Honoring and celebrating 80 years of flight history
Walterboro, S.C. – The Lowcountry Regional Airport, located in Walterboro, a city known for its historic charm and abundant natural resources, will celebrate its 80th anniversary on Saturday, June 15. In honor of this milestone event, the Lowcountry Regional Airport will recreate a celebration very similar to the one that was held on June 15, 1933, eighty years to the day, to mark the then dedication of what was originally known as the C.C. Anderson Landing Field.
Guests are invited to gather at the airport for an event starting at 10:30 a.m. and running until 2 p.m. A program will be held from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in honor and recognition of those who made the 80 years possible, and for all the growth and expansion the airport, now the largest general aviation airport in the state, has witnessed. Mayor Bill Young will be part of the program that morning.
City of Walterboro Mayor Bill Young noted, “From humble beginnings eight decades back, our airport has become a model for the region and our state, and has opened many doors for tourism and economic development in our immediate and nearby communities that would not have otherwise been possible.”
Tommy Rowe, airport manager, added, “Our success is due in part to the full support of the Walterboro-Colleton County Airport Commission. Our airport is fast becoming a ‘state of the art’ cog in the FAA’s new NEXTGEN Aviation Transportation System, and now we also have a new ADS-B tower and ILS system enabling pilots to fly precision instrument approaches to, and land at, our airport in most weather conditions. Our runways were recently resurfaced, and our primary runway was extended to make it safer for larger jets, allowing commercial jet traffic up to and including a Boeing 737.”
Other activities planned for the celebration include the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) members, who will be on hand to offer its Young Eagle flights to children between the ages of 8 and 18. Flights last between 15 and 20 minutes. Each child who participates will receive an official Young Eagles logbook, signed by the plane’s pilot. Flights are free, but parental permission is required. More information can be found at www.youngeagles.org. To schedule, parents should contact Roger Medlin, operations manager, at 843-549-2549, or acpilot.roger@gmail.com.
There will also be flight demonstrations, and the Civil Air Patrol Color Guard will march in formation. After the formal ceremony, hot dogs, hamburgers, and beverages will be served. The event is open to the public and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for on-the-lawn seating.
The Lowcountry Regional Airport (KRBW) in Walterboro, S.C., is the largest general aviation airport in the state with three runways ranging in length from 5,500 feet to 6,007 feet. Located only one mile from the city’s historic district, the airport is just four miles from Interstate 95 with access via three exits and with geographic advantage to the ports and aviation assets in neighboring Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, GA, where there are two international airports, the Charleston Air Force Base, SPAWAR (Space & Naval Warfare Systems Engineering Center), Global Aeronautics, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp, and the formidable Boeing Dreamliner project. Both Charleston and Savannah are about an hour away by car. Meanwhile, nearby Beaufort, S.C., is home to the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, affording the airport access to highly trained aviation technicians. Beaufort, like Charleston and Savannah, is also approximately one hour away by car. For more information, visit www.lowcountryregionalairport.com, or contact the City of Walterboro by phone at 843-782-1000, by email at info@walterborosc.org, or visit www.walterborosc.org.
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Editor’s note: Additional photos available upon request.
