Old Courtland Army Airport (9A4) — Courtland, Alabama

Old Courtland Army Airport, designated by the FAA as 9A4 (ICAO: K9A4), sits on 350 acres approximately two nautical miles northeast of downtown Courtland in Lawrence County, Alabama. Owned and operated by the Lawrence County Commission, this public-use general aviation airport carries one of northwest Alabama's most storied aviation histories — a legacy stretching back to World War II when the site trained thousands of American pilots preparing for combat overseas.

World War II Origins: Courtland Army Airfield

The United States Army Air Forces established Courtland Army Airfield in the early 1940s, selecting the Tennessee Valley region of north Alabama for its favorable year-round flying climate, abundant flat terrain, and manageable air traffic congestion. The airfield initially operated as a Basic Flying School, running Air Cadets through rigorous flight instruction on the Vultee BT-13 Valiant trainer — a rugged, single-engine monoplane used extensively during the war to build foundational instrument and formation flying skills.

In August 1944, the mission at Courtland expanded dramatically. The Army Air Forces transferred personnel and equipment from Chanute Field, Illinois, to establish a Specialized 4-Engine Flight School at the site. The school equipped transitioning pilots on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, one of the most widely produced American heavy bombers of World War II. At its wartime peak, the airfield featured four concrete runways, each 5,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, oriented in cardinal and diagonal directions to accommodate training in varying wind conditions.

Following the Allied victory, Courtland Army Airfield was deactivated in June 1945. The federal government transferred the property to the State of Alabama via Quitclaim deed in 1948, converting the former military installation into a civilian general aviation facility serving Lawrence County and the surrounding Tennessee Valley communities.

Runways, Infrastructure, and Airport Data

Today, Old Courtland Army Airport retains much of its original wartime footprint. The airfield maintains two active concrete runways:

• Runway 13/31 — 4,994 feet long × 150 feet wide, concrete surface
• Runway 17/35 — 4,994 feet long × 150 feet wide, concrete surface

The airport sits at an elevation of 588 feet above mean sea level, offering a stable approach environment within the rolling terrain of Lawrence County. The runway lengths comfortably accommodate most piston singles, piston twins, and light turboprop aircraft commonly operated in general aviation, while the concrete surfaces provide durability across Alabama's seasonal weather variations.

Fixed Base Operator: Tennessee Valley Aero

Pilots operating into 9A4 are served by Tennessee Valley Aero, located at 146 Air Force Street, Courtland, AL 35618. The FBO operates seven days a week from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and offers Jet-A fuel service. The operation can be reached by phone at 256-616-1181 or by fax at 256-637-0904. Air-to-ground communication is available on 122.70 MHz. The address itself — Air Force Street — is a lasting nod to the property's military aviation heritage, acknowledging the generations of Army Air Forces personnel who trained and served at this location during the war years.

Courtland and Lawrence County, Alabama

Courtland is a small incorporated town in the northwestern portion of Lawrence County with a population of 593 residents as recorded in the 2020 U.S. Census. Historically, Courtland was the largest town in Lawrence County from 1880 through 1910, serving as a commercial and agricultural hub before Moulton, the county seat, surpassed it in subsequent decades. Lawrence County itself reported a population of 33,073 in 2020 and forms part of the Huntsville–Decatur Combined Statistical Area, one of Alabama's primary economic regions anchored by the aerospace and defense industries centered in Huntsville.

The airport sits roughly five miles south of Wheeler Lake, the TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River that forms Lawrence County's northern border. This Tennessee Valley geography — characterized by limestone valleys, oak and pine uplands, and river-bottom agricultural plains — defines the landscape surrounding 9A4 and contributes to the region's mild flying climate that originally attracted the Army Air Forces here in the 1940s.

For pilots and aviation enthusiasts in northwest Alabama, Old Courtland Army Airport represents both a practical general aviation resource and a tangible connection to one of the most consequential periods in American aviation history.