St. Marys Airport
Encyclopedia
St. Marys Airport is a public use airport
located two nautical mile
s (2.3 mi
, 3.7 km
) north of the central business district
of St. Marys
, a city in Camden County
, Georgia
, United States
. It is owned by the St. Mary's Airport Authority.
of 23 feet (7 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt
paved runway
s: 4/22 is 5,021 by 100 feet (1,530 x 30 m) and 13/31 is 4,000 by 75 feet (1,219 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending June 20, 2011, the airport had 4,000 aircraft operations, an average of 10 per day: 99% general aviation
and 1% military
. At that time there were 29 aircraft based at this airport: 62% single-engine
, 3% multi-engine and 35% ultralight.
concerns.
The airport was closed for three months following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
, as a result of its position approximately one mile south of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
. The Federal Aviation Administration created a Temporary Flight Restriction below 5000 feet (1,524 m) and a radius of five miles (8 km) from the base, effectively eliminating all traffic. Aircraft based at that field were eventually allowed to leave under special permission of air traffic control
, but the existing Fixed Base Operator
suffered substantial financial difficulties during this time.
The airport was reopened on December 3, 2001, with the creation of a smaller temporary flight restriction located approximately one half mile from the departure end of runway 4. That restriction became permanent on February 16, 2006, with the creation of Prohibited Airspace
P-50, an airspace encompassing all airspace below 3000 feet (914.4 m) within a three mile (5 km) radius of the submarine base's waterfront operations.
Almost immediately after the September 2001 temporary flight restriction was created, the Navy
pressed for a permanent closure of the airport for national security reasons. As a result, in April 2004 the city received a grant of $236,538 from the Department of Transportation for an airport relocation study. Nine possible sites were studied by Reynolds, Smith and Hills, a contracted consultant, with a final site approved on February 17, 2005. The new airport location will be south of Woodbine, Georgia
, on 500 acres (2 km²) of donated land. The anticipated cost is $29 million, with 90% of the construction costs paid by the Department of Transportation
.
The approval for the airport was not without controversy. In February 2007, the St. Marys city council and the St. Marys Airport Authority entered disputes over both airport ownership and whether the airport should even be moved. This eventually led to litigation. On October 2, 2008, the court ruled that the city and not the airport authority had legal control over the property, allowing the move to proceed.
The current estimated costs are now $40 million+ and the controversy continues due to the environmental impacts to over 230 acre (0.9307778 km²) of fragile wetland, the effects upon the Rose Basin and the Satilla River, threatened species and the 100 Year Floodplain.
Local and state environmental organizations protest what has been referred to as "a potential environmental disaster".
Meanwhile the Sea Island Company (the firm "donating" the land known as "Site 1") struggles with on-going financial issues.
As of February 2010 there has been no written document from the Navy (or any other official governmental body) that requests either the closure or relocation of St. Marys 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 two 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 (2.3 mi
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
, 3.7 km
Kilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
) north 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 St. Marys
St. Marys, Georgia
-See also:*Cumberland Island*St. Marys Historic District*St. Marys Railroad-External links:***...
, a city in Camden County
Camden County, Georgia
Camden County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created February 5, 1777. As of 2000, the population was 43,664. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 48,689. The county seat is Woodbine.-History:The first European to land...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is owned by the St. Mary's Airport Authority.
Facilities and aircraft
St. Marys Airport covers an area of 286 acres (115.7 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 23 feet (7 m) above mean sea level. It has two 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...
paved 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...
s: 4/22 is 5,021 by 100 feet (1,530 x 30 m) and 13/31 is 4,000 by 75 feet (1,219 x 23 m).
For the 12-month period ending June 20, 2011, the airport had 4,000 aircraft operations, an average of 10 per day: 99% 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 1% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
. At that time there were 29 aircraft based at this airport: 62% 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...
, 3% multi-engine and 35% ultralight.
Restricted airspace and relocation controversy
The airport and the local government has faced controversy in recent years regarding the possible relocation of the airport in response to national securityNational security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
concerns.
The airport was closed for three months following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, as a result of its position approximately one mile south of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is a base of the United States Navy located adjacent to the town of St. Marys in Camden County, Georgia, in southeastern Georgia, and not far from Jacksonville, Florida. The Submarine Base is the U.S. Atlantic Fleet's home port for U.S. Navy Fleet ballistic missile...
. The Federal Aviation Administration created a Temporary Flight Restriction below 5000 feet (1,524 m) and a radius of five miles (8 km) from the base, effectively eliminating all traffic. Aircraft based at that field were eventually allowed to leave under special permission of air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
, but the existing Fixed Base Operator
Fixed base operator
A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
suffered substantial financial difficulties during this time.
The airport was reopened on December 3, 2001, with the creation of a smaller temporary flight restriction located approximately one half mile from the departure end of runway 4. That restriction became permanent on February 16, 2006, with the creation of Prohibited Airspace
Prohibited airspace
Prohibited airspace refers to an area of airspace within which flight of aircraft is not allowed, usually due to security concerns. It is one of many types of special use airspace designations and is depicted on aeronautical charts with the letter "P" followed by a serial number...
P-50, an airspace encompassing all airspace below 3000 feet (914.4 m) within a three mile (5 km) radius of the submarine base's waterfront operations.
Almost immediately after the September 2001 temporary flight restriction was created, the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
pressed for a permanent closure of the airport for national security reasons. As a result, in April 2004 the city received a grant of $236,538 from the Department of Transportation for an airport relocation study. Nine possible sites were studied by Reynolds, Smith and Hills, a contracted consultant, with a final site approved on February 17, 2005. The new airport location will be south of Woodbine, Georgia
Woodbine, Georgia
Woodbine is a city in, and the county seat of, Camden County, Georgia, United States. The city is situated in the center of the county, which located in the southeast corner of the state near the Florida border, and the population was 1,218 at the 2000 census....
, on 500 acres (2 km²) of donated land. The anticipated cost is $29 million, with 90% of the construction costs paid by the Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
.
The approval for the airport was not without controversy. In February 2007, the St. Marys city council and the St. Marys Airport Authority entered disputes over both airport ownership and whether the airport should even be moved. This eventually led to litigation. On October 2, 2008, the court ruled that the city and not the airport authority had legal control over the property, allowing the move to proceed.
The current estimated costs are now $40 million+ and the controversy continues due to the environmental impacts to over 230 acre (0.9307778 km²) of fragile wetland, the effects upon the Rose Basin and the Satilla River, threatened species and the 100 Year Floodplain.
Local and state environmental organizations protest what has been referred to as "a potential environmental disaster".
Meanwhile the Sea Island Company (the firm "donating" the land known as "Site 1") struggles with on-going financial issues.
As of February 2010 there has been no written document from the Navy (or any other official governmental body) that requests either the closure or relocation of St. Marys Airport.
External links
- St. Marys Airport (4J6) at Georgia DOT Aviation website
- Aerial photo as of 2 December 1999 from USGS The National Map