...KILN, Miss. - Economic development officials would be hard-pressed to
say Stennis International Airport hasn’t been noticed. Aerospace giants Boeing
and EADS both had the Hancock County airport listed as a finalist for major
assembly plants.
...While it hasn’t landed the “big one,” it’s slowly carved a niche as a location
for military training. In 2006 just 10 percent of aircraft operations were
military, and by 2008 it was just over 35 percent. Last year the military
accounted for nearly 50 percent of the activity.
...“We’re in the early stages,” said Jack Zink, executive director of the
Hancock County Development Commission, the former Port and Harbor
Commission, about the hike in military activities. “We haven’t realized the full
potential.”
The airport
...Seen through economic development perspective, an airport is a key part of
a transportation mix, along with water, rail and highways. The better the mix,
the more appealing for both current industries and prospects. An airport can
be a development magnet.
...Stennis International Airport, which opened in 1969, is a public general
aviation, all-weather airport eight miles northwest of the central business
district of Bay St. Louis. Owned and operated by the Hancock County
Development Commission, the 580-acre airport has an 8,497-foot asphalt
runway – third longest in the state – and more than 340,000 square feet of
surfaced aprons and taxiways.
...The airport, which is in Foreign Trade Zone No. 92, is to the west of
Mississippi 603 and north of Interstate 10. It has a full-service fixed base
operator, providing a passenger terminal, aircraft fueling, tie-down and hangar
space, aircraft maintenance, air charter and student flight training. It has an air
traffic control tower, automated weather observation system, instrument
landing system with runway alignment indicators.
...The airport is next to a 100-acre airpark that’s home to the federal Joint
Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise, Optec International
and Selex Galileo, which builds integrated sensors for defense and homeland
security.
...A key attributes of the airport, in light of the attempt to get more military
activities, is its location adjacent to the Stennis Space Station buffer zone.
When the airport shuts down its lights it’s very dark – a prime consideration
for military operations where night-vision equipment will be used. That works
in the county’s favor.
Getting noticed
...Zink said that for the airport, the “anchor” activity is represented by the
federal and military operations. The non-military federal users include the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which runs the nearby John
C. Stennis Space Center.
...The growing military activities include an incredible mix, from high altitude
jumps and cargo drops to touch-and-goes and helicopter-based troop
extractions. Users include the U.S. Coast Guard in Mobile, the 403rd Wing’s
Flying Jennies from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, special operations teams
from throughout the region, the Marine Corps from New Orleans, Air
National Guard units and even foreign pilots.
...For the Coast Guard in Mobile, it uses the airport’s field to practice
dropping a canister with a 150-foot length of line from a converted business
aircraft with a door on the floor. The practice occurs multiple times each
month. The Flying Jennies from the 403rd Wing at Keesler have been
practicing cargo drops from C-130Js for the past six years. That happens no
less than two days a week.
...“Twice a week in the evening, we’ll turn off the lights so they can operate
with night vision goggles,” said Bill Cotter, director of Stennis International
Airport. “With the runway and buffer zone and no lights of any magnitude, it’
s a good night vision training area.”
...A few years ago the Ohio National Guard came to use Gulfport-Biloxi
International Airport, and two of the aircraft ended up at the Stennis airport.
The unit opted to do some touch and goes at the facility.
...It was that connection with the Ohio National Guard that eventually led to
some very unusual air activity in an around Stennis International Airport. In
early February, pilots from the Netherlands practiced maneuvers in hopes of
becoming part of the Dutch F-16 flight demonstration team. The pilots trained
in Hancock County in part because it’s less crowded.
...Stennis-based Naval Special Boat Team 22’s sister unit, Special Boat Team
20 in Virginia, uses Stennis International four to six times a year for jumps.
The most recent activity was in February and March.
...The Marine Corps out of Naval Air Station New Orleans handles
qualifications for Huey and Cobra pilots, and they also conduct missions using
night vision equipment. The Marine Corps squadrons also practice extractions
from landing zones. Other users include Florida’s Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air
Force Base.
...Zink said part of the appeal of flying at Stennis International Airport is the
lack of encroachment. In the case of the Dutch pilots, the airport went to the
FAA and got an “aerobatics box,” restricted airspace that allowed the Dutch to
do their training. They also worked with the Department of Defense and State
Department.
...Although military activities represent a growing mission for the airport, it
remains true to its general aviation roots through supporting commercial
activities for the surrounding region.
...The airport plays a key role in Rolls-Royce’s engine testing at Stennis Space
Center. The company uses Volga-Dnepr Airlines, which uses Russian
Antonov An-124 transports, to bring Trent engines to SSC for testing.
The future
...What’s likely to have a big impact on Stennis International Airport is the
new interest in development at nearby Stennis Space Center.
...In November 2009, the 14,000-acre NASA facility received “Project
Ready” designation, indicating it’s “shovel ready.” It was the fifth location in
South Mississippi to get the designation, but by far the largest and the first to
get the designation of “technology park.” It has some 3,900 acres of
developable land.
...The NASA facility has hundreds of scientists and technicians working in
fields as varied as rocket propulsion, geospatial technologies and underwater
research. It has one of the largest concentrations of oceanographers in the
world, and is home to operations of some of the biggest names in the
aerospace industry. It also sports one of the world’s largest supercomputers.
...At the time SSC was awarded the designation, Zink pointed out that the
Project Ready status “sends a clear signal to industries and high-technology
companies that we have a prepared team and environment to support their
new location decision.” - David Tortorano
April 2010
say Stennis International Airport hasn’t been noticed. Aerospace giants Boeing
and EADS both had the Hancock County airport listed as a finalist for major
assembly plants.
...While it hasn’t landed the “big one,” it’s slowly carved a niche as a location
for military training. In 2006 just 10 percent of aircraft operations were
military, and by 2008 it was just over 35 percent. Last year the military
accounted for nearly 50 percent of the activity.
...“We’re in the early stages,” said Jack Zink, executive director of the
Hancock County Development Commission, the former Port and Harbor
Commission, about the hike in military activities. “We haven’t realized the full
potential.”
The airport
...Seen through economic development perspective, an airport is a key part of
a transportation mix, along with water, rail and highways. The better the mix,
the more appealing for both current industries and prospects. An airport can
be a development magnet.
...Stennis International Airport, which opened in 1969, is a public general
aviation, all-weather airport eight miles northwest of the central business
district of Bay St. Louis. Owned and operated by the Hancock County
Development Commission, the 580-acre airport has an 8,497-foot asphalt
runway – third longest in the state – and more than 340,000 square feet of
surfaced aprons and taxiways.
...The airport, which is in Foreign Trade Zone No. 92, is to the west of
Mississippi 603 and north of Interstate 10. It has a full-service fixed base
operator, providing a passenger terminal, aircraft fueling, tie-down and hangar
space, aircraft maintenance, air charter and student flight training. It has an air
traffic control tower, automated weather observation system, instrument
landing system with runway alignment indicators.
...The airport is next to a 100-acre airpark that’s home to the federal Joint
Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise, Optec International
and Selex Galileo, which builds integrated sensors for defense and homeland
security.
...A key attributes of the airport, in light of the attempt to get more military
activities, is its location adjacent to the Stennis Space Station buffer zone.
When the airport shuts down its lights it’s very dark – a prime consideration
for military operations where night-vision equipment will be used. That works
in the county’s favor.
Getting noticed
...Zink said that for the airport, the “anchor” activity is represented by the
federal and military operations. The non-military federal users include the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which runs the nearby John
C. Stennis Space Center.
...The growing military activities include an incredible mix, from high altitude
jumps and cargo drops to touch-and-goes and helicopter-based troop
extractions. Users include the U.S. Coast Guard in Mobile, the 403rd Wing’s
Flying Jennies from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, special operations teams
from throughout the region, the Marine Corps from New Orleans, Air
National Guard units and even foreign pilots.
...For the Coast Guard in Mobile, it uses the airport’s field to practice
dropping a canister with a 150-foot length of line from a converted business
aircraft with a door on the floor. The practice occurs multiple times each
month. The Flying Jennies from the 403rd Wing at Keesler have been
practicing cargo drops from C-130Js for the past six years. That happens no
less than two days a week.
...“Twice a week in the evening, we’ll turn off the lights so they can operate
with night vision goggles,” said Bill Cotter, director of Stennis International
Airport. “With the runway and buffer zone and no lights of any magnitude, it’
s a good night vision training area.”
...A few years ago the Ohio National Guard came to use Gulfport-Biloxi
International Airport, and two of the aircraft ended up at the Stennis airport.
The unit opted to do some touch and goes at the facility.
...It was that connection with the Ohio National Guard that eventually led to
some very unusual air activity in an around Stennis International Airport. In
early February, pilots from the Netherlands practiced maneuvers in hopes of
becoming part of the Dutch F-16 flight demonstration team. The pilots trained
in Hancock County in part because it’s less crowded.
...Stennis-based Naval Special Boat Team 22’s sister unit, Special Boat Team
20 in Virginia, uses Stennis International four to six times a year for jumps.
The most recent activity was in February and March.
...The Marine Corps out of Naval Air Station New Orleans handles
qualifications for Huey and Cobra pilots, and they also conduct missions using
night vision equipment. The Marine Corps squadrons also practice extractions
from landing zones. Other users include Florida’s Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air
Force Base.
...Zink said part of the appeal of flying at Stennis International Airport is the
lack of encroachment. In the case of the Dutch pilots, the airport went to the
FAA and got an “aerobatics box,” restricted airspace that allowed the Dutch to
do their training. They also worked with the Department of Defense and State
Department.
...Although military activities represent a growing mission for the airport, it
remains true to its general aviation roots through supporting commercial
activities for the surrounding region.
...The airport plays a key role in Rolls-Royce’s engine testing at Stennis Space
Center. The company uses Volga-Dnepr Airlines, which uses Russian
Antonov An-124 transports, to bring Trent engines to SSC for testing.
The future
...What’s likely to have a big impact on Stennis International Airport is the
new interest in development at nearby Stennis Space Center.
...In November 2009, the 14,000-acre NASA facility received “Project
Ready” designation, indicating it’s “shovel ready.” It was the fifth location in
South Mississippi to get the designation, but by far the largest and the first to
get the designation of “technology park.” It has some 3,900 acres of
developable land.
...The NASA facility has hundreds of scientists and technicians working in
fields as varied as rocket propulsion, geospatial technologies and underwater
research. It has one of the largest concentrations of oceanographers in the
world, and is home to operations of some of the biggest names in the
aerospace industry. It also sports one of the world’s largest supercomputers.
...At the time SSC was awarded the designation, Zink pointed out that the
Project Ready status “sends a clear signal to industries and high-technology
companies that we have a prepared team and environment to support their
new location decision.” - David Tortorano
April 2010
Aerospace/military
Stennis airport carves niche
Stennis airport carves niche
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