Rockingham County NC Shiloh Airport
is a county-owned, public-use
airport in
Rockingham County,
North Carolina,
United States. It is located off of
J.J. Webster Highway in the town of
Stoneville,
eight nautical miles (15 km) northwest of the
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
of the city of
Reidsville It is also known as Rockingham County/NC Shiloh Airport,
Rockingham County/Shiloh Airport,
or simply as Shiloh Airport.
History
In 1960 community leaders in
Rockingham County, North Carolina considered establishing an airport to attract industry and support economic development. The
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...
authorized the county to appoint an airport authority to build and operate an airport, but the county board of commissioners did not appoint anyone to the body until 1965. The authority encountered some difficulty in choosing a site for the strip. Construction began in the community of Shiloh in 1970, and the project was named Shiloh Airport instead of Rockingham Airport to avoid confusion with the city of
Rockingham on the other side of the state. Funded by state and federal grants and about $100,000 in donations from local businesses, the airport was finished in 1975.
From its opening, the airport was managed by contracted operators whose profits were derived from the sale of aviation fuel. The airport briefly closed in 1977 after the contracted operator died. A new contractor was found, but struggled to turn a profit since few
corporate jet
A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people. Business jets may be adapted for other roles, such as the evacuation of casualties or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by pu ...
s used the facilities, leaving fuel sales low.
[ In 1986 the airport's runway was extended from 3,900 feet to 5,200 feet. By 1995 the airport had a poor reputation among corporate flyers, as the low profits of the contractors forced them to keep staff minimal and fuel stocks low. That year, the airport authority, responding to the complaints about poor service, attempted to sever its contract with the operator at the time, Aerosports of North Carolina Inc. A legal battle ensued, resulting in the contractor leaving but also draining the airport of most of its money. In April 1996 the county commissioners appointed a new airport authority to directly manage the airport and restore its reputation, and later that month the airport hosted its first ]air show
An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited.
They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground.
The largest air show m ...
.[
]
Facilities and aircraft
The airport covers an area of at an elevation of 694 feet (212 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 13/31 with an asphalt surface measuring 5,199 by 100 feet (1,585 x 30 m).
References
External links
Aerial image as of 28 February 1999
from USGS '' The National Map''
*
{{US-airport-ga, SIF, -
Airports in North Carolina
Transportation in Rockingham County, North Carolina
Buildings and structures in Rockingham County, North Carolina