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Post by z3elda on Mar 19, 2013 21:46:16 GMT -5
Another lead, courtesy of the Porsche Club. Apparently, you can autocross here, since the PCA scheduled an event. goo.gl/maps/kbFng |
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Post by CoolGuy094 on Mar 20, 2013 7:44:07 GMT -5
Interesting. I've flown into Greenville before; it seemed like a pretty active airport.
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Post by srduck on Mar 20, 2013 8:06:35 GMT -5
Interesting. I've flown into Greenville before; it seemed like a pretty active airport. That's probably the main Greenville/Spartanburg airport, which is bigger and busier. This thing looks like it's about the size of Danville. Pretty sure the Xs on the runway to the east mean it's out of service, too... so again it's like Danville. Nice find! |
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Post by CoolGuy094 on Mar 20, 2013 10:21:33 GMT -5
Whoop, you are right... Didn't realize this was a different airport.
Why does Greenville need two airports? Lol.
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Post by srduck on Mar 20, 2013 10:40:10 GMT -5
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Post by lagunamiata on Mar 20, 2013 11:17:14 GMT -5
I think Ted looked at it a few years back. Michelin owned it and wasn't interested in renting. Guess it's changed hands or they changed their minds.
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Post by z3elda on Mar 20, 2013 11:20:04 GMT -5
Hopefully we can get one of these runway sites nailed down.
PCA's event is May 26th.. Maybe some of us can check it out?
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Post by tedebayer on Mar 20, 2013 11:31:17 GMT -5
I will talk to a few people here at Michelin and Donaldson Center.
I t was leased by Michelin for long time... and Michelin did not like idea of leasing it out for motorsports events (Boy Scouts, hot air balloons car shows...okay.). Then they changed their tune and did start renting it out to sports car clubs. Last year, a friend and I decided to go check it out as a possible event site. The one end was rough and lots of grass growing up between pavement. the other 2/3rds looked pretty good but needed to be swept and cleaned. Gravel in many areas and a few "work around-able" pot holes but useable. I went out a month later and it had been cleaned... while I was there, worker crews were cleaning the runway and scraping edges, trimming shrubs... spraying weed killer. I stopped and asked and was told they were going to re-open the Runway B for aviation use. Once it is open for aviation use, I am not sure how friendly the Donaldson Management / SC TAC guys will be to toward us. Been edgy around airtports since 911.
I have not been back out there... I know that was the strategic plan but not sure if it made it. I'll try to find out.
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Post by srduck on Mar 20, 2013 11:51:30 GMT -5
I've been helping the PCA with prepping for their ZMax event. I'll see if I can get any information from their solo chair about it, too.
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Post by illbebetter on Mar 20, 2013 12:15:25 GMT -5
The airport is still active. Lockheed has a repair facility there. I see small planes in and out fairly often. Also see C-130s fairly regular. That link is definitely Donaldson. You can see a C-130 parked at lower left. I am not sure if both runways are active.
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Post by tedebayer on Mar 20, 2013 13:46:55 GMT -5
Michael... the MAIN runway is active... no doubt. The secondary runway was dormant for a long time and then Michelin leased it. That's the one we are talking about. The lease is up last I heard. Strange enough, the old Donaldson had the main runway and had this secondary B runway back when it was a military base prior to WWII. MY dad was a flight instructor and was a Clemson MECH ENG grad... so he was brought to the base to prepare for training pilots in the B-24 Liberator. The runway was to small and the pavement was not deep enough. He worked with a team of engineers who designed and built that B runway with concrete instead of the original asphalt so it could handle the big planes. If you go look at the surface, you will see the center is THICK concrete and the out side edges are asphalt. Where the pavement is mostly broken and weeds growing through is between the concrete and asphalt. NOTHING ever got through that concrete. LOL Dad instructed over 600 pilots in B-24 there... he never flew combat though. He said "I never took a life but I'd like to think by being a good instructor, I saved a few. "  |
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Post by srduck on Mar 20, 2013 15:10:16 GMT -5
I am not sure if both runways are active. Had a suspicion earlier so I looked it up.... runways with an X mean out of service. There's not even a heading marker painted on them anymore.... just an X. That runway is empty. |
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Post by yellow CR on Mar 20, 2013 15:53:50 GMT -5
WOW!
That is much bigger than Danville. It is wider and about 4x longer.
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Post by CoolGuy094 on Mar 20, 2013 15:57:25 GMT -5
Strange enough, the old Donaldson had the main runway and had this secondary B runway back when it was a military base prior to WWII. MY dad was a flight instructor and was a Clemson MECH ENG grad... so he was brought to the base to prepare for training pilots in the B-24 Liberator. The runway was to small and the pavement was not deep enough. He worked with a team of engineers who designed and built that B runway with concrete instead of the original asphalt so it could handle the big planes. If you go look at the surface, you will see the center is THICK concrete and the out side edges are asphalt. Where the pavement is mostly broken and weeds growing through is between the concrete and asphalt. NOTHING ever got through that concrete. LOL Dad instructed over 600 pilots in B-24 there... he never flew combat though. He said "I never took a life but I'd like to think by being a good instructor, I saved a few. " THAT is an awesome story! Your dad sounds like an awesome guy. Sounds like we need some feedback from the PCA event that is scheduled there... |
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axex
New Member
Posts: 26
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Post by axex on Apr 16, 2013 14:16:07 GMT -5
Hey all, I was talking with a coworker about Autocross and he suggested this site as a possible location. So I used the nice search button to see if it had been done and it brought me here. Seems like you all have had the same idea.
Everything I've read here is pretty consistent with what he told me. We used to lease it from Michelin for testing but I think their lease of it is up or something, not really sure. The strip with the X's is the one and is not used anymore as a runway. The airport still has other runways that are active though. I was told this strip is a mile long and something like 24 lanes wide. He did describe the surface as rough in spots but that could be worked around, and a sweeping would be really beneficial.
The really enticing part about it is the price. I'm not sure how much is feasible for an autoX rental, but he told me this place was around $1000 for a day when he used it last year. I will know more details pretty soon because I will be securing a rental and going there in the next couple months for work.
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Post by jgkellyiii on Jan 5, 2014 13:38:41 GMT -5
Anin 2014ther lead, courtesy of the Porsche Club. Apparently, you can autocross here, since the PCA scheduled an event. goo.gl/maps/kbFngWhatever came of using donalson for an event In 2014 i helped obtain the back runway for the may PCA autocross. We ran the event with about 40 cars that day. the runway has since been resurfaced in most areas alot better, not zmax yet, but nice. it is 5000 x 500 ft lots of run off and staging space we paid $1000 for the day included firetruck, trash, porta potties, safety ems, no water |
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Post by ball80 on Jan 23, 2014 8:53:53 GMT -5
Anin 2014ther lead, courtesy of the Porsche Club. Apparently, you can autocross here, since the PCA scheduled an event. goo.gl/maps/kbFngWhatever came of using donalson for an event In 2014 i helped obtain the back runway for the may PCA autocross. We ran the event with about 40 cars that day. the runway has since been resurfaced in most areas alot better, not zmax yet, but nice. it is 5000 x 500 ft lots of run off and staging space we paid $1000 for the day included firetruck, trash, porta potties, safety ems, no water Sounds pretty nice! I wouldn't mind heading over to greenville to run a couple events! |
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axex
New Member
Posts: 26
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Post by axex on Feb 5, 2014 12:43:53 GMT -5
I still haven't been down that way for work as I chose another location, but I do have updated information on it. It is now being managed by the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SC-TAC). There was a good deal of construction happening in the second half of 2013 to resurface inner parts of the strip, but unfortunately that comes at a cost to everyone that wants to use it. The rate through the end of the year last year went up to $2000 for 24hrs of use. Not sure if that still holds but I would think so.
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