08 Oct The Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (KFHB) just completed construction of a new terminal building.
The Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (KFHB) just completed construction of a new terminal building.
It’s shaped like an airplane, including a tail. The tail added $1.5 million to the total construction cost of $4.4 million.
The right (and left) sections of the roof have a slight downward bend (called an Inverted Gull Wing) near where the roof attaches to fuselage (center of the building).
Can you guess the aircraft type?
It’s a Corsair F4U
KFHB was constructed in 1943 to train Corsair fighter pilots. After the war, it became a general aviation airport.
On the second floor, under the left wing (roof), there’s a huge open-air deck for viewing the airplanes taking off and landing.
The FAA and the Florida DOT paid ~ 95% of the cost. Fernandina Beach paid the remainder from airport user fees. No general fund taxes were used.
The new FBO, is apply named, ” Bent Wing Flight Services”. Caters primarily to business jets but welcomes single and twin pistons too. Self-serve fuel pump.
During the March 2018 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance car show, so many jets arrived that one of the three runways was closed just to provide parking for them.
The show is a great money maker for the local EAA chapter, Friends of FB airport (an airport promotion and advisory group) and the FB airport commission. The $20K car parking fees were split three ways. And that’s just the revenue from one day. The second day of the event was cancelled due to expected bad weather (which never materialized). Wealthiest EAA chapter I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a member. Besides providing Young Eagle airplane rides and aviation scholarships to several local high school graduates, there’s enough money remaining to pay for a free hot dog cook out at the EAA T-Hangar the first Saturday of every month. Sweet!
Come on down and visit the new facility.
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