You’re driving down the Tamiami Trail, miles away from anything that looks like a city, and suddenly, you see it. A massive, two-mile-long strip of asphalt stretching into the sawgrass. No terminal. No control tower. No crowds. Just a lonely runway in the middle of the Florida Everglades. This is the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, or "TNT" in pilot-speak, and honestly, its existence is one of the weirdest stories in aviation history.
Most people drive right past it without a second thought. They assume it's some abandoned military base or a failed private strip. But the truth is way more dramatic. This single runway was supposed to be the "Everglades Jetport," the largest airport on the planet. We're talking 39 square miles—five times the size of JFK in New York—with six runways and a high-speed monorail whisking passengers to Miami and Naples.
The Dream of the Supersonic Age
Back in 1968, the aviation industry was obsessed with the Boeing 2707. This was going to be America’s answer to the Concorde—a massive supersonic transport (SST) that could carry 300 people at three times the speed of sound. Because these planes were so loud they’d basically shatter windows on the ground, they needed to take off and land away from people.
The Everglades seemed perfect. Plenty of space, right?
The Dade County Port Authority started clearing land and actually finished the first runway. It’s a beast: 10,499 feet long and 150 feet wide. It was built specifically to handle the weight of the massive jets of the future. But then, the 1970s hit.
Environmentalists, led by icons like Marjory Stoneman Douglas and scientist Luna Leopold, realized that building a massive city-sized airport in the middle of a swamp would effectively kill the Everglades. The "Leopold Report" was a bombshell. It concluded that the project would "inexorably destroy" the South Florida ecosystem.
So, the federal government stepped in. The project was killed, the SST was cancelled, and the land surrounding the runway eventually became the Big Cypress National Preserve.
What Actually Happens at TNT Today?
If you look at a flight map today, you’ll see the airport code KTNT. It’s still a functioning airport, but it’s a ghost of what it was meant to be. It’s owned by Miami-Dade County and operated by the Aviation Department, but it’s mostly used for one thing: training.
When you’re learning to fly a massive commercial jet, you need to practice landings. A lot of them. At a busy place like Miami International (MIA), you can’t just circle the field and practice "touch-and-goes" (where the wheels hit the runway, but you immediately take off again). It’s too crowded.
So, pilots fly out to Dade-Collier.
It’s the ultimate practice range. There’s almost no traffic. You’ve got a massive runway that can handle a Boeing 747 or a military transport plane. It’s isolated enough that you can practice instrument approaches in the middle of the night without waking up a single neighbor—except maybe a few alligators.
Recent Controversies: Alligator Alcatraz
Lately, the airport has been back in the news for reasons that have nothing to do with planes. In mid-2025, the State of Florida and the Department of Homeland Security set up a temporary immigration detention facility on the grounds.
Locals and activists started calling it "Alligator Alcatraz."
The facility consists of large tents and modular buildings. Because the airport is so remote, it’s an incredibly difficult place to manage a detention center. Environmental groups are rightfully worried because this is the exact same land people fought to protect fifty years ago. There’s no sewer system out there. Everything has to be trucked in and out.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has been vocal about the lack of environmental review. It’s a weird full-circle moment: the airport that was stopped to save the swamp is now being used for something that might be hurting it again.
The Logistics: If You Wanted to Land There
You can’t just fly your Cessna into TNT for a sandwich. There are no sandwiches. There isn't even any fuel.
- PPR (Prior Permission Required): You have to call the Miami-Dade Aviation Department before you show up.
- Fees: If your plane weighs more than 12,500 pounds, you’re paying a landing fee.
- Staffing: The airport is usually attended from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, but there’s no tower. Pilots talk to each other on a common frequency (123.00).
- Facilities: Basically just a double-wide trailer that serves as an office.
It’s also been used for high-speed car testing. When you have two miles of perfectly flat, unobstructed asphalt, people with 200-mph supercars tend to notice. Between 2009 and 2011, there were several events where exotic car owners paid for the privilege of seeing just how fast their Ferraris and Lamborghinis could go without hitting a minivan.
Why It Still Matters
The Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport is a monument to a future that never happened. It represents the exact moment when American society shifted from "build everything, everywhere" to "maybe we should save the environment."
If that jetport had been built, the Everglades as we know it would be gone. There would be a city of 100,000 people living in the middle of what is now Big Cypress. The water flow to the south would have been choked off.
Today, it’s a quiet place. You might see a Coast Guard helicopter practicing maneuvers or a trainee pilot in a Delta jet working on their landings. It’s a strange, lonely, fascinating piece of Florida history that reminds us how close we came to losing the "River of Grass" forever.
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Actionable Insights for Your Next Trip
If you’re a history buff or an aviation geek, you can actually visit—sort of.
- The Drive-By: When driving on Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail), the entrance is near Ochopee. You can see the runway from the gate, but don't expect a tour. It’s a restricted area.
- The Shark Valley Connection: If you want to see what the land should look like, head a few miles east to the Shark Valley Visitor Center. That’s the ecosystem the anti-jetport movement saved.
- Check the NOTAMs: If you’re a pilot, always check the Notices to Air Missions. With the new detention facility and various state operations, the status of the runway can change daily.
- Photography: Use a drone? Be careful. The proximity to the detention facility and the preserve means there are strict "No Fly" zones and privacy regulations in place as of early 2026.
Basically, Dade-Collier isn't a destination; it's a lesson. It’s a reminder that even the biggest dreams can—and sometimes should—be grounded.