During World War II, the U.S. Navy chose DeKalb, IL to be the site for the manufacture of drone TDR-1 aircraft and built an airport on the city's east side. This early airport consisted of an airfield and a large hangar that were fenced and guarded around the clock. DeKalb was chosen because Wurlizter, manufacturer of pianos, and known for its expertise in the production of wood products, was located there. Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation assembled the planes at the new airport in DeKalb. Powered by two Lycoming O-435 engines of 220 horsepower each, the TDR-1 used a remarkably simple design, with a steel-tube frame constructed by the Schwinn bicycle company and covered with a molded wood skin. The TDR-1s were remote controlled, had a TV camera in the nose, and a rotary dial was used to steer them from another aircraft. About two hundred drones were built, tested, and boxed at the DeKalb Airport and were shipped to the South Pacific, where they were used against the enemy during World War II. Interstate Aircraft went out of business in 1948, and at that time, the City of DeKalb purchased the airport runways and modest facilities. The city named it the DeKalb Municipal Airport. Willard Rue "Pete" Taylor was a DeKalb pilot, entrepreneur and airplane enthusiast. Even before the city of DeKalb had its own airport, Taylor ran two separate airfields in the cornfields around DeKalb. He also ran an airplane salvage business and sold airplane parts. As part of his flying service, he gave flying lessons, ran charter flights, flew his sick neighbors to hospitals, gave airplane rides to local children, and began crop dusting, which was a first for DeKalb. In 1948, Pete Taylor was named the first airport manager of the new DeKalb Municipal Airport, and he held this position until 1962. He was also granted a lease at the new airport and he moved his business, Taylor Flying Service, there. When the City of DeKalb acquired the airport in 1948, the buildings had not been in use since the end of World War II in 1945. The plumbing was in bad shape and the roofs in disrepair. Taylor handled repairs and improvements. He built 13 hangars and a repair shop, and even added a restaurant operated by his wife and fellow pilot, Ethel Taylor. Pete Taylor was a prominent DeKalb citizen, who served as a DeKalb Alderman, served on several city committees, and was influential in the airport's and community's history. After his death in 1983, in his honor, the city of DeKalb renamed the airport to DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport. In 2001, Pete Taylor was inducted into the IllinoisAviation Hall of Fame.
In November 2019, Tom Cleveland, Airport Manager, working with the Prairie State Aviation Museum in Bloomington, IL, was able to secure a TDR-1 fuselage for the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport. Roger Keys, historian and DeKalb's local TDR-1 drone expert, currently has wings, a canopy, landing gear, propellers, and numerous other items in his collection. In the future, the Airport hopes to reconstruct an entire TDR-1 and have a TDR-1 drone display at the Airport.
Airport Operational Statistics
In 2007, there were an average of 74 daily aircraft operations: 73% transient general aviation, 23% local general aviation and 4% air taxi operations. In September 2016, there were 75 aircraft based at this airport: 67 single-engine, 7 multi-engine and 1 helicopter.
Runways
KDKB has two runways: runway 2/20 measures 7,026 ft x 100 ft and runway 9/27 measures 4,201 ft x 75 ft. All runways are surfaced with asphalt and grooved. Runway 02 is equipped with an instrument landing system, which allows for instrument approaches. GPS approaches can be made to all runways. Runway 2/20 is fully suitable for take-offs of corporate aircraft, such as the Boeing Business Jet, for non-stop flights to Europe and China.
Fixed-Base Operator
DeKalb Flight Center, which is the airport's fixed-base operator, provides a wide range of airport services, including the following: Aviation fuel Avgas100LL, Jet A, aircraft parking, aircraft de-icing, hangars, hangar leasing / sales, GPU / power cart, flight training, charter services, aircraft rental and aircraft parts. Wireless LAN access is available to all DeKalb Flight Center customers.
