Isbell Field (4A9), Alabama
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Isbell Field, identifier 4A9, is a public-use airport serving Fort Payne, Alabama, with a single paved runway and a published ops tier of 1 reflecting steady regional business aviation traffic. The field sits at 877 feet elevation, offers both 100LL and Jet A fuel, and operates without a control tower under a daily attendance schedule from 0700 to 1700 local time. Its position roughly 42.63 nautical miles from the nearest metro area places it within reach of several neighboring general aviation airports in northeastern Alabama.
Runways
Isbell Field has one paved runway, 04/22, 5,001 ft long and 100 ft wide, with an asphalt surface.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Isbell Field has Jet A+ and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 7am to 5pm, daily, and the airport has no control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Isbell Field does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Lovell Field (KCHA), 42 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Isbell Field recorded 1,138 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May, September and October. Business aviation traffic at Isbell Fld concentrates in the spring and fall months, with September, May, and October posting the highest monthly operation counts in 2025.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month September, 122 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Isbell Field has published operating constraints in two categories: access and other notes.
Medium intensity runway lighting on runway 4/22 is preset to low intensity; activate on CTAF to increase intensity. Runway end identifier lights on runway 04 and runway 22 are activated via CTAF. Precision approach path indicators on runways 04 and 22 operate continuously.
For clearance delivery, contact Atlanta ARTCC.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Isbell Field has five airfields within 28 NM. The closest is Scottsboro Municipal-Word Field, 19.09 NM northwest.
Part of the Chattanooga area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at 4A9
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at 4A9.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
What runway does Isbell Field (4A9) offer for business aircraft?
Isbell Field, identifier 4A9, has a single paved runway, 04/22, measuring 5,001 feet long and 100 feet wide with an asphalt surface. This length accommodates most business jets operating into Fort Payne, Alabama. The airport has no control tower, so pilots coordinate movement on the common traffic advisory frequency. Runway lighting is available and pilot-controlled, which supports operations outside daylight hours. There is no second runway, so crosswind planning should account for the single 04/22 orientation.
Is fuel available at 4A9 Isbell Field?
Isbell Field stocks both 100LL avgas and Jet A fuel, listed in airport data as A+, along with 100LL for piston aircraft. Fuel service aligns with the field's attendance schedule, which runs daily from 0700 to 1700 local time. Outside those hours, fuel access may be limited since the airport is not staffed around the clock. Dispatchers planning arrivals or departures outside the attendance window should account for this in their fuel planning. Isbell Field serves Fort Payne, Alabama under local timezone America / Chicago.
How does lighting work at Isbell Field for night operations?
Isbell Field, known by local identifier 4A9, uses medium intensity runway lighting on runway 4/22 that is preset to low intensity by default. Pilots increase the intensity by activating it through the CTAF. Runway end identifier lights on both runway 04 and runway 22 are also CTAF-activated rather than continuously on. Precision approach path indicators on both runway ends operate continuously rather than requiring activation. This setup means pilots must key the CTAF frequency to bring MIRL and REIL up to full intensity for night arrivals.
What is the traffic pattern like at Fort Payne's Isbell Field?
Isbell Field recorded 1,358 total annual operations in 2025 according to FAA TFMSC data, with 1,138 of those classified as business aviation activity. Business aviation traffic is not spread evenly across the year at this airport. Monthly figures show a rise from 63 operations in January to peaks of 116 in May, 122 in September, and 116 in October. Lower activity occurs in the winter months of January, April, and December. Isbell Field carries an ops tier 1 classification, reflecting its status as a well-documented, moderately active field near Fort Payne, Alabama.
How far is customs clearance from KCHA relative to Isbell Field?
Isbell Field does not have customs clearance onsite according to airport data. The nearest customs-equipped airport is KCHA, located approximately 42.30 nautical miles away. Pilots arriving from international origins into Fort Payne, Alabama need to plan a customs stop at KCHA or another designated port of entry before or after landing at 4A9. This distance should factor into fuel and routing plans for any flight requiring a customs clearance near Isbell Field. Dispatchers should confirm current customs procedures directly with KCHA in advance of arrival.