Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport Open House & Dedication Ceremony on October 13th

Mary Hamburg, Public Information Officer
City of Fernandina Beach
204 Ash Street
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
(904) 310-3102

October 3, 2018 9:44 a.m.

Celebrate the opening of the Airport’s new terminal facility with food, live music, and aircraft viewing on Saturday, October 13, 2018, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

In 1943, the U.S. Navy built Outlying Forward Field on Amelia Island to train pilots on the F4U Corsair fighter plane. That airport is now the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport. The City of Fernandina Beach has completed construction of a general aviation terminal that honors the Airport’s rich military history while providing professional space for today’s airport users. The building design represents the original F4U Corsair, and the inverted gull wings that earned it the nickname of the “Bent Wing Bird”.

Funding for this facility came primarily from State and Federal entities, the Airport enterprise fund, and short term financing from Bent Wing Flight Services. Bent Wing Flight Services is the Airport’s fixed based operator, which will provide aviation services in the building alongside the City’s airport management staff. The building was designed by Passero Associates and built by F&G Construction General Contractors.

“A great deal of time and effort was put into the funding, planning and execution of this project. We are excited to showcase this completed facility”, says Airport Director Nathan Coyle.

On October 13, the City will host a dedication ceremony that will be open to the public. SkyDive Amelia Island will make a jump at 11:00 am followed immediately by remarks from Senator Aaron Bean and U.S. Navy Captain Trent DeMoss. Live music will be performed by two distinguished groups: the Navy Band Southeast Quartet and the Nassau Community Band. Hamburgers and hotdogs cooked by the Amelia Island Sunrise Rotary Club will be served from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm with Friends of Fernandina Aviation providing facility tours every 15 minutes. The Experimental Aircraft Association’s Chapter 943 will offer free plane rides to children 8 – 17 (must have parental approval) and Kona Ice will be on hand distributing free treats.

More information can be found on the Facebook event page.