Getting to Altus: Airports, Driving, and Your First Day

Off-Base Crashpads

11 hours ago

4 min read

Updated: 4 hours ago

Altus is not exactly a hub. It's a small city in southwest Oklahoma, a long way from any major airport, and the trip there takes some planning. The good news is there are a few solid ways to get in. Here's how to pick one, plus the stuff to knock out before your first day so you show up ready. Here's how to get to Altus AFB for your TDY.

All drive times and distances below are approximate, come from common mapping sources, and will vary with route, traffic and weather. Check your own map before you go.

Option 1: Fly Into Lawton (LAW)

Lawton–Fort Sill Regional Airport is the closest airport with commercial service, roughly 57 miles and about an hour and 15 minutes from Altus by road, mostly via US-62.

The airport's published schedule shows nonstop service to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) on American Eagle, so you'll almost certainly connect through DFW. If the connection works with your orders, it's the shortest drive at the end of a long travel day. Check current schedules, since regional service can change.

Option 2: Fly Into Oklahoma City (OKC)

Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City is about 130 to 140 miles from Altus, roughly a two-hour-plus drive. You'll typically have more airline and flight options than at Lawton, which can mean better connections and more rental car choices. The tradeoff is a longer drive after you land.

Option 3: Fly Into Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)

DFW International is about 205 miles away. Most mapping services estimate 3.5 to 4 hours of driving, with routes heading northwest through Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas on US-287 and US-283. DFW has the most flight options of the three. It also makes sense if you're coming from somewhere without a good connection to Lawton or OKC. It's a long drive, though, so don't plan it after a red-eye.

Option 4: Drive Your Own Car

Plenty of students drive in, especially from bases within a day or two of Oklahoma. Having your own vehicle for the length of a formal course is a big quality-of-life win. Check what your orders authorize for POV travel and reimbursement with your finance office or AO.

If you drive an EV, plan your charging stops ahead of time on the rural stretches of southwest Oklahoma and north Texas.

Rental Cars and Your Orders

The Red River Inn (on-base lodging) notes that it can't guarantee on-base lodging on arrival. For that reason, it recommends including rental car authorization on your orders in case off-base lodging is required. If you aren't bringing a POV, talk to your orderly room or finance office about rental car authorization before you travel. Fixing your orders after you're already in Altus is a headache.

Weather on the Way In

Southwest Oklahoma weather is part of the experience:

Summer is hot. NOAA climate normals for Altus put the average July high in the mid-90s °F.
Spring is windy and stormy. Spring is severe-weather season across Oklahoma, so keep an eye on forecasts when you travel.
Winter is mostly mild, but ice and the occasional winter storm can affect roads. Check road conditions before a long drive.

The base itself advertises an average of more than 300 days of flyable weather a year. That's good news for your training timeline, if not your sunburn.

Before Your First Day

The 97th Training Squadron's New Students page is your primary checklist. A few things to handle before you leave home:

Read the Student Reporting Instructions and the Student Handbook, and complete the 97 TRS Student Inprocessing Form.
Call the Red River Inn at (580) 481-7356 before you arrive to confirm your reservation or receive a Certificate of Non-Availability. Current guidance says all students are required to stay in on-base lodging, single rooms are reserved automatically when available, and you should not book lodging through DTS. Exceptions to policy (ETP) go through the 97 OG/CC via the 97 TRS/CC.
Upload your prerequisites and make sure your flight physical and any medical flying waivers are current at least 30 days past your graduation date.
Set up Platform One/Mattermost so you can join the 97 TRS channels.
Bring your current fitness test documentation.

Questions go to 97 TRS Student Administration at (580) 481-7446. If anything here conflicts with your reporting instructions, the reporting instructions win.

Your First Day in Town

Some general tips:

Arrive with a buffer. Try to get into town the day before you report so travel delays don't turn into a late show.
Do a dry run. Figure out your route to the gate and your squadron building before the first early morning.
Stock up. Grab groceries and basics on your first evening so you aren't scrambling during the first week of academics.
Get some sleep. Day one is mostly inprocessing and paperwork, but the pace picks up quickly.

If You're Staying at an OffBase Altus Crash Pad

If your off-base stay is authorized, OffBase Crashpads keeps your commute short. All four houses are under three minutes from the Altus AFB front gate. Driving an EV? The houses have EV charging. And after a long travel day, there's an 80" 4K TV with Dolby Atmos and a massage chair waiting in the living room.

There's no out-of-pocket cost when your orders cover the stay. We bill the same price as on-base lodging and provide itemized, zero-balance receipts for DTS. Reach out before you travel so we can coordinate your arrival.

Request a Stay

Planning your trip to Altus? Fill out the Request a stay form on our site, email Stay@OffBaseCrashpads.com, or call/text (765) 633-2273.

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