airport KAKH · Gastonia, NC (43 nm) · (803) 526-1153 · [email protected]
- Harrison Grady Smith private pilot, commercial and instrument; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Central, SC (43 nm) · (864) 986-9664 · [email protected]
- Melissa Curtis private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Gastonia Municipal Airport · Gastonia, NC (43 nm) · (757) 435-7865 · [email protected]
All 38 nearby, by kind, with contact details
What each kind does
- DPE: Designated Pilot Examiner: gives the practical tests (checkrides) for pilot certificates and ratings.
- SAE: Sport Aviation Examiner: gives the tests for sport pilot certificates and light-sport aircraft.
- AME: Aviation Medical Examiner: a doctor who issues the medical certificates pilots must hold.
- DME: Designated Mechanic Examiner: tests candidates for the mechanic certificate (airframe and powerplant).
- DAR-F: Designated Airworthiness Representative, manufacturing: issues airworthiness certificates for newly built aircraft and parts.
- DER-T: Designated Engineering Representative: approves engineering data for repairs and alterations on the FAA's behalf.
- DPRE: Designated Parachute Rigger Examiner: tests candidates for the parachute rigger certificate.
- DCTO-E: Designee at a certificated training organisation.
Designees are listed with the name and contact details the FAA publishes for them on its designee locator (read October 10, 2026): the FAA lists them so that pilots, mechanics and companies can find them. Private individuals are not named, the site's policy at this time. A designee who would rather not appear here can ask us through the contact address on the About page. Each designee is placed at the main public airport of the town the FAA lists (or the nearest one to its zip code), so "nearby" means the town, not an exact address. All examiners by state.
Safety record the NTSB's cases at or near this airport
Accidents and incidents at or near this airport NTSB records · 19 since 1982, 2 fatal
Cases the NTSB recorded with this as the nearest airport, newest first. Each opens the full report in plain English. The country as a whole: Where accidents happen.
Nearby within 30 nautical miles
Connections how this airport links to the rest of the register
- Aircraft registered in Spartanburg 67 aircraft · 39 piston singles, 10 business jets, 5 turboprops
- Aloft Aviation Services LLC 5 aircraft in town
- Business As Usual LLC 3 aircraft in town
- Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office 2 aircraft in town
- Pivotal Aviation LLC 2 aircraft in town
- Aloft Aviation Services LLC 2 aircraft on the certificate · charter operator
- Gb Airlink INC 1 aircraft on the certificate · charter operator
- Carolina Soaring Association 2 aircraft · flying club
- 182 Flyers LLC 1 aircraft · flight school
- Spartanburg Area Flight Education LLC 1 aircraft · flight school
- Airflow Performance, LLC · repair station
- NTSB accidents and incidents at or near this airport 19 since 1982 · 2 fatal
- Accidents and incidents in South Carolina 1,035 since 1982 · 172 in the last ten years
- Nearby landing places within 30 nautical miles 8 airports, heliports and seaplane bases
- Public-use airports in South Carolina 67 landing places
- South Carolina 3,111 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/airport/SPA.json.
Facts from the FAA's airport file effective October 1, 2026, written out in plain English; weather from the National Weather Service's aviation weather service; registered aircraft from the FAA register as of October 26, 2026; accidents from the NTSB's public database. Owners are shown only when they are an organisation; no person is named. Check the official sources before a flight: this page is for understanding an airport, not for planning one.