Florence Regional Airport

Florence Regional Airport
Florence Regional Airport
IATA: FLO – ICAO: KFLO – FAA LID: FLO
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Pee Dee Regional Airport Authority
Serves	Florence, South Carolina
Location	Florence County, near Florence, South Carolina
Elevation AMSL	146 ft / 45 m
Coordinates	34°11′07″N 079°43′26″W / 34.18528°N 79.72389°W
Website	www.FlorenceSCairport.com
Runways
Statistics (2006)
Aircraft operations	31,242
Based aircraft	52
	Sources: airport web site and FAA

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Florence RAP

Location of Florence Regional Airport, South Carolina

Florence Regional Airport (IATA: FLO, ICAO: KFLO, FAA LID: FLO) is a public airport located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of Florence, a city in Florence County, South Carolina, United States.^[2]

The airport is mostly used for general aviation; the only scheduled service is by US Airways Express to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, which flights take approximately 30 minutes.

[edit] Facilities and aircraft

Florence Regional Airport covers an area of 1,436 acres (581 ha) which contains two asphalt paved runways: 1/19 measuring 5,999 x 150 ft (1,828 x 46 m) and 9/27 measuring 6,499 x 150 ft (1,981 x 46 m).^[2]

For the 12-month period ending 31 December 2006, the airport had 31,242 aircraft operations, an average of 85 per day: 77% general aviation, 16% air taxi and 7% military. At that time there were 52 aircraft based at this airport: 73% single-engine, 25% multi-engine and 2% jet.^[2]

[edit] Airlines and destinations

[edit] Scheduled passenger service

Airlines	Destinations
US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin	Charlotte
US Airways Express operated by Piedmont Airlines	Charlotte

[edit] History

The airport began with the purchase of 300 acres (120 ha) of land in 1928. During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces Third Air Force used the airport as a training base and added 1,400 acres (570 ha). Known as Florence Army Airfield, the 52d Pursuit Group was assigned to the airfield on 18 February 1942 and trained with P-39 Aircobra and P-40 Warhawks until departing on 27 April for Wilmington, North Carolina.

A succession of Troop Carrier groups trained at Florence during 1943 those being the 63d, 65th, 313th and 315th prior to their deployment to Europe and North Africa. Afterwards, the airfield became a combat crew replacement training school for A-20 Havoc light bomber crews, with the 411th Bombardment Group being the Operational Training Unit at Florence AAF from 15 August 1943 until 1 May 1944.

After the 344th was inactivated, the replacement training was taken over by the 334th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light Bombardment). Support units at Florence AAF were the 407th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 10th Aviation Squadron; 958th Guard Squadron; 341st Sub-Depot; HQ, 411th Bombardment Group (Light).

In addition, Florence AAF controlled two auxiliary training bases for its A-20 Training. Those were:

In early 1945, the airfield was transferred to First Air Force, and the 127th Army Air Forces Base unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Light) assumed the A-26 Invader training mission.

After the war the property was given back to the City of Florence on 31 October 1945, and later shared with Florence County.^[1]

Operation of the airport was assigned to the Pee Dee Regional Airport Authority in 1999. The authority had nine representatives from the Pee Dee Regional Airport District, which includes the City of Florence, and the counties of Florence, Dillon and Marion.^[1]

[edit] Florence Air & Missile Museum

From the 1960s until 1997 Florence was the home to a large aviation museum known as the Florence Air & Missile Museum. When the Museum closed the collection was divided up and transferred to various other major aviation museums in the United States.