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
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] The parking area was expanded in 2000.[13] 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.[14]
1947 Western Carolina Regional AirportRichard 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
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.[15]
Airport services
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
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.[16]
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.[17][18]
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.[19]
