Editor’s note: This article first appeared on AVweb.com.
Last week, the Holly Hill (South Carolina) Town Council voted to ban any aircraft weighing less than 600 pounds at city-owned Holly Hill Airport (5J5), which has a 3,900-foot turf runway.
SC Town Votes to Restrict Aircraft at City-Owned Airport
The decision to ban any aircraft weighing less than 600 pounds was made following two accidents that occurred in the past 18 months.
Key Takeaways:
- The Holly Hill (South Carolina) Town Council banned aircraft weighing less than 600 pounds at its city-owned airport, citing public safety concerns and potential legal liability after two recent accidents.
- The ban has drawn criticism from local pilots and aviation organizations like the EAA and AOPA, who argue the accidents involved light sport aircraft (not ultralights) and were attributable to pilot error rather than the aircraft type itself.
- Critics suggest the council lacks vision for the airport's community value and may have ulterior motives, such as incompatible land-use plans, noting that such a ban would rarely be approved by the FAA if the airport were federally-grant-obligated.
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