Compiled By Amanda Larch
In 2019, the aerospace industry supported 4,000 jobs and created a $1.3 billion total economic output in West Virginia. A hidden gem, the Mountain State’s aerospace industry is built around access to raw materials, development assistance, education and location. Ohio is home to eight aviation maintenance schools and has the second-largest aerospace economy in the country, while Kentucky has the second-largest aerospace export economy, making West Virginia perfectly situated to contribute to and benefit from the success of surrounding states.
As one of the state’s largest developing economic sectors, the aerospace industry has the potential to create jobs and move the economy forward. Seven counties in Southern West Virginia were certified as AEROready in early 2020, totaling 21 counties with this designation. The AEROready certification, which was led by Consultants Tucson Atlantic Consulting and Common Sense Economic Development and funded by Appalachian Power, came on the heels of an in-depth analysis of the region’s property, labor, education and infrastructure to ensure it had the capacity to support the aerospace industry. Coupled with the already booming aerospace presence in North Central West Virginia, which provides access to critical infrastructure and resources and continues to grow in size and economic impact every year, this certification and the ongoing improvement of existing resources creates even more opportunities for growth.
While the prospective growth is exciting, West Virginia’s aerospace industry—including large and small manufacturers, service-oriented small businesses, educational institutions, airports and industry partners—is already a dynamic and thriving economic sector. West Virginia Executive, in partnership with Appalachian Power, Fairmont State University, Marshall University and the Robert C. Byrd Institute, created the following map to show that, despite its size, West Virginia is already a major player in the aerospace arena.
Click here to view the Aerospace Map as a PDF.
AERO International, Inc.
KEARNEYSVILLE
AERO International manufactures and distributes aerospace components and is a leading provider of licensed products, aftermarket supply chain solutions, repair and overhaul services and logistics support for military aircraft platforms.
Air Robotics, LLC
CHARLESTON
Air Robotics manufactures small unmanned aircraft systems equipped with cameras and other sensors to collect digital data that is processed into a digital terrain model, photographic overlay or map showing chemicals on the ground and in the water.
American Public University System
CHARLES TOWN
American Public University System is an online school with a main campus in West Virginia that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in space studies. Degree concentrations include astronomy, aerospace science and space policy, and a new concentration in space entrepreneurship is under development.
Appalachian Regional Airport
DELBARTON
Appalachian Regional Airport is a general aviation airport constructed from a reclaimed surface mine site to replace the Mingo County Airport in Williamson.
Aurora Flight Sciences
BRIDGEPORT
Aurora Flight Sciences creates advanced aircraft through the development of versatile and intuitive autonomous systems and advanced composite manufacturing to make manned and unmanned flight safer and more efficient.
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
MARTINSBURG
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College’s (CTC) engineering technology and mechatronics programs lead to aviation technician careers. Engineering technology graduates often work in the design and automation industries, and mechatronics graduates are often maintenance technicians who can install, service, repair and maintain a variety of industrial automation equipment.
Braxton County Airport
SUTTON
Braxton County Airport hosts 14 aircraft and an eight aircraft T-hangar and is frequented as a fuel stop by transit pilots. Medical helicopter crews use it as a waiting hub due to its location in the geographic center of the state. It is home to a fixed-base operator (FBO), and U.S. Marines recently used it to train pilots to fly the V-22 Osprey.
Carbon Fiber Composites
ONA
Carbon Fiber Composites manufactures composite airframe parts using vacuum resin infusion and epoxy resin and uses resin infusion to produce high-quality parts and fabricate high-grade epoxy tooling.
Carpenter Powder Products
BRUCETON MILLS
Carpenter Powder Products’ expert metallurgists and technical service professionals are making advancements in high-quality iron-, nickel-, cobalt- and titanium-based aerospace alloys, which contribute to improvements in aerodynamics, weight reduction, fuel efficiency, heat resistance, strength and functionality. Many aerospace leaders partner with Carpenter to supply specialty alloy, superalloy, stainless steel and titanium material solutions to key sectors, including commercial and defense aviation, manned aircraft and unmanned systems.
CFOAM LLC
TRIADELPHIA
CFOAM manufactures carbon foam panels made from pulverized coal. CFOAM carbon foam is extremely strong, lightweight, fire resistant and easily machined to create custom shapes and is designed to meet growing demand for high-performance engineering materials.
Collins Aerospace
UNION
Collins Aerospace’s Union, WV, location produces ice detection and protection systems, potable water systems, specialty composites and heaters and supplemental heating systems design.
Constellium
RAVENSWOOD
Constellium’s Ravenswood, WV, location is an aluminum manufacturing plant that produces plate, sheet and coil products for the aerospace, defense, transportation and marine industries. It is one of the world’s largest rolled products production facilities with 62 acres under roof on a 514-acre site, more than 900 employees and some the most powerful plate stretchers.
Custom Aerospace
MIDWAY
Custom Aerospace received AS9100 and ISO9001 certification in May 2020, which allows it to specialize in the machining and fabrication of components for the aerospace industry. The company also offers lubricant services to the aerospace industry and produces metal fabricators.
Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport
MARTINSBURG
The Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport (MRB) is the only airport authority in West Virginia that is also an air charter carrier, and it serves as a reliever for congestion at Dulles International Airport. It recently purchased an FBO and an executive hangar and is in the process of renovating the terminal and adding a self-serve pump for aviation gas. It is home to the longest, widest runway in West Virginia and the region; Bravo Flight Training, a new flight school; and the John D. Rockefeller IV Science and Technology Park. MRB hosts approximately 100 aircraft and 8 C-17 Air Force cargo jets and offers charter service through MRB Aviation.
Elkins-Randolph County Airport
ELKINS
Elkins-Randolph County Airport is a general aviation airport that boasts 35 hangars. During World War II, it was used as a U.S. Army Air Corps training base. Today, it boosts tourism in the community and is often used by utility companies and businesses.
Engine & Airframe Solutions Worldwide, LLC
BRIDGEPORT
Engine & Airframe Solutions Worldwide is a full-service Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-certified repair station that provides airframe, avionics, non-destructive testing and aircraft engine maintenance. Operating out of a 16,900-square-foot hangar, it caters to private and commercial aircraft owners by offering mobile repair teams.
Engine Management Specialist, LLC
BRIDGEPORT & CLARKSBURG
Engine Management Specialist offers turbine engine expertise, including overhaul, hot section inspection, major repairs, detailed engine borescope inspections/reviews, parts reselling, engine exchanges and outside brokerage sales of turbo-engines and aircraft.
Fairmont Municipal Airport
PLEASANT VALLEY
Fairmont Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport with a 2,970-foot runway. It currently houses 35 airplanes and is home to aircraft repair facility Flight MX, which specializes in annual 100-hour inspections, avionics upgrades and installations, engine installation and sheet metal repair.
Fairmont State University
FAIRMONT
Fairmont State University is the only four-year institution in the state that offers a bachelor’s degree in aviation technology with three options: aviation administration professional flight, aviation administration/management and aviation maintenance management. Its Aviation Center of Excellence is the only FAA-approved CFR Part 141 professional flight program in West Virginia.
FCX Systems
MORGANTOWN
FCX is the world’s leading manufacturer of solid-state frequency converters, ground power support and custom power conversion solutions for military, commercial, shore power and industrial applications, and every piece of equipment is designed, manufactured and tested from its Morgantown headquarters. FCX is ISO 9001:2008 certified.
Flexjet, LLC
MORGANTOWN
Flexjet is one of the world’s largest fractional private jet ownership providers in the world. It also includes N1, a maintenance and service branch.
FMW Rubber Products, Inc.
BRIDGEPORT
FMW Rubber Products manufactures GERS, a fuel transport and distribution system that provides a modular liquid logistics capability that can be outfitted to available cargo assets. The company’s Velcon VF-61 filter separator meets aviation fuel requirements, and its OS Series combination coalescer/separator cartridges filter dirt and remove water from jet fuel and avgas with a nominal 0.5-micron rating.
Grant County Airport
PETERSBURG
Grant County Airport is a general aviation airport with one runway and a U.S. Civil Air Patrol base. It is home to the privately owned Eastern Soaring Center, which provides glider flying lessons.
Greater Cumberland Regional Airport
WILEY FORD
Greater Cumberland Regional Airport serves as a transportation focal point for the tri-state region of Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It is also home to the Cumberland Soaring Group, which offers introductory flights in its five sailplanes, flight instruction and glider flying.
Greenbrier Valley Airport
LEWISBURG
Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB) is a full commercial service airport with United Airlines service to Washington Dulles and Chicago O’Hare. It is also a full-service general aviation airport that provides global access to The Greenbrier Resort. LWB currently has a $1.5 million taxiway infrastructure replacement project underway.
HQ Aero Management, Inc.
BRIDGEPORT
HQ Aero provides aviation personnel on a contract or direct hire basis with more than 150 employed aviation contractors, most of whom are trained and endorsed on a wide variety of aircraft and possess FAA or Transport Canada licenses.
Huntington Tri-State Airport
HUNTINGTON
Passenger airline service from Huntington Tri-State Airport (HTS) is provided by two major airlines, Allegiant Air and American Airlines, serving seven non-stop destinations and more than 300 connections. HTS also handles commercial airline, air cargo, military and general aviation traffic. A 2018 economic impact study found that in 2017, the airport was responsible for 1,275 jobs, $54.9 million in payroll and $108.4 million in output. The Tri-State Aeroplex, a 95-acre industrial and business park, is currently in the planning stages.
ICL Industrial Products
GALLIPOLIS FERRY
ICL Industrial Products’ West Virginia chemical plant manufactures several products used by the aerospace industry, including Fyrquel, a fire-resistant, synthetic, hydraulic fluid. ICL’s products have been used by NASA in equipment designed to train astronauts. The company also provides
Syn-O-Ad products, which are used in commercial and military aircraft.
Jackson County Airport
MILLWOOD
Jackson County Airport offers flight training, maintenance facilities, a pilot lounge, aerial tours, sightseeing, an automated weather observation service and Raven Air Aircraft rental and flight instruction to serve the general aviation community.
KCI Aviation
BRIDGEPORT
KCI Aviation has offered aviation maintenance and repairs at CKB for more than 60 years. Today, the company focuses on corporate airframes and turbine engines. It is home to a 22,500-square-foot hangar, 9,000 square feet of housing offices and an 18,000-square-foot warehouse/shop.
Level 1 Fasteners
HUNTINGTON
Level 1 Fasteners has approximately 90 employees who work to build certified specialty fasteners, including studs, screws, nuts and bolts, for the aerospace industry. The corrosion-resistant fasteners are created from specialty metals and are traceable, meaning if an aircraft fails, they can be traced to determine if they were the cause of the issue. Level 1 Fasteners is home to 250,000 square feet of manufacturing space.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
CLARKSBURG
Lockheed Martin is a worldwide global security, aerospace and IT company engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Clarksburg, WV, site is home to more than 95 employees who produce components such as cargo ramps, forward fuselages and leading edges of the wings that make up approximately 9% of each of the H and J models of the C-130 Hercules, a military transport aircraft.
Logan County Airport
LOGAN
Logan County airport is a general aviation airport and is used by the Fixed Wing Army National Guard for practice landings and takeoffs. It recently received a grant to repair its runway.
Marsh Bellofram Group of Companies
NEWELL
Marsh Bellofram produces mold gaskets for airplane cockpit windows and both pressure seals and moisture seals. All gaskets must meet a stringent material specification. It also manufactures closed-cell silicone sponge door gaskets for Hawker Beechcraft; sponge gasket material used to reduce squeak and rattle on aircraft interiors; and diaphragms used on the pistons/cylinders of landing gear, fuel pumps, environmental controls, wing flaps and rudders.
Marshall County Airport
MOUNDSVILLE
Marshall County Airport is primarily used for single-engine private aircraft and as a helicopter base. The 3,300-foot lighted runway easily accommodates its 15 based aircraft as well as a thriving medical helicopter transport service. It also provides a safe area for local West Virginia National Guard training and a triage center for rescue operations.
Marshall University
HUNTINGTON
Marshall University’s Division of Aviation, home of the Bill Noe Flight School, plans to offer a bachelor’s degree in commercial pilot-fixed wing beginning in the fall of 2021, pending FAA approval. It will be located at Yeager Airport, and construction of a hangar and classroom facility is underway. Also under development is an associate program in aviation maintenance, which will be located at HTS.
Mason County Airport
POINT PLEASANT
Mason County Airport is a general aviation airport with three full-time employees and 12 hangars.
Mercer County Airport
BLUEFIELD
Mercer County airport is a general aviation airport that is heavily involved in the community, promoting aviation at career days in local schools and inviting community members to take part in its annual car shows and air shows.
Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex
BRIDGEPORT
The Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex markets and promotes the aviation and aerospace sector at the North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB) to international aviation industrial clients and prospects while maintaining and expanding its existing world-renowned companies.
Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport
WILLIAMSTOWN
Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport (PKB) includes two runways, north and south ramp hangar areas and an industrial park. Its primary revenue source is corporate aviation, with 75% coming from non-local businesses. With the West Virginia Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility housing the state’s Counter Drug RAID Helicopter Detachment, the airport’s support role is critical in supporting state and federal law enforcement. PKB just repaved its primary runway with a length of 7,240 feet, which makes it the third longest in West Virginia.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries RJ Aviation Inc.
BRIDGEPORT
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is a global leader in engineering and manufacturing and delivers innovative solutions to the commercial aviation and aerospace industries. In May 2020, MHI acquired the maintenance, support, refurbishment, marketing and sales activities for the CRJ Series aircraft regional jet program at Bombardier’s West Virginia facility, which is operated under the MHI RJ Aviation Group.
Morgantown Municipal Airport
MORGANTOWN
Morgantown Municipal Airport is a corporate aviation and passenger service airport that also handles air traffic services for the health care industry. This fall, the airport began an estimated $50 million runway expansion.
North Central West Virginia Airport
BRIDGEPORT
CKB is a commercial airport located in the center of the East Coast flight path. It has the longest commercial runway in West Virginia and employs more than 3,000 people. The 2019 data showed CKB’s economic impact at $1.1 billion. The airport is planning for a new terminal building and 100-acre aerospace park development with a goal of reaching $2 billion in annual economic impact.
Northrop Grumman
ROCKET CENTER
Rocket Center, WV, is the site of a government installation known as Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL), part of the Naval Sea Systems Command, which is currently operated by Northrop Grumman. The ABL site designs, develops and manufactures tactical rocket motors, medium caliber ammunition, composite components and end items. The 1,628-acre facility researches, develops and tests solid propellants and motors for rockets, ammunition and armaments for the U.S. Navy.
NorthStar Technologies, LLC
BRIDGEPORT
NorthStar Technologies is an aviation service provider that offers airframe and power plant mechanics, engineering technical support, engine and aircraft brokering, turbofan and turboshaft engine part sales and specialization in the turbofan, turboshaft and turboprop powered aircraft.
Oerlikon Metco
BARBOURSVILLE
The Barboursville facility is one of three Oerlikon Metco locations in the U.S. The company’s clearance control and thermal barrier solutions increase jet engine fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. These coatings also protect turbines against oxidation, hot gas corrosion, erosion and wear; supply various critical engine components; and protect landing gear against wear and corrosion.
PCM Innovation
BRIDGEPORT
PCM Innovation designs and manufactures assembly lines, fixtures, molds for advanced composites and high-precision machined parts for the aviation, space and transportation industries worldwide.
Philippi-Barbour County Regional Airport
PHILIPPI
Philippi-Barbour County Regional Airport is a general aviation airport that serves the local and regional community with 12 hangar spaces.
Pierpont Community & Technical College
FAIRMONT
In the aviation maintenance technology associate degree program at Pierpont CTC, students learn to perform maintenance, remove and replace aircraft components and troubleshoot and repair a wide range of aircraft systems. This program qualifies students to take the FAA Part 147 airframe and powerplant certification examinations. The technical areas of study focus on mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and propulsion systems used on modern aircraft.
Pratt & Whitney Engine Services
BRIDGEPORT
Pratt & Whitney Engine Services in Bridgeport, WV, supports the needs of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s engine operators. In 2019, the site was upgraded to support ongoing maintenance, repair and overhaul of PW800 engines. Specifically, the site will service the market-leading PW814GA and PW815GA engines that power the Gulfstream G500 and G600 aircraft, respectively, with the capacity to expand its capabilities to other PW800 engine models in the future.
Raleigh County Memorial Airport
BEAVER
Raleigh County Memorial Airport is a commercial airport configured with two runways. It sits on approximately 1,500 acres with industrial parks on each side that have created more than 1,400 jobs. Construction will start soon on a fully funded $8.5 million project on the west side of the airport for 105 acres dedicated to the aerospace industry.
Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center
BRIDGEPORT
The Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center, a joint venture of Fairmont State University and Pierpont CTC, offers associate and bachelor’s degree programs in aviation technology and provides regional aerospace industrial training.
SMR Technologies, Inc.
FENWICK
SMR Technologies (SMR) specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of aircraft de-icers and specialty products. SMR manufactures a variety of aerospace and industrial parts, including fixed-wing and pop-out helicopter floats, button and zipper panels, fire- and smoke-blocking barriers, fire blankets, in-flight refueling, ditching dams and inflatable seals.
Special Metals
HUNTINGTON
The largest facility of its type in the world, Special Metals’ Huntington division offers a 130-acre operational footprint exclusively devoted to the development, production and sale of nickel alloys, many of which are used in the aerospace industry.
Star Technologies, LLC
HUNTINGTON
Star Technologies manufactures more than 2,500 different components for the aerospace industry, including brackets and precision clamping devices for jet engines. It is AS 9100D certified and compliant with ISO 14001 environmental standards and ships more than 2 million parts per year.
Summersville Airport
SUMMERSVILLE
Summersville Airport is a general aviation airport with three single-engine airplanes and one multi-engine airplane.
TK Innovation, Inc.
WHEELING
TK Innovation (TKI) manufactures laminated metal shim stock, which is used to fabricate custom shims that can be peeled layer by layer on-site to fit the precise measurement needed in aircraft. TKI also donates time and materials to the Warbirds of Glory Museum, which is undertaking a full restoration of a B-25J Sandbar Mitchell, and mentors youth on aviation maintenance and skill trades involved in aviation.
Touchstone Advanced Composites
TRIADELPHIA
Touchstone Advanced Composites builds the molds from which next-generation carbon fiber composite aircraft and rockets are made, which are used by virtually every major aircraft and rocket company in the U.S. Touchstone is equipped with a temperature-controlled machine shop with large five-axis milling machines, three autoclaves, a clean room, a steel fabrication capability and a large metrology facility.
Touchstone Research Laboratory, Ltd.
TRIADELPHIA
Touchstone Research Laboratory invents new materials and processes to produce next-generation aircraft and rockets. Currently under development is a thermal protection system to cover and protect rockets from lightning strikes. The world’s strongest aluminum is being applied to improve stiffness and reduce potential buckling of aircraft fuselage and rockets, and new composite processing techniques are being used for spacecraft.
Touchstone Testing Laboratory, Ltd.
MILLWOOD & TRIADELPHIA
Touchstone Testing Laboratory provides materials and structures primarily to the aerospace industry and operates two facilities in West Virginia. The Triadelphia facility can test every material on aircraft and spacecraft, from the metals, composite structural materials and high-temperature jet engine materials on airplanes to the thermal protection systems, rocket engine materials and even the windows on spacecraft. The Millwood facility provides a large volume of aircraft aluminum quality testing. With these two facilities, Touchstone Testing Laboratory is one of the largest private aerospace testing laboratories in the U.S.
Upshur County Regional Airport
BUCKHANNON
Upshur County Regional Airport is a general aviation airport. It will soon begin a fence clearing project, and crack repair and seal coating projects were recently completed on runways 11 and 29.
West Virginia Aeronautics Commission
CHARLESTON
The West Virginia Aeronautics Commission develops aeronautics and aeronautical activities in the state and administers a grant matching program for airport improvement projects to match federal funds. It has also partnered with the West Virginia University Extension Office’s Fire Service to provide firefighting, homeland security and emergency training to airport firefighters and mutual aid responders.
www.transportation.wv.gov/aeronautics
West Virginia University
MORGANTOWN
The master’s, doctoral and bachelor’s programs in aerospace engineering in West Virginia University’s (WVU) Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources prepare students for careers in numerous systems, including aircraft, watercraft, spacecraft, rockets, missiles, satellites, deep-diving vessels, fuel-efficient automobiles and high-speed trains. The program awards approximately 223 bachelor’s, 26 master’s and 11 doctoral degrees each year.
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
BECKLEY
The aerospace engineering program at WVU Tech provides a 2+2 program with WVU. Students can start as freshmen at WVU Tech in the mechanical engineering program, complete the courses in four semesters and transfer to WVU. For the aviation management program, students complete the majority of their initial flight training during their freshman year at FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, FL, while also taking online courses in aviation, business, marketing and communications from WVU Tech.
West Virginia University Potomac State College
KEYSER
WVU Potomac State College offers the first two years of a four-year aerospace engineering degree program, allowing students to complete course requirements in calculus, chemistry, physics, statistics, elementary differential equations, the modynamics and mechanics of materials. Typically, students earn their associate degree from WVU Potomac State College and transfer to WVU’s Morgantown campus to complete a bachelor’s degree to prepare for a career in the aerospace industry, government research, development centers and laboratories and military mission-oriented agencies.
Wheeling-Ohio County Airport
WHEELING
Wheeling-Ohio County Airport is a general aviation airport and is commonly used by the military, state law enforcement, business corporations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, medical evacuation companies, private pilots, student pilots, entertainers, members of
the oil and gas industry and West Virginia Wing Civil Air Patrol.
Wyoming County Airport
PINEVILLE
Wyoming County Airport is a general aviation airport regularly used by local coal and gas companies. With no landing fees, it brings people in from across the country. The airport is currently preparing for runway repairs to be completed by the FAA.
Yeager Airport
CHARLESTON
Yeager Airport is a commercial airport primarily used for business travel and as a military home base. It is currently working to extend runway 5/23 to 7,000 feet, which will give each end a 1,000-foot safety area. The post-security restaurant and gift shop are also being renovated. Yeager will be home to Marshall University’s Bill Noe Flight School, which is currently under construction. The school will include a 12,000-square-foot hangar, and classes are set to begin in the fall of 2021.
