SKYTRAILS
South Carolina Airfields: Then and Now
South Carolina is home to more than forty airports. Many of these began as military airfields and grew into larger installations that helped shape the development of their surrounding communities. From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, these airfields provided jobs, national security, transportation, and economic stability to the Palmetto State.
The first commercial airport in South Carolina was constructed in Spartanburg in 1927. This facility was followed by municipal airports in Greenville and Owens Field in Columbia. These airfields were vital in creating the framework for commercial and military aviation in South Carolina by establishing flight training programs and commercial businesses.
Military aviation in the Lowcountry can be traced back to the early 1900s with the establishment of an airfield at the Charleston Naval Shipyard. In 1934, the first U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) aircraft arrived at the airfield and by 1937 a USCG air patrol detachment was activated.
Naval Air Station Beaufort was commissioned in 1943 to provide a base for anti-submarine patrols. In 1975, the runway was named Merritt Field, in honor of Saluda County native and marine aviator Lewie Merritt. After the World War II, the site was reactivated as a Marine Corps Air Station. The 6,900 acre station supports over 3,000 personnel from Marine Aircraft Group 31
An Air Traffic Controller or ATC directs movement around an airport’s designated airspace. Personnel are located in a tower to give them the best view of incoming and outgoing aircraft. Traffic is monitored by radar and relayed to flight crews over radio communication.
In 2021, engineers from the 169th Civil Engineer Squadron at McEntire Joint National Guard Base teamed up with units from Shaw Air Force Base, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and others to participate in a runway repair demonstration. The exercise focused on “just enough, just in time” repair capability for wartime situations that require minimum cost and materials