LeRoy Airport: Private Aviation in the Willcox Playa Ranch Country
LeRoy Airport near Willcox in Cochise County serves the ranching and agricultural operations of the Sulphur Springs Valley—one of Arizona's premier cattle-producing areas. The airport sits on the broad valley floor at approximately 4,200 feet MSL, in an area where sandhill cranes winter in the thousands at the Willcox Playa, a seasonal lake that forms a remarkable wildlife spectacle from November through March. Private airstrips like LeRoy Airport are integral to the working ranch culture of southeastern Arizona, enabling landowners to move quickly across properties that can span tens of thousands of acres or to reach Tucson or El Paso in a fraction of the ground travel time.
LeRoy Airport operates as a private-use facility within the FAA Western-Pacific Region, with the Arizona Department of Transportation Aeronautics Group maintaining records of the facility for state aviation planning. The Cochise County general aviation network reflects the interplay between private ranching aviation, the military operations at nearby Fort Huachuca, and the border security aviation activities that are a constant presence in southeastern Arizona. Pilots wishing to use private airstrips like LeRoy must obtain prior permission from the airport owner and should verify current runway and obstacle information before any operation.
Is LeRoy Airport open to the public?
LeRoy Airport is a private-use facility. Pilots must obtain explicit prior permission from the owner before landing. Unauthorized landing at a private airstrip violates FAA regulations and constitutes trespassing under Arizona law.
What is the Willcox Playa and why is it significant near LeRoy Airport?
The Willcox Playa is a large, seasonally flooded dry lake bed that becomes a major staging area for sandhill cranes and other migratory waterfowl from November through March. The Festival of the Cranes in January draws birdwatchers from across North America. Pilots flying the area in winter should be aware of the remarkable wildlife spectacle visible from the air over this unique high-desert wetland.
What are the primary aviation uses in the Willcox area?
Aviation in the Willcox area primarily supports ranching operations, agricultural activities, and private transportation. Cochise County Airport near Willcox is the public-use alternative for pilots needing a landing option with no prior-permission requirements.
Leroy Airport Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Willcox, Arizona.
| Name | Leroy Airport |
| Address | 6805 South Kansas Settlement Road, Willcox AZ 85643 Map |
| Phone | (520) 384-2611 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Leroy Airport
Willcox and the Sulphur Springs Valley Aviation Landscape
The Willcox area offers pilots visiting Arizona a taste of the working ranch culture that predates the tourism economy. Apple orchards, vineyard operations, and cattle ranches spread across the valley floor at 4,200 feet elevation, with the Dos Cabezas and Dragoon mountain ranges framing the horizon. The Southern Arizona Wine Country designation brings seasonal visitors to the Willcox area's growing number of wineries, some of which are accessible by private aircraft to the area's airstrips.
Public aviation services in the Willcox area center on Cochise County Airport, which offers a public-use alternative with basic general aviation infrastructure. For commercial service, Tucson International Airport (TUS) is approximately 80 miles west. LeRoy Airport and similar private facilities in the valley serve as workhorses of the agricultural economy, enabling the efficient operation of large-scale ranching across Cochise County. The Arizona Department of Transportation Aeronautics Group's general aviation planning encompasses both public and private facilities in compiling the complete picture of aviation activity that supports rural Arizona's economic vitality.