Several Rock County farms provided land for contract glider pilot training to the United States Army Air Forces in 1942. Training was provided by Morey Airplane Company using three turf runway locations in three township sections. C-47 Skytrains and Waco CG-4 unpowered Gliders were not used. The production CG-4A gliders were not delivered until after these northern civilian schools were closed. Aircraft furnished by the Army were single engine L type Cessna, Aeronca and Piper. There were no gliders and there was no glider towing. These schools became known as dead stick training. The mission of the school was to train glider pilot students in approaches with the engine off, landing at a mark, night landing and strange field landing. Ground school instruction was in navigation, maintenance, meteorology, instruments, aircraft identification, chemical warfare defense, customs of service and physical training and drill. These schools were inactivated at the end of 1942 or sooner. The farm fields used in Rock County were turned back to the farmers when the schools were closed. None of this glider pilot training in Rock County occurred at or on the current Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport space.-->
Facilities and aircraft
Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport covers an area of at an elevation of 808 feet above mean sea level. It contains three runways:
Runway 14/32: 7,302 x 150 ft, surface: concrete,
with approved ILS and GPS approaches.
Runway 4/22: 6,701 x 150 ft, surface: asphalt,
with approved ILS and GPS approaches.
Runway 18/36: 5,004 x 75 ft, surface: asphalt.
For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2019, the airport had 52,452 aircraft operations, an average of 144 per day: 89% general aviation, 10% air taxi and 1% military. In June 2020, there were 57 aircraft based at this airport: 31 single-engine, 1 multi-engine, 23 jet and 2 helicopters.
Southern Wisconsin AirFest
The Southern Wisconsin AirFest was an annual air show that hosted North American jet teams, such as the Blue Angels, the Thunderbirds and the Masters of Disaster. The event was discontinued following the 2012 season.
Headliners
2003: The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were scheduled to perform but due to an accident in late September they were unable to perform at the show. In their place was the CF-18 Hornet
