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Why does Richard Downing Airport need a longer runway? (Part 2)
As before (see the first article in this series below), that question is easily answered with a picture.
The Beechcraft King Air family of twin-turboprop aircraft are some of the most popular business aircraft in the world. King Airs have outsold all other turboprop competitors combined and are the only small twin-turboprop business aircraft still in production.
The King Air has a maximum speed of over 300mph, can attain a maximum altitude of over 25,000 feet - all with a maximum weight of over 11,000lbs.
With its good performance and low acquisition costs, it's easy to see why over 6,000 of these King Air aircraft have been built and why so many businesses use them. It's also easy to see why it is so important for Richard Downing to accomodate these (and other) business aircraft.
As we mentioned in the previous article (below), runway length is one of the most important aspects of attracting business aviation. As with other business aircraft, where a King Air can land is often dictated by insurance requirements. Today, as a result of it's 4,100ft runway, Richard Downing airport is often overlooked when business aircraft are looking for a place to land in east central Ohio.
Extending the runway to 5,000ft may not seem like a big difference to citizens of Coshocton county, but it can make all the difference in the world to corporate flight departments and their insurers.
Extending Richard Downing's runway to 5,000ft is a cost effective way for Coshocton county to remain competitive in today's tough economic conditions.
Why does Richard Downing Airport need a longer runway?
Perhaps that question is best answered with a picture.
This aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 300, belongs to a company based in Seattle, Washington, which flew to Richard Downing Airport to do business with Organic Technologies. This is a classic example of the need for a longer runway at Richard Downing, because this aircraft (and those like it) typically require a 5,000 ft. runway.
This particular aircraft was able to land in Coshocton only because of a dry runway, clear weather conditions and a lighter-than-normal gross weight upon landing. In other words, the pilot and crew had to make special accomodations and wait for perfect weather before being able to land in Coshocton. Additionally, once on the ground at Richard Downing, the pilot could not fill his tanks with fuel because of the additional weight it would have added.
Had this aircraft not been able to land at Richard Downing, it would have had to land at Columbus or Zanesville. This would have complicated the entire trip, since the passengers were on a strict schedule and needed to be back in Seattle, Washington, for other meetings.
Runway length is a very important factor that most manufacturing and industrial corporations look at before relocating their businesses to other areas. They want to be able to fly into an area, tend to their business, and return back to their corporate headquarters quickly for other business needs. They're looking for fast, flexible, safe and cost-effective access to their business.
Richard Downing already offers first class small airport amenities and service; the final piece of the puzzle is a longer runway. That is why the runway extension is imperative for the economic development and future of Coshocton.
As you fly into Coshocton County's Richard Downing Airport you quickly sense you've come to a special place, a place where life is easy and doesn't include a lot of hassles.
Upon landing, you'll enjoy our spacious and comfortable terminal building, a friendly and accommodating staff and the lowest fuel prices around. The city of Coshocton is nearby and you can be just about anywhere in the county within a half-hour of landing.
You can experience your own kind of time travel with a visit to historic Roscoe Village, a restored canal town, where you can observe life as it was a century and a half ago.
If you want to venture a little further, you can have a rental car delivered to the airport.
 We're not big. Coshocton County doesn't require a big airport, but it deserves a good one. That's exactly what we have - one of the very best small airports in the nation - one that contributes over a million dollars to the local economy every year.
Visitors enjoy our comfortable public lounge, satellite TV and free popcorn. Pilots can check their flight plans, get a free cup of coffee and relax in the privacy of a separate pilot's lounge.
Many corporate aircraft visit Downing each year, including those from such fortune 500 companies as General Electric, Phillip Morris, AK Steel and Pacific Dunlop.
With jet traffic becoming more frequent, Downing has begun a three-phase runway extension program. Phase I involved removing obstacles from the end of the current runway and burying utility wires. In Phase II, a bank parallel to the north end of the runway was removed and construction of a full-length taxiway was completed. Phase III calls for extending the runway length to 5,000 feet.
What won't change is the convenience of flying to and from Richard Downing. There will be no waiting and no hassles. You will come and go at your own pace.
That's our promise.
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