Bob Sikes Airport (KCEW)

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The Bob Sikes Airport (KCEW), located at the Okaloosa County Industrial Airpark near Crestview, Florida, is owned and operated by Okaloosa County. "The industrial park was built around the 8,000 foot runway to facilitate the targeted aviation related businesses. A 64,000 square foot hanger is on location for aircraft modifications."[1]

According to the local county website, it "...is a public-use airport owned and operated by Okaloosa County and provides for general aviation, corporate aviation, air taxi service, and some military operations with no commercial air service... Besides the economies of Okaloosa County and Crestview, the airport is affected by Eglin Air Force Base and the related airspace restrictions that surround the airport."[2]

The airport is notable for being the home of Tepper Aviation, Inc., an aviation contractor that is widely believed to be a CIA front company.

Visited by a rendition suspect's private aircraft

In late September 2007, N611C was flown from Johnston County airport to Bob Sikes. The plane spent two days at Bob Sikes before being flown home. It stopped briefly at Middle Georgia Regional Airport (KMCN) on both the outward and return journeys.[3]

N611C is a light aircraft owned by James Kovalesky (alias James Richard Fairing),[4] an alleged CIA pilot who works for Aero Contractors Ltd., another alleged CIA air services proprietary. That company is based at Johnston County airport.[5] Kovalesky is wanted in Germany on charges of kidnapping and causing serious bodily harm to Khalid El-Masri, a German citizen of Lebanese descent.[6][7]

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References

  1. Transportation Network, Florida Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County, accessed July 8, 2007.
  2. Okaloosa County Airports, Okaloosa County Online. Undated, accessed June 12, 2006.
  3. Tracking data for N611C, flightaware.com. Registration req'd to view historical data.. Undated, accessed October 5, 2007. (PDF copy of flightaware data for N611C for 20-22 September, 2007)
  4. FAA records for N611C. Undated, accessed October 7, 2007.
  5. Scott Shane, Stephen Grey and Margot Williams, C.I.A. Expanding Terror Battle Under Guise of Charter Flights, New York Times, May 31, 2005.
  6. "CIA Arrest Warrants Strain US-German Ties", Der Spiegel (English edition), June 25, 2007.
  7. Christina Stefanescu, "Wie enttarnt man einen CIA-Kidnapper? (How does one unmask a CIA kidnapper?)" (PDF), Zusammenfassungen zur nr-Jahreskonferenz 2007 (Summaries to the NR yearly conference 2007), page 22, netzwerkrecherche.de, 2007.

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