Picacho Peak
Stagefield Fast Facts
Size:
85 acres
currently in use
for normal
operations
Nearest Town:
320 acres,
owned by
the AZARNG
City of Eloy,
2.3 miles west
Support facility for
Silverbell Army
heliport:
Four paved
helicopter
landing lanes
Parking apron
Air traffic
control tower
Supports up to
12 helicopters
3.8
Picacho Peak Stagefield
Picacho Peak Stagefield is a satellite facility located approximately 13 miles northwest of
SBAH that supports SBAH’s aviation training mission. It was developed in the 1990s to
provide an alternative location for touch and go operations where there is less
interference from fixed‐wing operations at Pinal Airpark.
Installation Setting
Picacho Peak Stagefield is located approximately three miles south of I‐10 and is
northwest of Picacho Peak State Park. The city limits of the City of Eloy are approximately
2.3 miles to the west. The AZARNG owns 320 acres of land that make up Picacho Peak
Stagefield, but only 85 acres are currently fenced and used for normal operations.
Picacho Peak Stagefield has four paved helicopter landing lanes that each measure
1,500 feet long by 75 feet wide, a helicopter parking apron, taxiways between each
landing lane and apron, and a small administrative building and control tower for
managing operations. There is no fire station at Picacho Peak Stagefield, but there are
crash and fire rescue personnel and equipment on‐hand during operations. There are no
full‐time personnel stationed at Picacho Peak Stagefield, and personnel only operate at
the facility during training activities or for maintenance purposes. The land surrounding
Picacho Peak Stagefield is primarily undeveloped, with some scattered residential and
agricultural uses. Figure 3‐15 provides an aerial view of Picacho Peak Stagefield’s
footprint and Figure 3‐16 shows details of the operational area.
Military Operations
Helicopter stagefields are an important element of pilot training, including practicing
emergency procedure landing operations. Picacho Peak Stagefield’s current mission is to
operate as necessary to support the rotary wing and unmanned aerial system training
mission of the Army National Guard and Singapore’s Peace Vanguard. Its mission is to
further provide for the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of all aircraft within its air
traffic control assigned airspace (ATCAA). Training flights typically consist of closed
pattern flights at altitudes ranging from surface level to 2,400 feet AGL within a one‐ to
two‐mile radius of the stagefield. Night operations occasionally occur at Picacho Peak
Stagefield on an as‐needed basis to support training requirements. The facility can
support up to 12 helicopters simultaneously, but only four to six are typically in operation
at a given time. There is also an instructor training course for the RQ‐7 Shadow
unmanned aerial system.
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Arizona Army National Guard Profile