Aviation View | Volume 2, Issue 3

69 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3 B IG SANDY REGIONAL A I RPORT the mining industry. The mining sector donated the airport to the federal government with a clause that they could still use the land for their mining vehicles to cross the valley. This meant that the additional runway safety area still had to accommodate large mining vehicles, which was impossible. The innovative engineering solution by Garver Aviation Engineers was to construct a tunnel so they could go under the area. So far, the project has taken roughly ten months to complete, and there are a few more on-site tasks to be completed. While this mammoth project was underway, the airport was still open for business, operating with 4,200 feet of runway. During construction 50 feet was added at one end and 50 feet was taken away at the other end. When all was said and done, the finished runway now has 5,050 feet for take-off and 5,000 feet for landing. While these renovations were happening, the runway also received a new coat of paint and was resealed. While the size of the runway is a huge plus for Big Sandy Regional, it has created some issues over the years, namely with safety regulations. In the 1980s, when the runway was built, the regulations were different than today – currently, the federal government requires 300 feet of grass for the runway safety area (RSA). “The federal government has been trying to shorten the runway for 15 years, but as anybody knows in aviation, that 5,000 is a magic number,” says Gary W. Cox, Airport Manager at Big Sandy Regional Airport. In 2018, Congress passed an aviation budget that provided one billion dollars for development projects. This also prioritized non- metropolitan airports, with a focus on safety. All these elements made Big Sandy Regional airport the perfect candidate for funding. The airport’s engineers drew up plans to add additional footage to one end of the runway. But there was an additional issue – ownership of the land. As mentioned, the airport was built for and by