Jackson County Airport (North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
Jackson County Airport is a small airfield situated on a ridge about three miles (5 km) southeast of the town of Sylva
, the county seat of Jackson County
, North Carolina
. It is also less than 1 mile west of the unincorporated town of Cullowhee
, the home of Western Carolina University
. The airport is owned and operated by the county. It sits at an elevation of 2,856 feet (870 meters) and covers an area of 147 acres (59 ha). The airport's traffic consists mostly of light single and twin engined private aircraft.
frequency of 123.0 MHz
The Airport was cursed from the time it opened in 1978. The following year, heavy rains caused the end of the runway to slide off. This section of the runway was closed, and no longer poses a threat, it was stabilized and is at the parking lot end of the airport. The airport caused heavy runoff into the Little Savannah, Long Branch, and Pumpkintown communities. In 1990, when under renovation, the Airport's Terminal building was destroyed by a severe storm, and was finally razed in 1999. Today, the hangar houses the terminal and all the planes housed at the airport, and the maintenance shop, which is the remaining portion of the terminal building, stands next to the rubble and debris left behind when the terminal was demolished. The airport had further landslides during the heavy rain caused by the remnants of hurricanes Ivan and Frances in 2004. The airport authority is presently looking at improving drainage, stabilizing slopes, adding hangars and a new terminal building, as well as modernizing the airport, as it hasn't been renovated in about ten years.
Sylva, North Carolina
Sylva is an incorporated town located in central Jackson County, in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,588. It is the county seat, having taken over from nearby Webster in 1913.-Geography:Sylva...
, the county seat of Jackson County
Jackson County, North Carolina
Jackson County is a county located in the southwest of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 40,271. Since 1913 its county seat has been Sylva, replacing Webster.-History:...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It is also less than 1 mile west of the unincorporated town of Cullowhee
Cullowhee, North Carolina
Cullowhee is a census-designated place in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. Cullowhee is best known for being the home of Western Carolina University . The population was 9,428 as of the 2010 census. The area known as Cullowhee has Western Carolina University, part of the UNC...
, the home of Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
. The airport is owned and operated by the county. It sits at an elevation of 2,856 feet (870 meters) and covers an area of 147 acres (59 ha). The airport's traffic consists mostly of light single and twin engined private aircraft.
Airport operations
- Open to the public
- Sectional chart: Atlanta
- Control tower: No
- Air Route Traffic Control Center: Atlanta Center
- Runway and Airfield Lights: On from dusk to dawn
- Beacon: White-green (lighted land airport)
Runways
- Number of Runways: 1 (Runway 15/33)
- Dimensions: 3003 x 50 feet (915 x 15 meters)
- Surface: Asphalt, in good condition
- Weight bearing capacity: Single wheel, 12500 lbs
- Runway edge lights: Medium intensity
- Runway edge markings: Runway numbers are smaller than standard
Airport communications
Jackson County Airport has no control tower. Pilots communicate amongst themselves to coordinate landings and take-offs via the UNICOMUNICOM
Universal Communications or as known by its abbreviation, UNICOM, is an air-ground communication facility operated by a private agency to provide advisory service at uncontrolled aerodromes and airports.-Description:...
frequency of 123.0 MHz
History
The Jackson County Airport was once a dirt Airstrip in the Addie Community East of Sylva in the 1930s. The site has been since developed, but it was used as an airport until the 1960s. In the 1960s, a grassy airstrip was opened where the Baseball Stadium and Nursery now stand on the Western Carolina University campus. This airport was in a bad location, as at one end was Forest Hills Road and at the other end were high-voltage power lines. It was also very close to the Cordelia Camp Laboratory School, Cullowhee Creek, Speedwell Road, and later EJ Whitmore Stadium. In the 1970s, a new airport was badly needed by the county. Two sites were suggested: Berry Ridge above Cullowhee and the flat bottomlands at Barkers Creek/Wilmot. In the mid-1970s, the Berry Ridge site was selected, and the airport was constructed by cutting the top off the ridge and filling in the low areas to make room for a hangar, runway, terminal building, road, parking lot, and beacon. The airport was built to be very modern, and the terminal was a great example of 1970s architecture.The Airport was cursed from the time it opened in 1978. The following year, heavy rains caused the end of the runway to slide off. This section of the runway was closed, and no longer poses a threat, it was stabilized and is at the parking lot end of the airport. The airport caused heavy runoff into the Little Savannah, Long Branch, and Pumpkintown communities. In 1990, when under renovation, the Airport's Terminal building was destroyed by a severe storm, and was finally razed in 1999. Today, the hangar houses the terminal and all the planes housed at the airport, and the maintenance shop, which is the remaining portion of the terminal building, stands next to the rubble and debris left behind when the terminal was demolished. The airport had further landslides during the heavy rain caused by the remnants of hurricanes Ivan and Frances in 2004. The airport authority is presently looking at improving drainage, stabilizing slopes, adding hangars and a new terminal building, as well as modernizing the airport, as it hasn't been renovated in about ten years.
External links
- NCDOT Airport Information:
- 24A SuperAWOS Current Conditions