About Big River Airport (5AL5)
Big River Airport, FAA identifier 5AL5, is an airfield located near Tuscumbia in Colbert County, Alabama. The name references the Tennessee River, which dominates the landscape of this portion of northwestern Alabama and was historically known as the "Big River" to indigenous peoples and early settlers of the region. The Tennessee River's presence in Colbert County has shaped the area's economy through TVA hydroelectric power, barge transportation, and recreation on Wilson Lake and other Tennessee Valley Authority lakes.
Pilots should verify the current public or private designation of Big River Airport through FAA airport data before planning a landing. The airport operates in the shadow of Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL), the area's primary commercial and GA facility in Muscle Shoals. If 5AL5 is private-use, prior permission from the owner is required. If public, it represents an alternative landing option for pilots who prefer a smaller, less busy field than MSL while visiting the Tuscumbia area of the Shoals.
What does "Big River" refer to in the airport's name?
Big River Airport takes its name from the Tennessee River, which flows through Colbert County adjacent to Tuscumbia. The Tennessee River's TVA dams create Wilson Lake and other impoundments that are central to the area's recreation economy and have powered northwestern Alabama's industrial development for decades.
Is Big River Airport (5AL5) open to the public?
Pilots should verify the current public or private designation of 5AL5 through FAA airport data. If private-use, prior permission is required; if public, standard CTAF procedures apply. Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) in Muscle Shoals is the area's confirmed public-use airport with full services.
What recreational opportunities are near Big River Airport?
Wilson Lake, formed by Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River near Muscle Shoals, offers excellent bass, crappie, and catfish fishing along with boating and water recreation. The Shoals area's lakes are popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts who may fly into area airports for fishing trips.
How far is 5AL5 from MSL?
Big River Airport is near Tuscumbia, which is adjacent to Muscle Shoals where MSL is located. Both airports serve the same Shoals metropolitan area, meaning pilots should consider which field best suits their specific destination within the four-city metro.
Big River Airport - 5Al5 Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
| Name | Big River Airport - 5Al5 |
| Address | 925 Old Highway 20, Tuscumbia AL 35674 Map |
| Phone | (256) 381-4445 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Big River Airport - 5Al5
Airports in near by County
Airports near Tuscumbia
Big River Airport (5AL5) — Shoals Area Aviation
Big River Airport sits within the Shoals metropolitan area, one of Alabama's most culturally distinctive communities. The Tennessee River corridor through Colbert and Lauderdale Counties features a mix of TVA industrial infrastructure, music heritage, and outdoor recreation that gives the area a character unlike any other part of Alabama. Pilots flying through the Tennessee Valley corridor will recognize the Shoals as a significant waypoint, with MSL providing the area's primary aviation services.
Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) in Muscle Shoals provides the most comprehensive aviation services in this part of the state, including commercial airline connections, full FBO amenities, and instrument approach capability. Tri-Cities Airport near Tuscumbia is another GA option in the immediate Shoals area. The Alabama Department of Transportation Aeronautics Bureau's northwestern Alabama aviation planning accounts for the cluster of airports serving the Shoals metro, working to ensure the regional airport system meets both commercial and general aviation needs for a metropolitan area that is economically important to the state despite its distance from Birmingham or Huntsville.