4/ 5 reviews
FBO & ground handling
“We had a great experience with this FBO.”
Ben Rogers5★ on Google
Airports / Kentucky / SME
Medium airport · SME
Lake Cumberland Regional Airport.
Somerset, Kentucky · 927 ft elevation. A private-aviation gateway on the Bravo register.
4.9/5
Google rating
25 ratings
0
Operators based
927
Elevation ft
Somerset, KentuckyELEV 927 FTMedium airport
4.9
Google rating
25
Google reviews
ratings on Google
1
FBOs on field
ramp, fuel and handling
927
Field elevation
feet above sea level
25
Nearest alternate
nm to LOZ
Field standing
#4 / 19
Kentucky airports by Google rating
4.9★ across 25 Google ratings , ranked against 19 rated KY fields.
25 nm
To the nearest alternate
London-Corbin Airport/Magee Field (LOZ), 2 fields within 50 nm.
Overview
Located in Somerset, Kentucky, Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (KSME / SME) operates as a mid-sized airport. The field lies at an elevation of 927 feet. The field has no airline schedules, which keeps it focused on private and general aviation flying.
SME has no resident charter fleet; trips here are typically flown by operators repositioning from surrounding airports. Useful alternates include London-Corbin Airport/Magee Field (LOZ, 25 nm), Central Kentucky Regional Airport (KI39, 37 nm), and Blue Grass Airport (LEX, 59 nm). SME offers a single 5,801-foot paved runway, which supports charter types through the heavy jet class.
Quotes for flights out of SME vary with aircraft type, repositioning, and schedule flexibility. Use the cost estimator to model a trip from SME, or browse verified operators serving the area.
1 FBO serves KSME. Run one? Become the preferred FBO
Ramp services
FBOs on the field
Lake Cumberland Regional Airport
Your FBO? Claim it, free- Fuel
- Hangar
- Sun-Sat 7am-6pm EST, 24/7 self-serve fuel
- Unicom 122.8
- Conference room
- Wi-Fi
- Vending
- Courtesy car
- Car rental
- Restrooms
- Hangar
- Maintenance
- +9 more
- Phone
- Website
- Address
Directory data, unpaid. FBOs can take the Preferred slot above.
What fliers highlight.
From the stored review texts
3/ 5 reviews
Terminal & facilities
“Very clean bathrooms and crew vans were available.”
Ben Rogers5★ on Google
2/ 5 reviews
Staff & service
“Helpful staff (Charlie & Alex).”
Ben Rogers5★ on Google
Themes counted by keyword across Google review texts for Lake Cumberland Regional Airport, every quote is verbatim from a real review.
Field capability
ICAO
KSME
IATA
SME
FAA / Local
SME
Elevation
927 ft
Coordinates
37.0534° N · 84.6159° W
Airspace
E · EchoClass E, EchoControlled airspace reaches the surface for instrument approaches, but there is no control tower on the field.Source: FAA NASR class airspace
Size
Medium
Scheduled svc
No
Elevation vs KY fields
state range 407–1,473 ft
At 927 ft, SME sits higher than 57% of the 28 Kentucky fields on the register.
Runways & aircraft access
1 runway
longest 5,801 ft
- 05/235,801 ft × 100 ftAsphaltLighted
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest paved runway 5,801 ft
SME's 5,801 ft paved runway typically supports charter aircraft up to heavy jets.
- Turboprop3,000 ft
- Light Jet3,500 ft
- Midsize Jet4,500 ft
- Super-Midsize Jet5,000 ft
- Heavy Jet5,500 ft
- VIP Airliner6,000 ft
Class minimums are sea-level planning rules of thumb. A specific aircraft's balanced-field length varies with weight, temperature, and field elevation. Confirm performance with the operator.
Access & alternates
Closest alternate fields by great-circle distance, every listing links to its own field brief.
- 25nmLOZLondon-Corbin Airport/Magee FieldLondon
- 37nmKI39Central Kentucky Regional AirportRichmond
- 59nmLEXBlue Grass AirportLexington
- 70nmCSVCrossville Memorial Airport Whitson FieldCrossville
- 70nmKJKLJulian Carroll AirportJackson
- 80nmTYSMcGhee Tyson AirportKnoxville/Maryville
Location
Open the full mapKSME · Lake Cumberland Regional Airport · Somerset, KY
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from SME on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago (ORD) | 333 nm | 1h 10m |
| Washington DC (IAD) | 357 nm | 1h 14m |
| New York (TEB) | 543 nm | 1h 40m |
| Dallas (DAL) | 652 nm | 1h 55m |
| Palm Beach (PBI) | 664 nm | 1h 57m |
| Boston (BED) | 695 nm | 2h 1m |
| Houston (HOU) | 695 nm | 2h 1m |
| Miami (MIA) | 711 nm | 2h 3m |
Common questions
- What size private jets can use SME?
- Lake Cumberland Regional Airport's longest paved runway is 5,801 ft, which typically supports charter aircraft up to heavy jets. Lighter classes (turboprops, light and midsize jets) operate comfortably; confirm exact performance for a specific tail with the operator, since balanced-field length shifts with weight, temperature, and elevation.
- What is the longest runway at SME?
- Lake Cumberland Regional Airport has one runway; the longest measures 5,801 ft on a paved surface and is lit for night operations.
- Which FBOs are at Lake Cumberland Regional Airport?
- One FBO serves SME: Lake Cumberland Regional Airport. Phone, website, hours, unicom and services for each are listed on this page. Call ahead for fuel, ramp space, and ground handling.
- What is the nearest major airport to SME?
- The closest alternate is London-Corbin Airport/Magee Field (LOZ), about 25 nm away, followed by Central Kentucky Regional Airport (KI39) at 37 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from SME to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Chicago about 1h 10m (333 nm), Washington DC about 1h 14m (357 nm), New York about 1h 40m (543 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.