Augusta Regional Airport
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Augusta Regional Airport (Augusta Regional Airport at Bush Field) is a city-owned public airport six miles (11 km) south of Augusta, in
Richmond County Richmond County may refer to places: Australia *Richmond County, New South Wales, a cadastral division Canada *Richmond County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Richmondshire, the original Richmond County in Yorkshire, England United States ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
, United States. In 2000 Bush Field airport changed its name to Augusta Regional Airport. The airport opened a new passenger terminal in December 2007 and renovated the entire property, designed by the LPA Group. Augusta Regional Airport, served by
American Eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
,
Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
, and
Delta Connection Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to ope ...
, utilizes the phrase "Fly There, Fly Home" as part of their marketing. Lower fares at Augusta Regional Airport have increased passenger usage during the past two years.


Facilities and aircraft

Augusta Regional Airport covers at an
elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...
of 144 feet (44 m) above
mean sea level There are several kinds of mean in mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. ...
. It has one concrete and one
asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
: 17/35, 8,000 × 150 feet (2,438 × 46 m) and 8/26, 6,001 × 75 feet (1,829 × 23 m). In the year ending June 30, 2017, the Augusta Regional airport had 28,543 aircraft operations, an average of 78 per day: 44%
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
, 35%
air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) an ...
, 11%
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and 10% scheduled commercial. 12 aircraft were then based at this airport: 2 single-
engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...
, 4 multi-engine, 4 jet and 2 helicopter.


Commercial aircraft

In early 2008, a typical day saw seven departures to Atlanta, GA on Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets and ATR 72 turboprop aircraft by Delta Connection carriers, US Airways Express had seven departures to Charlotte, NC with turboprop Bombardier Dash 8-300s and Bombardier CRJ-200s. As of mid-2009, Delta Air Lines regional carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) no longer operates the ATR-72 turboprop aircraft, and all ExpressJet flights into and out of Augusta are 50-seat CRJ-200 regional jets. US Airways Express served the airport with Dash 8-300 turboprops and CRJ-200s. American Eagle ended flights to Augusta on January 31, 2012, but it returned to Augusta once parent airline
American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
overtook US Airways Express' parent
US Airways US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in History of aviation in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called ...
in 2015. Delta Air Lines has been flying to Augusta since May 2011 after an 11-year hiatus using the
Boeing 717-200 The Boeing 717 is an American five-abreast single-aisle airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The twin-engine airliner was developed for the 100-seat market and originally marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95. It was a shor ...
aircraft flights to and from its hub in Atlanta. During the
Masters golf tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, the Masters is the first ma ...
, traffic through Augusta soars. Airlines respond with more flights on larger equipment, including Delta Air Lines Boeing 737s and 757s. During 2009 Masters week, Embraer E-170s and CRJ-900s were common, but larger aircraft were also sent to Augusta. Delta does operate mainline aircraft to Augusta on a daily basis from their hub in nearby
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. The presence of
Fort Gordon Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. It ...
in Augusta results in periodic military charter flights using widebody aircraft such as
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is an American trijet wide-body aircraft manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 was intended to succeed the DC-8 for long-range flights. It first flew on August 29, 1970; it was introduced on August 5, 1971, ...
and
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is an American tri-jet wide-body airliner manufactured by American McDonnell Douglas (MDC) and later by Boeing. Following DC-10 development studies, the MD-11 program was launched on December 30, 1986. Assembly of t ...
trijet A trijet is a jet aircraft powered by three jet engines. In general, passenger airline trijets are considered to be second-generation jet airliners, due to their innovative engine locations, in addition to the advancement of turbofan technology. ...
aircraft, in the past operated by
World Airways World Airways, Inc. was a United States airline headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia in Greater Atlanta. The company operated mostly non-scheduled services but did fly scheduled passenger services as well, notably with McDonnell Douglas DC ...
.


History


Origins

In 1941, the City of Augusta learned that the
United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
was looking for a site to locate a basic Contract Pilot School. In March 1941, the president of the
Chamber of commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...
contacted Harold S. Darr, who operated a primary flight school for the Air Corps in Albany (
Albany Army Airfield Southwest Georgia Regional Airport is an airport four miles southwest of Albany, in Dougherty County, Georgia, in the United States. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''primary commercial servic ...
) to promote the idea to locate the new school in the Augusta area. With the Army's approval, Darr chose a tract southeast of the City adjacent to the
Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the norther ...
. On March 22, 1941, Darr entered into an agreement with local officials to invest $500,000 in buying the acreage and building a school. Darr estimated that the school would employ 300 civilians with an annual payroll of $1.5 million, In turn, the City and
Richmond County Richmond County may refer to places: Australia *Richmond County, New South Wales, a cadastral division Canada *Richmond County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Richmondshire, the original Richmond County in Yorkshire, England United States ...
agreed to move a City-owned hangar from nearby
Daniel Field Daniel Field is a public use airport located one nautical mile (2  km) west of the central business district of Augusta, a city in Richmond County, Georgia, United States. It is owned by the City of Augusta and operated by the General ...
, pave the aircraft parking ramp, pave a road in the area to create a runway, and provide convict labor with guards. The Air Corps set a very ambitious timetable by requiring that flight training begin no later than June 7, 1941. Construction started on April 1. The Air Corps and Darr did not go public with the project until April 5, when an announcement appeared in the local newspaper.


World War II

Training began on June 10, with
flying cadets ''Flying Cadets'' is a 1941 American adventure film directed by Erle C. Kenton and written by George Waggner, Roy Chanslor and Stanley Rubin. The film stars William Gargan, Edmund Lowe, Peggy Moran, Frank Albertson, Frankie Thomas and Riley H ...
arriving from the Air Corps primary schools at Albany and Americus,
Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...
,
Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city and county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Camden is the oldest inland city in South Caro ...
,
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and
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. The initial aircraft complement numbered 24
Vultee BT-13 Valiant The Vultee BT-13 Valiant is an American World War II-era basic (a category between primary and advanced) trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces. A subsequent variant of the ...
and BT-15 aircraft. The ten-week course consisted of 70 hours of flight training and 150 hours of ground training. Harold Darr named the school Georgia Aero Tech; however, the Army designated it the 72nd Army Air Force Flight Training Detachment. The school was one of only three contract pilot schools conducting basic training. In addition to the main school at Augusta, the following auxiliary airfields were utilized: * Dionne Auxiliary Field * Yawn Auxiliary Field Shortly after flight training commenced in June 1941, Don C. Bush, a civilian flight instructor lost his life in an aircraft crash. The airfield was named Bush Field in his memory. In January 1942, the Defense Plant Corporation, a corporation entity of the Federal government, bought the school from Harold Darr. With the United States now in the war, the size of the classes increased, requiring an expansion of the school's facilities. Construction began on a ground training building in May and an additional barracks in June. The number of aircraft assigned to the school grew from 24 to around 100 BT-13s and BT-15s. Additional paved runways were eventually added. During all 1943, the school operated at capacity with classes averaging around 160 students. By early 1944, training requirements began to decrease, and with the possibility at that time of closing nearby
Camp Gordon Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. It ...
, the Army suddenly had no use for the field. In September 1944, the Air Force closed the facility after training over 5,000 students. The
Reconstruction Finance Corporation The Reconstruction Finance Corporation was a government corporation administered by the United States Federal Government between 1932 and 1957 that provided financial support to state and local governments and made loans to banks, railroads, mortgag ...
used Bush Field until 1948 for the disposal and sale of surplus military aircraft. The surplus aircraft at Bush included almost every Army and Navy model, from primary trainers and drones to B-24s and large transports. Several were purchased by the upstart Flying Tiger Airline.


Commercial use

Bush Field became Augusta's commercial airport on July 1, 1950, when the Federal Government transferred Bush Field to the City of Augusta and the airlines moved from Daniel Field to Bush Field. One of the airport's most profitable initiatives occurred in 1955 when a transient terminal was opened to sell fuel and to provide service to visiting aircraft. To this day, the fueling operation continues as a major source of revenue for the airport, keeping it self-sufficient and profitable. No tax dollars or City funding has ever been needed to support the airport. During the 1950s and 1960s passenger traffic grew. The old flight school barracks were renovated and leased to Continental Hotels. In 1961, an runway was completed. In 1964, Bush Field was the 135th-busiest airport in the nation. Jet service at the airport began in 1965. By the close of the 1960s, the airport had doubled its baggage claim area and added a terminal, a tower, a lobby, a hotel, parking meters, and a second runway. The 1970s saw the airport's industrial growth period. During the 1970s, Capitol Aviation of Georgia (not to be confused with Capitol Air) established itself at the airport with a million-dollar-plus airplane service facility. The company, now known as Landmark Aviation, developed a jet engine repair facility, an avionics-navigation shop, and a structural and aircraft systems repair shop. Landmark Aviation now employs roughly 220 people at the Augusta facility. By the 1990s, Bush Field tenants and visitors were contributing about $290 million in annual economic activity with nearly 2,200 jobs attributed to the airport. In 2000, Bush Field was renamed Augusta Regional Airport at Bush Field. The self-sufficient airport, which has never used tax dollars, completed the first-ever "Master Plan" in 2002. The Master Plan serves as a road map for future economic growth and development at and around the airport. Several former World War II buildings of Georgia Aero Tech remain at Bush Field. The former
mess hall The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
, administration building, and ground school buildings formed part of the airport's terminal building. The original swimming pool remained until 2008, but with a hotel built around it rather than cadet barracks. The hotel, pool, and terminal buildings were demolished in conjunction with the building of an entirely new terminal building. The FAA currently occupies the former Link trainer building. All the hangars are still in use – including the one moved from Daniel Field in 1941. The ARFF Department at Augusta Regional Airport works on 3- to 24-hour shifts. In 2021, Augusta Regional Airport became the home of Augusta University Health's AirCare program. The air ambulance service through Metro Aviation provides medical transport services to
Augusta University Medical Center Augusta University Health is an academic health center that manages the clinical operations associated with Augusta University. It is a health care network that offers primary, specialty and sub-specialty care in the Augusta, Georgia area and t ...
from on-scene responses and from transportation to and from other medical facilities.


Airlines and destinations


Passenger


Top destinations


See also

*
Georgia World War II Army Airfields During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Georgia for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields we ...
* 27th Flying Training Wing (World War II)


References

* Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas * Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), ''Locating Air Force Base Sites, History’s Legacy'', Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC. * Shettle, M. L. (2005), ''Georgia's Army Airfields of World War II''.


External links


Official website
* * * {{USAAF Training Bases World War II 1941 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) USAAF Contract Flying School Airfields Airports in Georgia (U.S. state) Transportation in Augusta, Georgia Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Georgia (U.S. state) Buildings and structures in Augusta, Georgia Reconstruction Finance Corporation disposal facilities Post-World War II aircraft storage facilities Transportation in Richmond County, Georgia