Oct 24, 2022
West Virginia International Yeager Airport, Marshall University staff and special guest Victoria Yeager today unveiled a new exhibit dedicated to Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, in partial observance of the 75th anniversary of Yeager’s becoming the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound on Oct. 14, 1947.
“We are thrilled to showcase the historical achievements of Gen. Chuck Yeager at West Virginia International Yeager Airport for all those passing through the airport to see,” said Airport Director and CEO Dominique Ranieri. “Gen.Yeager’s influence on our airport and on the aviation community at large is undeniable.”
The exhibit, which is located in the airport’s observation area, includes artifacts that were donated to Marshall University by Yeager in December of 1986.
Lori Thompson, Marshall’s head of special collections, said that among the materials in the display are a framed copy of “Bell XS-1 Makes Supersonic Flight,” from Aviation Week, December 22, 1947; a plaque presented for years of dedicated service from the U.S. Air Force; a sculpture on a wooden base commemorating the 50th anniversary of breaking the sound barrier in 1997; and a plaque presented by the Charleston Gazette-Mail for “West Virginian of the Year.”
“Gen. Yeager, the most notable aviator in the world, meant so much to aviation and to West Virginia,” said Bill Noe, Marshall’s chief aviation officer. “We at Marshall are pleased to join the airport in presenting this exhibit.”
The long-term goal is to have a rotation of shows about Yeager that draw from the university’s archives, said Dr. David Pittenger, a professor at Marshall who also works with the flight school. These shows will be curated by a Marshall student studying history under the supervision of Thompson and other members of the faculty.
Yeager, for whom the airport is named, was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace and record-setting test pilot.
Jun 29, 2021
Yeager Airport is going to have nightly closures of its runway (RWY 5/23) starting on July 5th through November 22nd. The runway is also going to be closed on eight Saturdays. The runway closures are part of an $8.7 million runway rehabilitation project.
The rehabilitation project includes
- Replacing the centerline light system with a new LED system
- Light installation at Taxiway C
- Milling and paving the 30-foot center (keel) of the runway
- Improving the runway profile to remove dips that do not meet FAA standards
Construction workers paving runway 5/23 during phase 1 of the runway rehab project.
This project is being 100-percent funded by the FAA and does not require a local match.
The Saturday runway closures are:
- August 6-8
- August 13-15
- August 20-22
- September 10-12
- September 24-26
- October 1-3
- October 8-10
- November 19-21
“I know these closures could impact some of our passengers travel plans,” said Yeager Airport Director and CEO Nick Keller. “But the work being done is necessary to make sure CRW is set up for success as the airport continues to grow.”
There are two contingent Saturdays, for runway closures at Yeager Airport, built into the schedule to accommodate for bad weather.
- Contingent Saturday #1 October 15-17
- Contingent Saturday #2 October 22-24
On the weekend of the Saturday closures, the runway will be shut down starting at 11PM on Friday and will reopen Sunday at 7am.
Apr 15, 2021
We often tell kids to dream big, they can do anything they set their mind to. The truth is, no matter how old we are, we should always dream big. And that is what we do at Yeager Airport.
Having the military use CRW as a hub, while they train at old coal mine sites in West Virginia, was once a pipe dream. The same for the Marshall University Flight School and the United States Customs Building. At one point, all of these things were just an idea, a dream, but are a reality now at Yeager Airport.
All of these projects at CRW are being done with one goal in mind, make Yeager Airport the most important economic engine for West Virginia. With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the construction projects going on around CRW.
Marshall University Bill Noe Flight School Construction at Yeager Airport
Construction of the Marshall University Bill Noe Flight School Classroom Building. Classes are scheduled to start in August 2021.
The groundbreaking for the Marshall University Bill Noe Flight School was on August 13th, 2020. Since then, construction has been fast and furious. Work on the classroom building and hangar have stayed ahead of schedule for most of the project.
Classroom Building- The entire frame of the school is up, the roof is on, and the siding for the building is starting to go on. Work on the inside of the building is making great progress too. Framing is done, and sheetrock is going up.
The Hangar- The hangar is also up, and siding is up, and the roof is on. Work is being done on the inside of the building now. The hangar is just to the left of the classroom building.
The first group of students is set to start in August this year. Both the classroom and hangar will be ready to go by then. These future pilots are going to have a state-of-the-art building for their education and training.
United States Customs and Border Patrol Building Project
Yeager Airport is home to the only Unite States Port of Entry in West Virginia. We have had a CBP agent for several years but never a dedicated building for him. He did his work either on the plane or at Capital Jet Center.
The United States Customs Building is being built beside Yeager Airport’s FBO Capital Jet Center. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.
Getting a designated space for CBP has been on the radar at CRW for a few years. Construction started earlier this year and should be finished by the end of 2021. Footers have already been poured, and walls are already starting to go up. The building has to be built United States CBP specifications. When the building is finished, CRW will be on the map for international travelers looking to clear customs before heading to their final destination.
Yeager Airport Taxiway B Project
Two different projects happening on taxiway B. The first is a drainage project. This project is going to divert water away from taxiway B. This is a smaller but important project. Keeping the taxiways and runway as clear and dry as possible is important.
The next project on taxiway B is to give airplanes easier access to Capital Jet Center. As our general aviation customer base continues to grow and will get even bigger when the customs building opens, we thought this project necessary.
Before this project, general aviation aircraft did not have direct access to taxiway Charlie. Once finished, this project will make it easier for pilots to taxi to Runway 23.
Planes leaving Capital Jet Center now taxi on Bravo before jumping over to Charlie. After this construction is finished, planes will be able to have access to taxiway C, which is the old Runway 15/33, directly from Capital Jet Center. This will make for an easier route to and from Runway 5/23.
Exciting Projects at Yeager Airport
More construction is coming. Some plans were paused because of COVID-19, but the projects have not gone away. As passenger numbers start to return to normal, more projects are going to be placed back online. This new construction is going to give CRW a fresh look and feel. It will give passengers an exciting travel experience. It will make some once far-fetched dreams become reality.
To learn more about Yeager Airport contact us today! With service provided by American, Delta, Spirit, and United Airlines, you are just one stop from thousands of destinations worldwide.
