Winchester Regional Airport

Steering a Dynamic Flight Path Navigated by the Community It Serves

Inviting the community to its doorstep, this fast-growing airport fuels the region’s growth.

Poised at the doorstep of the beautiful city of Winchester, Virginia nestled between the famed Blue Ridge Mountains and the equally beautiful Allegheny Mountains, Winchester Regional Airport has much to boast about. This dynamic airport also can claim an impressive strategic location just 75 miles west of the Nation’s Capital and in the heart of Shenandoah Valley.

It is not just Winchester Regional Airport’s enviable setting that makes it a standout regional aviation hub, the airport’s success can also be attributed to the tireless work that the staff at the airport, led by its Executive Director, Nicholas Sabo carries out every day to ensure that the airport is a top-tier destination to land at as well as bring the community out to the airfield to discover.

Taking off with top-tier services

“The Winchester Regional Airport is a vibrant general aviation facility which has in recent years found a new life as far its role in the region by being very intentional in inviting the community out to see firsthand what goes on out here,” Sabo describes.

Owned and operated by an airport authority that provides the airport’s FBO services, Sabo points out the important role Winchester Regional Airport plays for the region and specifically the direct role it plays in the workforce development and the economic vitality of the community.

“We play a significant role in the local economy in terms of the businesses we serve that make up the fabric of our region, especially up and down I-81 and  Route 522 corridors,” he continues. “We provide considerable support for them, and enable them to accomplish their mission, whatever that may be,” Sabo highlights.

“We provide all the essential services that you would expect including fuel, hanger space, ground power, water, lavatory services, and oxygen. We do not directly provide maintenance, however, we have four independent providers that offer these services and we are very proud to promote what they do for us, as well as two excellent flight schools.”

Describing the airport’s operations, Sabo points out that the airport is one of 65 public-use airports in Virginia and only one of seven general aviation facilities that is classified as a business class airport, with an ILS, on-site AWOS, and runway length of 5,500’.

When asked whether the airport is considering regional commercial service, Sabo points out that the region enjoys excellent service through nearby commercial airports like Dulles.  “Because of the significant financial investment required and lack of available federal subsidy to support it, Part 139 certification to accommodate scheduled air carriers is not currently a priority,” he says.  “However, near-term opportunities we see includes the onset of Advanced Air Mobility, which will decrease the operating costs of aircraft and create new business cases for scheduled charter or air taxi services at airports like Winchester.  This vision acknowledges the regulatory framework that we currently operate under and does not require new infrastructure,” he added.  “We are very optimistic and are actively planning for that future.”

Training the future of aviation

With a distinct shortage of aviation professionals in all areas of the industry from pilots to aviation mechanics, Winchester Regional Airport is helping to fill the aviation gap.  Boasting two highly regarded flight schools operating on the airfield, training the next generation of aviation professionals remains an important priority.

“We have Aero Elite Flight Training and Aviation Adventures. They provide both part 61 and 141 flight training.”

Training opportunities at Winchester Regional Airport are not limited to direct flight instruction Sabo offers, the airport is also fortunate to have Aero Services, Fly Advanced, On Wing, and Valley Aviation of Winchester to provide vital piston and turbine maintenance services for based and transient customers.

“I can’t stress enough how important maintenance services are, especially for a smaller airport,” Sabo relays. “Maintenance services are the lifeblood of an airport, because every pilot wants the assurance of knowing they can get things fixed in a timely manner,” he explains.  Furthermore, “flight training demands prompt maintenance to keep their aircraft airworthy as much as possible.”

Workforce Development taking flight.

Increasingly, municipal and county efforts to support workforce development have extended to the role a community’s airport can play, and Winchester Regional Airport is fully equipped to take on the challenge.

“We have taken great pains to try to further develop strategic relationships to ensure that our community partners know they can use us as a resource when it comes to workforce development programming. For us, we begin with youth as young as five-years old.”

“We created a new program called Story Time at the Airport in coordination with our local library system.  We invite the community and it is free to attend.  A youth services librarian leads the show and we sing songs, read books, and get up close and personal to an airplane.”

This innovative program has brought thousands of people to the airport and Winchester Regional Airport views this program as the cornerstone of its workforce development efforts. For the older grades, the airport has partnered with the five regional public school divisions to deliver aviation programming as well as hosting a first-ever Aerospace Education day for junior and senior high school students to visit the airport and learn about various aerospace careers.

“Our connection with post-secondary education is extensive and growing. We supported Laurel Ridge Community College’s efforts to develop all-new curriculum that centers around unmanned systems in the future. That program pulled down first place in a workforce development category for a national award program hosted by the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International or AUVSI.”  The airport has also a deep partnership with Shenandoah University, the region’s sole four-year institution.  Shenandoah now has an Aviation Studies program and is working on developing new curriculum that helps build the aerospace workforce in the Shenandoah Valley.

Upgrades landing at the airport

As part of the overall capital infrastructure master plan for the airport, Sabo points to a few key priorities and work that has been completed as well as currently underway.

“We have a 30-acre tract of land that we own outright and are working on an environmental assessment to prepare it for future development. This parcel is also the subject of a planning study that will demonstrate the vast capability of the site to accommodate nearly any aeronautical use from cargo to maintenance to aircraft manufacturing,” Sabo highlights.

The airport is also nearing completion of a new 16,300 square-foot terminal. Utilizing G-W Management Services as it the prime contractor, these upgrades have been in planning for over 15 years and represent an 80% increase in space from the current terminal building.

“We are proud to have the support of the local jurisdictions as well as the state, the Virginia Department of Aviation, and the FAA for this ambitious project.”  The passenger experience formed the backbone of the final design plans for the new terminal, Sabo Details.

“We laid out the hold room, including where the vending machines are, the pilot lounge, the restroom facilities, all that was done with the idea of an efficient travel experience from the landside through to the airside.”

Amenities that are not typically found in airports of a similar size were also added including a family restroom and mother’s room. The plans also included a built-in business center that spans roughly 1,500 square feet and can accommodate up to 80 people at any given time.

“The terminal has backup generator capability and fiber optic data service.  The parking apron that adjoins to the terminal includes a conduit system to support electric aircraft charging infrastructure,” Sabo states.  “We proudly refer to it as the Airport Terminal of the Future.”

Flying ahead

When asked what the future holds for this dynamic aviation hub, Sabo is quick to answer.

“The amount of growth that is happening is historic for this airport.  This facility has been here since 1937 and we have never undergone such a period of transformative change as we are seeing right now.”

“At this moment we have over $19 Million dollars in active construction and professional services contracts.  These are big numbers for our airport,” Sabo outlines.

With growth of this size and fiscal investment on this scale, it is clear skies ahead for Winchester Regional Airport as it navigates the very best aviation and business path for the community it proudly serves.

“All of this is in support of our mission, our vision to meet the aviation needs of the region and everything that we do ties back to that vision statement,” Sabo concludes.

AT A GLANCE

Winchester Regional Airport

What: A thriving regional aviation hub just outside of Winchester, Virginia with expansive upgrading plans to accommodate the aviation demands of the future

Where: Winchester, Virginia

Website: https://www.flyokv.com/