Jasper County, South Carolina News Release
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Jasper County, South Carolina News Release Nov. 20, 2020 Contact: Andy Fulghum, Jasper County Administrator, 843-305-0073, [email protected] Expanded Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport in Jasper County attracts corporate jets, expected to boost economic development in coming years A $21.7 million long-term upgrade of the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport in Jasper County, SC, will draw corporate jets and help boost economic development of the county and Lowcountry, Jasper County Administrator Andrew Fulghum said. The project, in the works since 2013, includes a new runway capable of handling turboprops and light corporate jets. Runway 18 - 36 opened in January 2020. An aircraft fueling station is the next big project for the airport. Pilots of piston and turbine aircraft, including helicopters, will be able to buy both AvGas and Jet-A once the fueling station opens in the Spring of 2021. “We’ve already seen corporate jets fly in to Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport, mostly to bring people to the Lowcountry for golf outings,” Fulghum said. “They are able to fly on their own schedule, avoid layovers, come in to play a day or two of golf, and then fly home whenever they want. “We anticipate the airport will have the same appeal for people coming to our area for hunting, shooting sporting clays, and going fishing,” he said. 1 The next step is to promote the still-developing airport to pilot associations, chambers of commerce and others as a potential base for their aircraft and business center, said Danny Lucas, Acting Airport Director for Jasper County. Aircraft and their crews traveling from Maine to Miami need fuel, food, rental cars, hotels and other amenities, Lucas noted. Jasper County plans to offer those amenities from its new terminal building fixed-base operation. “When investors or companies want to come look at property for industrial or commercial development, it’s all about convenience. Having an airport capable of hosting the ‘turbine crowd’ means they can bypass airliner airports in Columbia or Savannah, and fly directly into Ridgeland. “And,” Lucas said, “they do it on their schedule. Business flyers don’t have to arrive at the big airport two hours ahead of time for TSA security checks, they don’t have to deal with multiple stops if they care coming here from Chicago, Dallas or Maryland, or wherever. “On a private or corporate plan, there aren’t any reclining seats in front of them, crying babies or fist fights in the next row,” he said. “They look for the civility and convenience of a professional general aviation airport to facilitate their business and recreational needs. “We are building the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport not just for today, but for the next 20 years,” Lucas said. The longer, 4,200-foot runway can accommodate turboprops, and light jets – basically small corporate aircraft carrying 4-10 passengers, such as the Cessna Citation, the Pilatus PC12, TBM 930 and the Beech King Air 350. Most of the $21.7 million for the airport expansion and upgrades came from Federal Aviation Association grants. FUNDING SINCE 2013 • FAA: $19,315,015 • State: $1,214,519 • Jasper County: $1,174,968 The early money paid for environmental assessments, airport design, land acquisition and easements, followed by three years of construction on the new runway and other elements of the upgraded airport. Still to come are the aircraft fueling station, Automated Weather Observation System(AWOS) to assist pilots with accurate weather data, an RNAV GPS instrument approach system to enable flights in inclement weather, and a 7,000-square foot terminal building with a galley, conference room, passenger waiting room, pilot lounge, bar and grill, aircraft observation area and additional hangar space. 2 “The aircraft fueling station, AWOS instrument landing system and terminal are our top priorities right now,” Lucas said, “and we anticipate making the aircraft fueling station, AWOS and instrument landing system operational in the next 12 months and probably sooner. With that in place, pilots can travel here from halfway across the country, knowing we have the ability to refuel them for the return trip.” Along with the convenience to pilots and corporate clients, the fueling station will bring added revenues to the county coffers, Lucas said. Just as people traveling by car like to stop on the interstate where they can refuel, get lunch and use the restrooms, pilots prefer to fly in to an airport that offers those same amenities – and are willing to pay for that convenience. “The casual fliers, the pilots who have enjoyed our airport for many years, continue to be a big part of our mission,” Fulghum said. “They will have added conveniences with these airport improvements, and we hope they’ll help spread the word among the East Coast pilot community.” Already, the South Carolina Breakfast Club has the new expanded Ridgeland airport on their 2021 schedule. Ridgeland–Claude Dean Airport (3J1) will host the Club on January 24, 2021 at the Terminal North Ramp. The SC Breakfast Club members have been flying to various airports in South Carolina since 1938, not even pausing for World War II. Their typical routine is to fly into one of 27 airports -- now including Ridgeland -- enjoy a meal, tell tall-tales, and then return to their home airports spread across the state. Most of these fly-ins attract 30–50 aircraft. The SC Breakfast Club fly-ins also offer a great opportunity for plane watching for pilots and non-pilots alike. END 3 .