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Western Carolina Regional Airport

Western Carolina Regional Airport (ICAO: KRHP, FAA LID: RHP) is a county-owned public-use airport located 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the central business district of Andrews, in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States.[2][3] It was formerly known as Andrews-Murphy Airport.[4]

Western Carolina Regional Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCherokee County
OperatorManaging FBO Gayland Trull (70)
ServesAndrews, North Carolina
Elevation AMSL1,697 ft / 517 m
Coordinates35°11′43″N 083°51′47″W / 35.19528°N 83.86306°W / 35.19528; -83.86306
Websitewesterncarolinaregional.us
Map
RHP is located in North Carolina
RHP
RHP
Location of Western Carolina Regional Airport
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8/26 5,500 1,676 Asphalt
Statistics (2020)
Aircraft operations20,500
Based aircraft42

Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, this facility is assigned RHP by the FAA and has no assignment from the IATA[5] (which assigned RHP to Ramechhap, Nepal[6]). The airport's ICAO identifier is KRHP.[3]

Airport history

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In May 1945, a meeting at the Cherokee County Courthouse about constructing an airport drew around 200 people. Sites considered for the airport included land in Peachtree and a strip along the Hiwassee River in Murphy, but Edgar Augustus Wood Sr.’s property in Marble was most highly recommended.[7] The airport was constructed in 1946 by Wood and colloquially known as Wood Field after its owner.[8] It opened with a grass runway.[9]

In the early 1960s, the airfield was regularly used by Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates, Burlington Industries, and the chicken industry. The U.S. Army and U.S. Forest Service used the airport as a base of operations for training and fire spotting respectively. In 1963 the road to the airport and parking lot were paved. In October of that year the first turboprop aircraft, a Grumman Gulfstream, landed at the airport.[10]

The airport was purchased by Cherokee County in 1969 and renamed Andrews-Murphy Airport.[8] That year the runway was lit and paved to accommodate larger jets.[11] In 1999, the airport expanded, purchasing 18.1 acres from Robert and Evelyn Heaton for $252,000.[12] In 2009, the airport was again renamed Western Carolina Regional Airport.[8] In 2017, the airport terminal was named after local US Navy aviation veteran and longtime airport manager, Mr. Richard Parker.[13]

 
1947 Western Carolina Regional Airport
 
Richard Parker Airport Terminal

As of 2023, Western Carolina Regional Airport supports 290 jobs and has a total annual economic output of more than $57 million. It results in personal income of more than $20 million per year in Cherokee and surrounding counties.[9]

Facilities and aircraft

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Western Carolina Regional Airport covers an area of 206 acres (83 ha) at an elevation of 1,697 feet (517 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 8/26 with an asphalt surface measuring 5,500 by 100 feet (1,676 x 30 m).[2]

For the 12-month period ending May 24, 2020, the airport had 20,500 aircraft operations, an average of 56 per day: 92% general aviation, 5% air taxi, and 2% military. At that time there were 43 aircraft based at this airport: 37 single-engine, 4 multi-engine and 1 helicopter.[3]

There have been discussions about constructing a new terminal at the airport since at least 2014.[14]

Airport services

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The KRHP service features tie-down and hangar space as well as fuel and service: 100LL, JET-A, JET-A1+.

Companies that regularly use the airport include NetJets, Snap-On, and Moog Inc. Chris Williams has been the airport’s manager since March 2023.[9]

Incidents

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  • On May 3, 1948, two U.S. Navy veterans were killed when the Ryan PT-22 Recruit trainer plane they were flying went into a spin 100 feet off the ground during takeoff and nosedived into the earth.[15]
  • On October 3, 2021, a 1965 Beechcraft Bonanza crashed into a mountain east of the airport moments after takeoff in low visibility. The only occupants, a married couple from Texas, died at the scene.[16][17]
  • On April 15, 2023, a Velocity, Inc. kit aircraft crashed into trees a mile after takeoff. The pilot, an elite U.S. Army helicopter pilot, was killed. Mechanical failure was to blame.[18]
  • On June 30, 2023, a Gulfstream IV carrying comedian Gabriel Iglesias to Harrah's Cherokee Valley River casino overshot the runway in severe weather and landed in mud. The airport closed for six hours. There were no injuries.[19][20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for RHP PDF, effective 2023-06-15.
  2. ^ a b FAA Form 5010 for RHP. Federal Aviation Administration. 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "AirNav: KRHP - Western Carolina Regional Airport". www.airnav.com. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  4. ^ "Andrews-Murphy Airport". Cherokee County. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  5. ^ "Western Carolina Regional Airport (FAA: RHP, ICAO: KRHP)". Great Circle Mapper. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  6. ^ "Ramechhap, Nepal (IATA: RHP, ICAO: VNRC)". Great Circle Mapper. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  7. ^ "Commission recommends Marble site for airport". The Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC. 1945-05-17. p. A1. Accessed January 12, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Sumpter, David W. (2009). Resolution Renaming the Andrews-Murphy Airport. Cherokee County Board of Commissioners.
  9. ^ a b c Foster, Randy (2023-11-29). "Cherokee County's airport in preparations for takeoff". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, N.C.: Community Newspapers, Inc. pp. 1, 9, 10.
  10. ^ "Andrews-Murphy Airport Growth Furthers Economy of this Area". The Cherokee Scout and Clay County Progress. Murphy, NC. 1963-10-31. p. 10. Accessed January 12, 2024.
  11. ^ "Paving of Andrews-Murphy Airport Runway Completed". The Cherokee Scout and Clay County Progress. Murphy, NC. 1969-06-12. p. A1. Accessed January 12, 2024.
  12. ^ Brown, David (2024-05-22). "This Week in Local History". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers Inc. p. 9A.
  13. ^ Sinclair, Samantha (March 4, 2020). "Airport planning ceremony to honor Parker".
  14. ^ Brown, David (2024-03-27). "This Week in Local History". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers Inc. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  15. ^ "Two men killed in plane crash". The Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC. 1948-05-06. p. A1. Accessed 11 January 2024.
  16. ^ Ray, Penny (2021-10-05). "Plane crash kills two". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers, Inc. Accessed 11 January 2024.
  17. ^ Ray, Penny (2021-10-19). "Plane crash victims identified". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers, Inc. Accessed 11 January 2024.
  18. ^ Foster, Randy (2023-04-18). "Veteran pilot dies in plane crash". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers, Inc. Accessed 11 January 2024.
  19. ^ Foster, Randy (2023-07-05). "'Emergency landing!'". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers, Inc.. Accessed 11 January 2024.
  20. ^ "PRIVATE JET SLIDES OFF RUNWAY IN NORTH CAROLINA". TMZ. EHM PRODUCTIONS, INC. 2023-06-30. Accessed 11 January 2024.
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