Infrastructure Improvement Paid For Largely With $1.35 Million
DOT Grant
Taxiway B at South Carolina Technology and Aviation
Center’s (SCTAC) Donaldson Field opened for air traffic on
Thursday, February 2, 2012. The completion of this important
infrastructure will significantly impact operations, especially
those of Lockheed Martin, contributing to a $1.4 billion impact to
local and state-wide economy. The completion of this taxiway was
facilitated by a $1.35 million grant from the U.S. Department of
Transportation with assistance from U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.
“General aviation plays a critical role in the lives of our
citizens as well as the success of our businesses,” said
Senator Graham. “These funds will help contribute to the
competitiveness of several SCTAC companies in today’s
aviation, industry and technology markets.”
The completion of Taxiway B comes most anxiously awaited by
Lockheed Martin, who maintains over twelve hundred flight
operations a year at Donaldson Field. In fact, the first plane to
“christen” the new taxiway was a C-130 from Lockheed
Martin. Lockheed Martin, entering the twenty eighth year of
operation at the center, employs around 1,000 at the SCTAC
facility. “This is a significant upgrade to Donaldson Field
and will certainly improve the efficiency of our operations,”
says Don Erickson, Site Director for Lockheed Martin’s
Greenville Operations.
“Today, as SCTAC continues to expand our services to our
current tenants, Taxiway B will make us more attractive to future
tenants, leading to more Upstate jobs,” says Jody Bryson,
President & CEO of SCTAC. “The Taxiway B project
completed the parallel taxiway for the entire length of the runway
and will ensure efficient and safe operations for all types and
sizes of aircraft, eliminating the need for aircraft to back-taxi
on the runway,” he added.
The project included creating a new taxiway pavement, 4,000 feet
in length with two large connector taxiways, allowing aircraft to
exit the runway from the north end of the airfield. The taxiway is
designed 50 feet in width and will be able to support both civilian
and military aircraft. It concludes a long history in completing a
full length parallel taxiway, enhancing the safety of the airfield
and creating an enhanced airfield design that facilitates more
development. Without Taxiway B, corporate and military aircraft are
forced to complete their taxi on the active runway.
SCTAC is recognized as a major aircraft maintenance and
modification center with the 8,000 ft. by 150 ft. concrete primary
runway well-suited for air cargo and other aviation-related
business. The facility generates over $220 million in annual
economic impact to South Carolina.