ALLENDALE -- Although Allendale County may not have what many consider marquee name recognition among the public, its status among private pilots is quite a different story.

Already well-known among the amateur and professional flight community, the Allendale County Airport will soon project an even greater profile, thanks to a newly completed terminal that is tentatively set to open in May.

The construction of the new terminal, begun in October 2007, is partially geared toward helping attract future economic development to Allendale County, which remains one of the more economically depressed areas in South Carolina.

According to Allendale County administrator Art Williams, the cost for the new terminal is approximately $650,000.

"The funding for the new terminal came from the Federal Aviation Administration, through the Atlanta office, and a portion came from the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission," Williams said. "The county's matching portion of the construction funds was approximately $290,000."

The new terminal will contain the radio control and an area where visiting pilots can relax. The pilots lounge will also offer fax and Internet capabilities. There will also be conference facilities that county officials anticipate will help facilitate meetings of all kinds, making the most efficient use of visiting dignitaries' or potential business investors' time.

Currently, the Allendale County Airport terminal is located in a double-wide trailer, which has been the situation for a number of years. Williams says the new terminal will present a much improved appearance to match its long-standing positive reputation among pilots. Part of that image has to do with the runway -- 5,005 feet -- which is surpassed in the area only by runways at Aiken and Barnwell. The size of Allendale County's runway allows both piston-engine planes and private jets to land, which accounts for the average 400-500 flights the airport handles in a month.

One example of the importance of the new Allendale County Airport terminal, according to Williams, is the convenience it will offer to senior company officials with Grant Forest Products, located on U.S. 321 north of Fairfax. The company jet can now fly directly to Allendale County and take full advantage of the improved amenities rather than flying into other airports in the area, cutting down on travel time to its plant.

"We have a lot of plantations here, so a large number of hunters fly into our airport in-season," Williams said. "We've also had a number of dignitaries come here -- like Gov. Sanford, who flew in following the (March 15) tornado -- and our new terminal will appeal to those VIPs."

Perhaps the most important factors in the Allendale County Airport's success involve customer service and some of the lowest aviation fuel prices anywhere. That service is the direct result of a commitment to excellence by Ben Oswald, the airport manager.

Williams said, "(Ben) thinks of the airport as his own personal property. As a former farmer and businessman, he realizes that if the airport thrives, he thrives. He is very personable, and the pilots love him."

A former pilot with approximately 1,000 hours of flying time, Oswald says he believes in giving pilots seeking fuel the best prices possible, which he tracks through a number of different suppliers.

"The pilots like the airport because they can check weather reports and file their flight plan through a computer link that we added in the last two years," Oswald said. "We also pride ourselves on refueling the pilots' planes as soon as possible after they land. Although we don't have a courtesy car for the pilots, that's something to work on."

The views of the pilots themselves are a testament to the airport's popularity. One Web site that is available to pilots -- AirNav.com -- offers information on various airports across the United States. Of all the comments posted on the site about the Allendale County Airport since April 2005, none were negative. Examples include, "The service is top-notch … Very helpful lineman and office employees … Clean facilities … Very friendly and courteous … Best price on AVGAS around." Two pilots also commended Oswald for providing his own personal vehicle so he could get breakfast and for offering the use of his own personal laptop computer when the airport's computer was down.

However, the new terminal is not the end of the improvements planned for the Allendale County Airport.

"The future goals for the airport involve building additional hangars so private flyers can actually house their planes in the area and be able to leave their vehicles and use this as a main commuter route," Williams said. "This will increase our visibility from a marketing standpoint, especially given our relatively close proximity to Augusta, Hilton Head, Savannah, Columbia and even Charleston."

T&D Correspondent Phil Sarata can be reached by e-mail at pmhsarata@aol.com. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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