Aviation View Magazine | Volume 1, Issue 4

102 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 late ‘80s and the Hagerstown plant was shut down. In their 57 years of operation, Fairchild built over 10,000 aircraft at the site. Boasting just over 693 acres, the airport has two asphalt runways, the longest being 7,000 by 150 feet with a precision approach capability, and the shorter runway coming in at 3,165 by 100 feet. Both runways have a full, parallel taxiway. Allegiant Air is the only carrier that flies commercially – offering year-round service to Orlando/Sanford International Airport, and seasonal flights to St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There are 162 general aviation aircraft based on the field and more than 20 aviation-related businesses. The Fixed Base Operator, Rider Jet Center, offers over 40,000 square feet of heated hangar space and 10,000 square feet of office space. They also provide aircraft rental, maintenance, repair and inspections, aviation fuel, computerized weather information, and pilot supplies. Hagerstown Flight School provides flight training, while V1 Aeronautics offers flight training, air tours, and FAA testing. The airport is also home to the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics education program for FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technicians, and a Redbird Simulator operated by SimFly, a producer and supplier of flight training materials and flight simulators. “Like most airports, we took a downturn when COVID first hit,” Johnson recalls, “but it did not seem to last long here. We are in full recovery mode now and everything from operations to fuel sales are back up. It really is a beautiful facility, with a great restaurant, The Grill at Runways, which offers everything from burgers to gourmet seafood dishes. You see a lot of corporate jets and private smaller planes, some very nice planes in fact, out on our apron all the time. When it comes to hangars, we maintain the hangars for smaller tenants and general aviation pilots, up to small jets, while the FBO manages