percent military. There were 94 aircraft based at the airport in 2014. The
airport operates from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. of 98 percent general aviation, 2 percent air taxi, and less than one percent
military.
First Flight Airport
First Flight Airport is a public use airport located one nautical mile west of the
central business district of the Town of Kill Devil Hills in Dare County. The
airport is owned by the U.S. National Park Service. It is categorized it as a
general aviation facility. First Flight Airport covers an area of 40 acres and has
one runway, designated 2/20, with an asphalt surface measuring 3,000 by 60
feet. In 2015, the airport had 37,500 aircraft operations, consisting of 99
percent general aviation and one percent military. The airport itself is famous
for being the site of hundreds of pre‐flight gliding experiments, and the first
successful powered heavier‐than‐air aircraft flight, carried out by the Wright
brothers. Hodges Farm Airport
Hodges Farm Airport is a private use airport located three nautical miles
southeast of Sladesville, an unincorporated community in the Currituck
Township in Hyde County. The airport has one turf runway, designated 1/19,
measuring 2750 by 75 feet.
Freight
While no passenger trains provide service directly to Wayne County, there
are two Class I railroad systems that pass through the region. CSX Railroad
runs north to south just to the west of Seymour Johnson AFB and carries
freight to much of the East Coast. CSX also has a local route that runs from
the City of Rocky Mount eastward, serving Town of Plymouth.
Billy Mitchell Airport
Billy Mitchell Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles east of
the central business district of the unincorporated community of Hatteras, in
Dare County. The airport is located in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore
and is owned by the U.S. National Park Service. It is categorized it as a general
aviation facility. Billy Mitchell Airport covers an area of 100 acres and has one
asphalt runway, designated 7/25, measuring 3,000 by 75 feet. In 2013, there
were 9,200 total operations, consisting of 98 percent general aviation, one
percent air taxi, and one percent military.
Norfolk Southern Railway runs in a southeastern direction, just north of
Seymour Johnson AFB and carries primarily coal, connecting to the City of
New Bern. Another line, connecting the state capital to the east coast, runs
from the City of Raleigh east to the City of Washington, which connects to a
line running south to the Town of Aurora. In 1902, the Norfolk Southern
Railway acquired the Roanoke Railroad and Lumber Company's Washington
and Plymouth Railroad, running from the City of Washington to the Town of
Plymouth. This line also connects east beyond the Town of Plymouth to the
Town of Columbia.
Ocracoke Island Airport
Ocracoke Island Airport is a public use airport located one nautical mile east
of the central business district of Ocracoke, a town on Ocracoke Island in
Hyde County. It located in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, owned by
U.S. National Park Service, and operated by the North Carolina Department
of Transportation. Ocracoke Island Airport covers an area of 50 acres and has
one asphalt runway, designated 6/24, with a surface measuring 2,999 by 60
feet. It also has one helipad designated H1 with a concrete surface measuring
100 by 100 feet. In 2013, the airport had 6,110 aircraft operations consisting
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2.8
Natural Resources
Beaufort County
Ecotourism is a growing part of Beaufort County’s economy, making
preservation of natural resources a priority for the county. Pamlico River is an
important water resource for Beaufort County and the City of Washington.
Background Report