MCAS Beaufort runway open, maintenance complete

Photo By Staff Sgt. Olivia Ortiz | Following scheduled maintenance aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, runway 05/23 has reopened and returned to operation Aug. 2. The maintenance, which began in March, allows MCAS Beaufort aircraft to operate on the most structurally sound and efficient runway as possible.  

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC, UNITED STATES

08.02.2016

Story by Cpl. Jonah Lovy 

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

Runway 05/23, which runs northeast to southwest aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, reopened Aug. 2 following scheduled maintenance to the runway surface.
The maintenance, which began in March, was conducted to repair wear and tear on the landing surface caused by aircraft departures and arrivals; similar to the stress placed on roads from traffic over the years.
“The purpose of the project was to maintain the runway,” said James Scott Roberts, the base architect for the air station and project manager. “We replaced parts of the runway and repainted the markings for the carrier landing section. We also did some joint repair on the existing infrastructure.”
Fightertown is home to a total of seven flying squadrons: four F/A-18C Hornet squadrons, two F/A-18D Hornet squadrons and one F-35B Lightning II Fleet Replacement Squadron. Each squadron conducts vital training operations and requires high-quality runways for departures and arrivals.
“There are a total of four runways here and we use each one depending on the weather,” said Lt. Col. James Poppy, the airfield operations officer for MCAS Beaufort. “The prevailing wind ultimately decides which runway we use.”
Some additions were also made to 05/23 to better support the air station’s tenant squadrons.
“We added a short take-off lane to runway 05 and reinforced the concrete there to support F-35 operations for VMFAT-501 and future squadrons,” said Poppy. “We have successfully improved the infrastructure here aboard the air station.”
In addition, the integrity of the runway surfaces has been strengthened and ensures aircraft will operate on the most structurally stable runway possible.
“Our goal is to support a safe environment so the aircraft can continue to operate here for many years,” said Poppy
The maintenance of runway 05/23 helps Marines accomplish their mission by giving them improved infrastructure to conduct aircraft operations. This allows pilots and crew to maintain a high state of readiness to support current and emerging threats.

• Date Taken: 08.02.2016
• Date Posted: 08.02.2016 13:22
• Story ID: 205821
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, SC, US