Marlboro County Jetport
Encyclopedia
Marlboro County Jetport , also known as H.E. Avent Field, is a county-owned public-use airport
located three nautical mile
s (6 km) west of the central business district
of Bennettsville
, in Marlboro County, South Carolina
, United States
.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, this airport is assigned BBP by the FAA and BTN by the IATA.
of 147 feet (45 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway
designated 6/24 with a 5,000 by 75 ft (1,524 x 23 m) asphalt
pavement. For the 12-month period ending May 16, 2008, the airport had 3,760 aircraft operations, an average of 10 per day: 98% general aviation
and 2% air taxi
. At that time there were 13 aircraft based at this airport, all single-engine
.
flying cadets under contract to Georgia Air Service, Inc & Southeastern Air Service, Inc., under 53d Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (later 2152d Army Air Force Base Unit). Assigned to United States Army Air Forces East Coast Training Center (later Eastern Flying Training Command) as a primary (level 1) pilot training airfield. Had a 4,700' irregular all-direction turf field for landings and takeoffs. May have had four auxiliary airfields, although none have been identified. Flying training was performed with Fairchild PT-19
s as the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans assigned.
Inactivated on 16 October 1944 with the drawdown of AAFTC's pilot training program. Declared surplus and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers on 30 September 1945. Eventually discharged to the War Assets Administration (WAA) and became a civil airport.
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 three nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (6 km) west 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 Bennettsville
Bennettsville, South Carolina
Bennettsville is a city in and the county seat of Marlboro County, South Carolina, United States. and home to the Bennettsville Historic District...
, in Marlboro County, 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...
.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, this airport is assigned BBP by the FAA and BTN by the IATA.
Facilities and aircraft
Marlboro County Jetport covers an area of 175 acres (70.8 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 147 feet (45 m) above mean sea level. It has one 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...
designated 6/24 with a 5,000 by 75 ft (1,524 x 23 m) asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
pavement. For the 12-month period ending May 16, 2008, the airport had 3,760 aircraft operations, an average of 10 per day: 98% 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 2% 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 13 aircraft based at this airport, all 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...
.
History
Opened on 8 October 1941. Known as Bennettsville Airport and Palmer Field. Began training United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
flying cadets under contract to Georgia Air Service, Inc & Southeastern Air Service, Inc., under 53d Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment (later 2152d Army Air Force Base Unit). Assigned to United States Army Air Forces East Coast Training Center (later Eastern Flying Training Command) as a primary (level 1) pilot training airfield. Had a 4,700' irregular all-direction turf field for landings and takeoffs. May have had four auxiliary airfields, although none have been identified. Flying training was performed with Fairchild PT-19
Fairchild PT-19
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Mondey, David. American Aircraft of World War II . London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 978-0-7537-1461-4....
s as the primary trainer. Also had several PT-17 Stearmans assigned.
Inactivated on 16 October 1944 with the drawdown of AAFTC's pilot training program. Declared surplus and turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers on 30 September 1945. Eventually discharged to the War Assets Administration (WAA) and became a civil airport.
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....