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Just a little FYI, the C130 isn't slated to be replaced until 2024 at the earliest.
We have a situation now where our military forces are operating with aged, inefficient airframes for some of their transport, bombing, and air refueling purposes. They have put off updating that fleet about as long as they could. I don't know when they will replace those items, but it is inevitable that they will and many believe it should be sooner rather than later.
I have no idea how this will impact Charleston, and really I don't believe anybody else does either. The Pentagon wanted to relocate that Wing there for several years, and state politicos were able to head that off for the time being, and are betting that a new bridge being built there will assure its presence. Maybe that's true, and maybe it isn't. The political winds have been shifting in recent years, and state's with far more political muscle than ours have lost military bases... much larger bases than the one in Charleston. I'm strictly guessing here, but I would say their concerns have to do with the relative flexibility of Yeager Airport compared with other options, and also the relative isolation of Charleston from major population centers which might present some problems during times of rapid deployment needs. Martinsburg, for example, is in just the right location in that regard and they have airport runway facilities far better than they have at Yeager.
I personally saw them close an Air Base on Long Island and relocate the unit there to Newburg, NY located 85 miles north of there on the other side on New York City, where they have a joint Air Force and Marine Air Base. If you are familiar with the NYC area, you know that moving to the other side there is comparable to a move from Bluefield to Wheeling in terms of ease of going from one location to the other. What 304 said is not out of the question either. It is entirely possible that the aircraft frames will be relocated, but another Air Force unit relocated there that has a different mission.
Also, Bailey is correct that Clarksburg also has a fully military capable runway system (I had forgotten that). How that impacts us here in Morgantown, I don't know, but for some reason the Air Force is interested in developing capabilities here. I do know that the Government has invested heavily in military facilities at nearby Camp Dawson, which is both the National Guard training center for the state and a Federal military installation. Also, consider that this area is home to numerous Federal organizations' installations that require air service... the Federal Prison System, FBI, NASA, US Department of Agriculture, and probably some I'm forgetting.
I'm not talking passenger service here... Pittsburgh is the regional hub for that, but in commercial areas this Airport is very heavily used and being used more each and every day. It appears their will be a lot more Military air traffic here in the future too. A longer runway will definitely result in more college athletics teams flying in here rather than Pittsburgh, and also the large fan bases of the Big XII that also tend to fly into Pittsburgh on charters now and bus here.
Last edited by CTMountaineer; 04-13-2015 at 09:55 PM..
In terms of runways with adequate length for large airplanes (6,000 feet at sea level is sufficient for all but the biggest planes, a bit more at out elevation), Morgantown will be joining a surprisingly large number of West Virginia cities. Here's the list of the longest runways in the state:
Martinsburg - 8,800 feet
Clarksburg - 7,800 feet
Parkersburg - 7,200 feet
Lewisburg - 7,000 feet
Huntington - 7,000 feet
Charleston - 6,800 feet
Beckley - 6,700 feet
Morgantown (yet to be) - 6,200 feet
We'll never be a Pittsburgh in terms of our airport, and we are too close to them to have a major commercial presence, but I do believe we will have lots of specialty options with the much larger runway for tours and discounted fares to specific cities and the like, as well as provide for the sorts of business activity that will benefit our entire area.
About commercial passenger flights and Morgantown, I agree...just too close to Pittsburgh. However back in the day didn't Morgantown actually offer a number of flights to various cities up and down the east coast and to the midwest ?? The reason I ask this is that in the past I have seen interviews with the late actor Don Knotts and a few times I can recall him mentioning about flying into Morgantown quite often back in the 60s & 70s. I guess Knotts could had meant flying on a commercial flight into Pittsburgh and then taking a private plane into Morgantown but then again I can also remember seeing online several years ago a very old ad from the early 60s for Eastern Airlines and their service out of Cumberland, Maryland and a number of other regional cities and I could have sworn that Morgantown was listed in that ad.
About commercial passenger flights and Morgantown, I agree...just too close to Pittsburgh. However back in the day didn't Morgantown actually offer a number of flights to various cities up and down the east coast and to the midwest ?? The reason I ask this is that in the past I have seen interviews with the late actor Don Knotts and a few times I can recall him mentioning about flying into Morgantown quite often back in the 60s & 70s. I guess Knotts could had meant flying on a commercial flight into Pittsburgh and then taking a private plane into Morgantown but then again I can also remember seeing online several years ago a very old ad from the early 60s for Eastern Airlines and their service out of Cumberland, Maryland and a number of other regional cities and I could have sworn that Morgantown was listed in that ad.
The now defunct TWA flew several commercial routes out of Morgantown until the Interstate highway system made travel to Pittsburgh so easy. There were daily flights to and from various cities including Columbus and DC. Prior to the Interstates, travel anywhere by auto was cumbersome. A trip from Morgantown to Charleston by car was 5 1/2 hours long on a good day. It took 1 hour 45 minutes to drive from Morgantown to Wheeling in good weather and if there were no traffic problems... a trip that now takes 1 hour 10 minutes. Our higher education system was developed during that same time period and never updated, as they did in other states. That's why we have a teachers college just about every other Interstate exit.
In terms of runways with adequate length for large airplanes (6,000 feet at sea level is sufficient for all but the biggest planes, a bit more at out elevation), Morgantown will be joining a surprisingly large number of West Virginia cities. Here's the list of the longest runways in the state:
Martinsburg - 8,800 feet
Clarksburg - 7,800 feet
Parkersburg - 7,200 feet
Lewisburg - 7,000 feet
Huntington - 7,000 feet
Charleston - 6,800 feet
Beckley - 6,700 feet
Morgantown (yet to be) - 6,200 feet
Interesting information. I had no idea there were that many long runways in the state, although I did know Martinsburg has a mega runway. I believe the mega runways are required for the largest Air Force cargo planes (C-17 and C-5), and if you've ever seen those up close you know why that is the case. Martinsburg is ideally situated proximity wise and with their huge runway for Air Force strategic cargo planes, and last I heard they had those there. I believe they also have part of the (tactical cargo) C-130 fleet located there, but am not certain about that.
According to your figures then, here in Morgantown we would be capable of handling the largest passenger aircraft and that would be a major boon here in terms of athletics and also commercial flights. For one thing, Mylan would likely move their corporate air fleet back here.
Last edited by CTMountaineer; 04-14-2015 at 09:51 PM..
One other thing to say about our Airport. There is a business park being built around it. That can create the potential for some interesting developments there.
Just about the only thing we wouldn't be able to handle would be the giant international jets. Of course, they're not going to be coming to an airport like Morgantown anyway.
Just about the only thing we wouldn't be able to handle would be the giant international jets. Of course, they're not going to be coming to an airport like Morgantown anyway.
We wouldn't be able to handle the giant Air Force cargo planes either. Only Martinsburg is set up to do that in our state, at least in a loaded situation which is what they would mostly be concerned with. I'm not even certain Pittsburgh could handle those. They need the mega runways such as the one in Martinsburg, or this one in Newburgh, New York... http://www.105aw.ang.af.mil/shared/m...100618-009.pdf
We wouldn't be able to handle the giant Air Force cargo planes either. Only Martinsburg is set up to do that in our state, at least in a loaded situation which is what they would mostly be concerned with. I'm not even certain Pittsburgh could handle those. They need the mega runways such as the one in Martinsburg, or this one in Newburgh, New York... http://www.105aw.ang.af.mil/shared/m...100618-009.pdf
I know Pittsburgh has three runways above 10,000 feet. They can handle them.
I know Pittsburgh has three runways above 10,000 feet. They can handle them.
I used to be in the Guard up there in the early 90s, but couldn't remember the lengths of the runways.
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