it's just so different its iconic
there's no other building like it
a lot of those senior executives or
corporations have access to private jets
of a private aircraft and they want to
go to their destination and be as close
as they can with this little drive time
to where they're ultimately going where
Airport can accommodate up to the G 550
aircraft we service everything from a
Cessna 150 to a large business jet
aircraft it's very dramatic the ocean
all around you and the trees and the
unspoiled coastline and then the land at
this airport and to be greeted with some
of the nicest folks you're ever gonna
meet and then to go into this brand-new
terminal that really is gorgeous it's a
great way to start off any trip
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so this Airport were constructed in 1943
during World War two the trained pilots
on the f4u Corsair the neat thing about
all the airports that they built most of
the airplanes back then were what we
call tail draggers and they needed
runways that pointed into the wind so
you want as many opportunities into the
wind to land so we have a runway that
points in each directions of the compass
and you don't build airports like that
anymore so it's been a really neat place
the terminal is a two-story building
that has wings a nose and the tail just
like that for your course air without
course air ahead what's known as a bent
wing where it came out and went up kind
of an inverted gull wing and it was
designed that way for carrier do because
they can follow the wings and the gear
was lower to the ground
it's an easy in-and-out Airport there's
no tower here so it makes it much
quicker we're right under a couple of
major Airways that go up and down the
East Coast so it's a easy drop-in refuel
and go out if you're not staying here I
got a lot of corporate jets in and that
really really boosts the local economy
as well as the airport when you fly in
here you know you're going to be treated
well you're going to be greeted plane
side with a red carpet no matter what
kind of aircraft you're in our line crew
are there to greet you professionally
and see what you need you'll walk into
our building we have customer service
representatives ready to assist you with
anything you need we have crew cars we
have rental cars I'm a aircraft owner
and I have my aircraft here and we've
been here at the airport for years and
from my personal experience flying to
other airports and facilities bent wings
got a beautiful facility and when I've
dealt with bent wing people they're
great professionals they all know what
they're doing they know their jobs and
it's just part of the community and we
all love it we have flight planning room
we have a pilot lounge with a massage
chair we have kitchen facilities we have
everything you could possibly need for
pilots who are here for just a few hours
or maybe just a few minutes they're
gonna be well taken care of while
they're here and the crew and passengers
of course passengers love to come in and
sit in the very comfortable lounge area
and wait for their plane pick them up
with our new facilities we have a very
large meeting room observation deck that
holds 150 people
we have several flying groups coming in
and the next year that have their annual
meetings with us and we're very excited
about hosting these groups at our new
terminal facility pilots love it and
non-pilots alike I think we've had a lot
of visitors that aren't pilots that even
just like to come in and visit and see
the memorabilia that we put into the
airport so it's just a really cool kind
of fun place to hang out it's very light
because it's two stories of glass so
it's always like building we have a
corsair replica hanging
suspended from the cockpit you have to
see it this airport we've got that
brand-new building this is a gem just
because of the location Amelia Island
this is a great place for people to come
to as a destination and the island
welcomes that you've got the hotels
you've got a lot of Beach rental
properties and you got the historic
district it's a hidden jewel you don't
ever have to worry about rush hour
there's no problem with traffic and yet
on the other hand there's great resorts
here fantastic restaurants there's all
kinds of little boutique shops the
second weekend in March Amelia Island
becomes a car central really people come
from all over the world Concord is
probably our busiest part of the year
it's a well-known car show and auctions
that happen here on a million island and
during a five-day period we'll have
several hundred aircraft coming depart
that's a major great event and the
airport is again very critical for that
event because the people that deal and
own those caliber cars generally have
airplanes it attracts the creme de creme
of America there's a palpable energy on
the island you flying in however you
come in it's almost like you cross this
invisible barrier and there's this
energy in the air it's contagious it's
exciting you put all that together with
the hospitality of the island which is
top-notch the the restaurants the
businesses all of them embrace the event
embrace the atmosphere I don't think
there's any place else I'd rather be
that time of year
the future of Fernandina Beach Municipal
Airport is bright we have several hangar
projects under development here we've
got a waiting list of tenants waiting to
come on so we're in a unique position to
grow this airport I'm a little biased I
think this is the best general aviation
Airport because brand-new building all
the facilities all the amenities the
people of course the staff very
professional very customer service
oriented but it's just a beautiful
island I mean you can sit at the airport
and look out and see the ocean I mean
it's just it's gorgeous and see the golf
courses and see all the green and the
trees and it's it's just beautiful
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