Ocracoke Island Airport: Gateway to North Carolina's Most Remote Village

Tucked along the eastern edge of Ocracoke Village on North Carolina's southernmost Outer Banks island, Ocracoke Island Airport (W95) serves as an airborne link to one of the most isolated and historically rich communities on the Atlantic Coast. This unattended 3,000-foot airstrip, owned by the National Park Service and operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division of Aviation, provides access to an island steeped in pirate lore, maritime history, and timeless coastal charm.

An Island Apart

Ocracoke Island stands as a testament to what the Outer Banks once were—unspoiled, unhurried, and accessible only by water or air. With no bridge connecting it to the mainland, visitors must arrive via one of three ferry routes or by light aircraft, making it one of the few inhabited islands in North Carolina without a highway connection to civilization. This isolation has preserved Ocracoke's unique character, including the distinctive "Hoi Toider" brogue spoken by native islanders—a dialect linguists have studied for decades as one of America's most unusual regional accents.

The village itself, home to roughly 800 year-round residents, spreads along the western shore around Silver Lake Harbor. Before European settlement, Native Americans used the island as a base for fishing, hunting, and navigation. By 1715, Ocracoke had become "Pilot Town," where skilled maritime pilots guided vessels through the treacherous Ocracoke Inlet—the only inlet in North Carolina that has existed continuously since the 16th century.

Early Aviation on Ocracoke

Long before a paved runway existed, pilots ventured to Ocracoke using nature's landing strip: the hard-packed beach sand. In the early years before barrier dunes were erected and vegetation took hold, planes would taxi almost to the front door of the "Wahab Village Hotel" (better known today as "Blackbeard's Lodge"). To land safely required a large stretch of firm sand, most likely found near the beach points or during low tide.

Charles Lindbergh's Unexpected Visit

One of aviation's most legendary figures once made an unplanned landing on Ocracoke. During his famous 75-city goodwill tour across America and Mexico following his historic 1927 transatlantic flight, Charles Lindbergh was forced by oncoming night and bad weather to land his Spirit of St. Louis on the beach near Cedar Hammock Coast Guard Station at the north end of the island.

The Coast Guard crew had already finished supper when Lindbergh appeared at their door. They offered him a plate of food, and while he was eating, one of the men recognized him—revealing his identity to the astonishment of all. The beach at that time was much wider, and the packed sand provided an adequate runway for the famous aircraft.

The next morning, after offering to take one of the Coast Guardsmen for a ride in his famous airplane (he was refused), Lindbergh took off from his sandy Ocracoke runway and continued his tour. The Spirit of St. Louis, with its 46-foot wingspan and distinctive silver fabric, had touched down on one of America's most remote islands.

The First Airmail Flight

On October 12, 1937, Ocracoke made aviation history when Postmaster Thomas Wallace Howard had the honor of dispatching North Carolina's first all-state airmail flight. Among the letters sent that day was one from Homer Howard to his son, carefully preserved for posterity.

The envelope was stamped: "FIRST ALL NORTH CAROLINA AIR MAIL FLIGHTS / OCT. 11-16, 1937 / Wright Memorial, Kitty Hawk, NC / Ocracoke, 'The Fisherman's Paradise'"

Homer Howard's letter concluded with these poignant words: "Now listen [I] am Sending you this letter in order that you get one of the[m] that ever went by air mail. Take care of the envelop Keep it as a Souvenir Hand it down to your child & his chind [children]. So you will all ways no when the first air mail left Ocracok NC"

This simple letter, connecting the birthplace of aviation at Kitty Hawk to the isolated fishing village of Ocracoke, symbolized how aviation was shrinking distances across North Carolina.

Bill Cochran and Island Aviation

In the 1950s, Colonel Bill Cochran, a retired Air Force pilot, moved to Ocracoke with his wife Ruth. Together they operated Stanley Wahab's "Silver Lake Inn" (now called the Island Inn). Colonel Cochran, who had earlier run a flying service, brought professional aviation experience to the island and became part of Ocracoke's rich tapestry of colorful characters.

The Modern Airport

The current Ocracoke Island Airport was constructed in 1968 and officially activated in May 1969. Before its completion, pilots arriving by air had to use Highway 12 as a makeshift landing strip—a practice that became increasingly dangerous as vehicle traffic increased. The new 3,000-foot paved runway provided a proper, safe facility for aircraft visiting the island.

Airport Specifications:

• FAA Identifier: W95

• Runway: 6/24, measuring 2,999 feet by 60 feet of asphalt

• Elevation: 5 feet above mean sea level

• Helipad: H1, concrete surface measuring 100 feet by 100 feet

• Area: 50 acres

• Operating Hours: Daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset)

Facilities: As an unattended airport, W95 offers minimal but essential amenities. There are several tie-down locations, and aircraft are permitted to park for 14 consecutive days during any 30-day period. No fuel or water is available on-site; the closest airports with fuel are Dare County Regional Airport (MQI) to the north and Michael J. Smith Field (MRH) to the southwest.

Operations: For the 12-month period ending September 2009, the airport recorded 6,110 aircraft operations—an average of 16 per day. The breakdown was 98% general aviation, 2% air taxi, and less than 1% military. Visitors have reported watching V-22 Ospreys practicing touch-and-go landings, their massive props pivoting from horizontal to vertical orientation as they transition from airplane to helicopter mode.

The airport appears in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011-2015, categorized as a general aviation facility.

World War II: When War Came to Ocracoke

During World War II, Ocracoke played a crucial role in defending America's coastline from German U-boat attacks. In early 1942, German submarines operating just offshore North Carolina sank more than 75 vessels in what became known as "Torpedo Junction" or the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." The waters off Ocracoke witnessed explosions that rattled windows, burning fuel that lit up the night sky, and wreckage that washed ashore on island beaches.

The U.S. Navy established a Section Base on Ocracoke in late spring 1942, with the primary facility located where the southern ferry terminal, National Park Service Visitor Center, and public parking area stand today. The base officially commissioned on October 9, 1942, was tasked with antisubmarine defense and coastal patrol.

Buildings included a 30-bed hospital, barracks, support facilities, and an administrative building. Three piers were constructed in Silver Lake Harbor, which was deepened to accommodate Navy and Coast Guard patrol boats. The Navy also paved Ocracoke's first concrete roads—some of which remained in use into the 1980s. For years after the war, islanders used military landing mats for driveways and soft sand areas.

In 1944, the base converted to an Amphibious Training Base, training US Navy Beach Jumpers—tactical cover and deception units that were forerunners of the Navy SEALs. It was redesignated again in 1945 as a Combat Information Center before finally closing in 1946.

The British Cemetery

The most poignant memorial to World War II on Ocracoke is the British Cemetery, the smallest Commonwealth War Graves Commission grave site in the world. On May 11, 1942, the British armed trawler HMT Bedfordshire—one of 24 vessels loaned to the U.S. Navy for coastal defense—was torpedoed by German submarine U-558. All 37 British and Canadian crewmen aboard were lost.

Over the following days, four bodies washed ashore on Ocracoke. The island community rallied, and a local family donated a small plot of land beneath ancient live oak trees for a proper burial. Only two sailors were ever identified: Sub-Lieutenant Thomas Cunningham and Ordinary Telegraphist Stanley Craig.

Today, the cemetery is maintained by the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and the U.S. Coast Guard. The British naval flag flies over this hallowed ground, which is leased to the British government "as long as the sailors rest there." Each spring, representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, British Royal Navy, and Canadian Royal Navy gather for a memorial ceremony featuring wreath-laying, bagpipes, and a 21-gun salute.

Historic Treasures of Ocracoke

The Ocracoke Lighthouse

Built in 1823, the Ocracoke Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in North Carolina and the second oldest in the nation. At 65 feet tall (75 feet to the top of the lantern), this white conical tower with its distinctive whitewashed brick exterior has guided mariners through Ocracoke Inlet for more than 200 years.

Unlike the tall coastal lighthouses that warn ships away from dangerous shorelines, Ocracoke is an "inlet light"—designed to guide vessels safely through the constantly shifting channels of Ocracoke Inlet. The lighthouse received a fourth-order Fresnel lens in 1854, which greatly intensified its beam. Today, the light produces 8,000 candlepower and can be seen 14 miles at sea.

The lighthouse was built for just $11,359—well under the $20,000 budgeted—and was first lit on August 15, 1824. Though not open for climbing, visitors can walk the grounds daily and photograph this iconic landmark that has witnessed two centuries of maritime history.

Blackbeard's Final Battle

Perhaps no figure looms larger in Ocracoke lore than Edward Teach—better known as Blackbeard the Pirate. In the early 1700s, Ocracoke and nearby Bath became his preferred haunts. Blackbeard had a makeshift camp on the island near present-day Springer's Point, where he hosted wild pirate parties, and a permanent home in Bath where he was supposedly neighbor to North Carolina Governor Charles Eden.

For about 18 months, Blackbeard terrorized ships entering and leaving Ocracoke Inlet, allegedly bribing Governor Eden to turn a blind eye. North Carolina merchants finally appealed to Virginia's Governor Alexander Spotswood for help.

On November 22, 1718, Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard led a surprise attack on Blackbeard just off the coast of Ocracoke. In the fierce battle that ensued, Blackbeard reportedly suffered 25 stab wounds and five gunshot wounds before finally falling. Maynard severed Blackbeard's head and hung it from his ship's bowsprit as proof of the pirate's death. Legend says Blackbeard's headless body swam around the ship three times before sinking.

Today, visitors can explore Springer's Point Nature Preserve, where Blackbeard once reveled, and imagine the golden age of piracy that once gripped these shores.

The Ocracoke Banker Ponies

For more than 400 years, wild horses have roamed Ocracoke Island. Known as Banker Ponies or Ocracoke Ponies, these remarkable animals are likely descendants of Spanish mustangs brought to the Americas in the 1500s or 1600s aboard European explorers' ships. The most popular legend traces them to Sir Richard Grenville's 1585 expedition, when his ship the Tiger ran aground and he offloaded horses to lighten the vessel.

These compact horses—standing just 13 to 14.3 hands and weighing 800 to 1,000 pounds—have several distinctive traits that point to Spanish ancestry, including one less vertebra than most horse breeds. Historically, they were used as beasts of burden, for beach patrols by the U.S. Life Saving Service, and even for local racing.

By the late 1950s, only about 300 ponies remained, and increasing vehicle traffic posed a serious threat. In 1959, the National Park Service completed construction of a soundside pen providing 188 acres of protected beach and marsh. The herd, once managed by the island's Boy Scout Troop 290 (the only mounted scout troop in the country), now numbers about 17 horses.

Visitors can view these living links to Ocracoke's past at the Ocracoke Pony Pen, located off Highway 12 north of the village. The ponies, managed by Cape Hatteras National Seashore, prefer to hang around their paddocks and stables, especially at feeding time.

Getting to Ocracoke

Ocracoke's isolation is part of its enduring appeal. Accessible only by ferry or private aircraft, the journey to the island becomes part of the adventure.

By Ferry:

• Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry (Free): Most frequent service, running roughly every hour. No reservations required. Crossing time approximately 60-75 minutes. First-come, first-served.

• Cedar Island Ferry ($15): 2 hours 15 minutes. Reservations required. Three departures daily.

• Swan Quarter Ferry ($15): 2 hours 45 minutes. Reservations required. Three departures daily.

• Ocracoke Express (Passenger Ferry): Seasonal service from Hatteras directly to Silver Lake Harbor in the village center.

By Air:
Private pilots can fly directly to Ocracoke Island Airport (W95), located approximately one mile east of the village center on Highway 12. While commercial air taxi services have operated periodically, charter flights remain the most reliable option for air access.

Why Visit Ocracoke?

Flying into Ocracoke Island Airport places you at the doorstep of an authentic coastal village where time moves slowly and modern development has been held at bay. Within walking or biking distance of the airport, visitors discover:

• Pristine beaches protected within Cape Hatteras National Seashore

• World-class fishing in waters known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic"

• Historic Silver Lake Harbor, ringed by charming shops, restaurants, and inns

• The Island Inn, the historic Odd Fellows Lodge building dating to 1901

• Fresh seafood at island restaurants featuring local catches

• Kayaking and paddleboarding through salt marshes and tidal creeks

• The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, chronicling centuries of maritime history

• Springer's Point Nature Preserve, with trails through maritime forest

• Local shops and galleries featuring island craftsmen and artists

A Living Time Capsule

Ocracoke Island Airport serves not merely as a transportation facility, but as a gateway to a vanishing way of life. The island's 16-mile stretch of undeveloped beaches, its historic village with century-old homes, and its community of descendants from colonial-era pilots and mariners represent a living connection to North Carolina's maritime heritage.

When you touch down on runway 6/24 at W95, you're landing on an island where Blackbeard once anchored his sloop Adventure, where Charles Lindbergh made an emergency landing in the Spirit of St. Louis, where British sailors are buried far from home, and where wild horses descended from Spanish mustangs still roam.

This is not just another beach destination—it's a place where history breathes in the salt air, where legends walk alongside you on empty beaches, and where the journey to get there remains as memorable as the destination itself. Ocracoke Island Airport is your airborne passage to one of the last truly unspoiled islands on the Atlantic Coa