Come Fly With Me
By Hayli Zuccola
Suwannee County Airport
SUWANNEE COUNTY AIRPORT
Those outside the aviation community may be unaware that Live Oak is home to a county municipal airport and one that over the last few years has undergone expansive renovations and improvements .
“ We ’ ve had a lot in the past two years ; we ’ ve had a lot of lot of good things happen for this airport ,” said Bill Harden , who ’ s the airport manager of the Suwannee County Airport .
Upgrades to the airport , funds of which typically come from FAA ( Federal Aviation Administration ) and FDOT ( Florida Department of Transportation ) grants , have included removing and repaving the taxiway from end to end , which had become cracked and damaged from years of sun exposure and from the weight of the planes ; updating the taxiway exits to meet FAA standards ; installing new taxiway lights and signage as well as making preparations to remodel the 4,000-foot long by 75-foot wide runway , which will be complete within the next year .
Additionally , a new , 25-foot-taller rotating beacon was installed to help pilots locate the airport at night as well as an LED-lit windsock to direct pilots on which way the wind is blowing to help with safe landings .
Apart from the runway and taxiway , a new 60-by-80- foot T-hanger was put in place with a second hanger currently in the engineering stages to accommodate for the growth the county has experienced over the last several years .
“ As Suwannee County grows , so should the airport ,” Harden said .
“ As we grow , we still want to grow the airport because believe it or not , the expansion of people who are coming here is – I probably get upwards of five to eight calls a week of people either moving here , wanting to buy property here , wanting to find a flying community here .”
The traffic that comes through the Suwannee County Airport is also diverse for a county municipal airport and consists of individual travelers , fire rescue , air ambulances , corporate planes , musicians flying in for events at the nearby Spirit if the Suwannee Music Park , college football coaches , CEO jets and more .
To better accommodate the continued growth of airport traffic , the airport ’ s 2,000-square-foot FBO ( fixed- based operator ) general aviation terminal building also underwent a remodel . Some of the upgrades made during the $ 350,000 project included new tile ; brick work ; paint ; a new roof ; a shower and a futon added for stormstranded flights ; and the addition of a courtesy car to transport guests into town .
From redoing the taxiway to modifying the FBO , every upgrade made to the Suwannee County Airport is designed to accommodate those in the flying community who choose to make Live Oak their preferred stop wherever they ’ re traveling to .
2023-2024 | SUWANNEE CHAMBER IMPACT 125