About Cairns Army Airfield
Cairns Army Airfield is the primary military aviation facility at Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker) near Daleville in Dale County, Alabama. Cairns Airfield serves as the operational hub for the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, the organization responsible for training all U.S. Army helicopter pilots and aviation crews. Fort Novosel is one of the world's largest helicopter flight training installations, and Cairns Army Airfield handles the enormous flight operations volume associated with producing thousands of Army aviators annually. The airfield is named in honor of a military aviation pioneer associated with Army aviation history.
Cairns Army Airfield is a military installation and is not available for civilian general aviation use without explicit military authorization. Civilian pilots must not approach, enter, or attempt to land at Cairns without DoD coordination and written permission. The airspace surrounding Fort Novosel includes restricted areas, military operations areas (MOAs), and military training routes (MTRs) that affect civilian aviation throughout the Dale and Coffee County region. Civilian pilots should review military airspace carefully before flying in the Daleville-Enterprise-Ozark area.
Is Cairns Army Airfield open to civilian pilots?
No. Cairns Army Airfield is a military-exclusive facility at Fort Novosel. Civilian pilots may not land without DoD authorization. Unauthorized entry into military airspace or landing on military airfields is a serious federal violation with significant legal consequences.
What helicopter types train at Cairns?
Fort Novosel trains Army pilots in aircraft including the UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and UH-72 Lakota. Student aviators at Cairns begin flight training in the TH-67 Creek or Bell 206 variants before advancing to operational aircraft types.
Who was Cairns Airfield named after?
Cairns Army Airfield is named in honor of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Emmett Cairns, an Army aviator who made significant contributions to Army aviation history. Military installations and their facilities are often named for distinguished service members to honor their legacy.
What civilian airports are near Fort Novosel?
Dothan Regional Airport (DHN) is the nearest commercial service airport, approximately 20 miles southeast. Enterprise Municipal Airport, Blackwell Airport in Ozark, and Knox Army Airport (a separate military field) all serve the communities surrounding Fort Novosel.
Cairns Airport Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Daleville, Alabama.
| Name | Cairns Airport |
| Address | Wallace Street, Daleville AL 36322 Map |
| Phone | (334) 503-1856 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Cairns Airport
Airports near Daleville
Cairns Army Airfield — Fort Novosel Aviation Legacy
Cairns Army Airfield at Fort Novosel represents the heart of the U.S. Army's rotary-wing aviation training mission, a program that has shaped military aviation for over six decades. Since Fort Rucker (now Fort Novosel) was designated as the Army's helicopter training base in the late 1950s, Cairns and the surrounding satellite fields have produced the aviators who have flown every Army helicopter operation from Vietnam through Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond. The concentration of aviation activity at Fort Novosel makes Dale County one of the most aviation-dense areas in the United States relative to its civilian population.
For civilian aviation needs in the Daleville area, Dothan Regional Airport (DHN) provides the nearest commercial service and FBO facilities approximately 20 miles southeast. The Dale County and surrounding region's civilian GA community coexists with the massive military training operation at Fort Novosel, requiring careful airspace awareness from all pilots flying in the southeastern Alabama corridor. The Alabama Department of Transportation Aeronautics Bureau coordinates state aviation planning with federal military authorities to ensure that military and civilian aviation can operate safely throughout the Dale-Coffee-Houston County tri-county area surrounding Fort Novosel.