Charleston Executive Airport
Encyclopedia
Charleston Executive Airport is a public use airport
located in Charleston
in Charleston County
, South Carolina
, United States
. It is approximately six nautical miles (11 km) southwest of the central business district
of the city. It is owned by the Charleston County Aviation Authority. The airport serves the general aviation
community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.
as an unmanned emergency landing airfield. On 31 March 1944, jurisdiction was transferred to Charleston Army Airfield when Charleston was reassigned to Air Transport Command
. It served as an emergency landing base with no permanent structures being used for transatlantic flights. On 25 August 1945 the airfield was turned over to local authorities which converted it into a civil airport. The occasional military aircraft still uses the airport.
of 17 feet (5 m) above mean sea level. It has two concrete
paved runway
s:
9/27 is 5,000 by 150 feet (1,524 x 46 m) and 4/22 is 4,313 by 150 feet (1,315 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending October 23, 2008, the airport had 55,000 aircraft operations, an average of 150 per day: 91% general aviation
and 5% military
and 4% air taxi
. At that time there were 58 aircraft based at this airport: 79% single-engine
, 16% multi-engine, 2% jet
and 3% helicopter
.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located in Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
in Charleston County
Charleston County, South Carolina
Charleston County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. According to a 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, its population was 330,368. Its county seat is Charleston. It is the third-most populous county in the state . Charleston County was created in 1901 by an act of the South...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is approximately six nautical miles (11 km) southwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of the city. It is owned by the Charleston County Aviation Authority. The airport serves the general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
community, with no scheduled commercial airline service.
History
The airport opened in April 1943 named Johns Island Army Airfield. Initially it was an auxiliary to Columbia Army Air BaseColumbia Metropolitan Airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the main airport for Columbia, South Carolina. The airport lies five miles southwest of Columbia's central business district, in Lexington County.-Airlines and destinations:...
as an unmanned emergency landing airfield. On 31 March 1944, jurisdiction was transferred to Charleston Army Airfield when Charleston was reassigned to Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
. It served as an emergency landing base with no permanent structures being used for transatlantic flights. On 25 August 1945 the airfield was turned over to local authorities which converted it into a civil airport. The occasional military aircraft still uses the airport.
Facilities and aircraft
Charleston Executive Airport covers an area of 1373 acres (555.6 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 17 feet (5 m) above mean sea level. It has two concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
paved runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s:
9/27 is 5,000 by 150 feet (1,524 x 46 m) and 4/22 is 4,313 by 150 feet (1,315 x 46 m).
For the 12-month period ending October 23, 2008, the airport had 55,000 aircraft operations, an average of 150 per day: 91% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and 5% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
and 4% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
. At that time there were 58 aircraft based at this airport: 79% single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
, 16% multi-engine, 2% jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
and 3% helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
.
See also
- South Carolina World War II Army AirfieldsSouth Carolina World War II Army AirfieldsDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Force established numerous airfields in South Carolina for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers....
- List of airports in South Carolina