The volume of airplane activity at the University-Oxford Airport is impacted during home football weekends in Oxford, according to the manager of the facility at 1 Airport Road.
In comparison to a non-football weekend, which usually brings in about ten to 15 planes, the University-Oxford Airport sees an approximate 70 percent increase in planes during home football weekends, most notably during Southeastern Conference games.
“Depending on the size of jets that come in, we can have anywhere from 35 to 50 planes parked on the ramp,” said Mac McManus, manager of the University-Oxford Airport.
Planes typically fly in for the weekend on Thursdays and fill up the parking ramp by Friday afternoon.
In an effort to create more space for planes to park, McManus said he would like to add another ramp on the east end of the taxiway where there is currently space available.
“We do have plans, if we can get the funding from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), to have another ramp built,” he said.
All projects that are applied for every year from the University-Oxford Airport rely upon Federal Aviation Administration funding.
“We do not have a very big ramp,” McManus said. “It looks like we do, but it fills up very quick.”
For the recent home football game against the University of Tennessee, the University-Oxford Airport had reached its full capacity for jets and had to notify pilots who were flying into Oxford that they were only allowed to drop off passengers and had to park at a nearby airport.
“Once we fill up, we have to post what they call a NOTAM,” McManus said. “When the pilot is filling out their flight plan, they’ll receive a notice that says ‘UOX ramp’s full, drop and go only.’”
Although the University-Oxford Airport consists of 262 acres, space is limited with only one runway and one ramp for jets as well as grass parking for single and twin engine planes, weather permitting.
In turn, parking is based on a first come, first served basis. The University-Oxford Airport has special event fees for gameday weekend parking that is a set price depending on the size of the aircraft for any amount of days the aircraft is parked, which is typically Friday to Sunday.
Single engine pistons are $35, twin engine pistons are $50, helicopters are $50, turbo prop aircrafts are $120, jet aircrafts are $180, Gulfstream IV and V are $450 and Global Express jets are also $450.
During a gameday weekend, the airport will house anything from single and double engine pistons to a variety of jets including Beechcraft King Airs, Gulfstreams, Hawkers and Learjets.
Due to the size of the jets, McManus and his staff must park the aircraft in a specific pattern to ensure safety in order for them to fit the ramp.
“We do two rows on our ramp,” he said. “We park half with the airplane nose pointed south, and the other half with the airplane nose pointed north.”
Southern Airways Express, which is a commuter airline out of Memphis, has had to adapt to the appeal for those wanting to travel to Oxford as well.
Currently on a standard weekend, Southern Airways Express has two flights from Atlanta and Destin, Florida that fly into Oxford on Friday and leave on Sunday. With the increasing need during football season, Southern Airways Express has had to add an additional flight.
“We now have an extra flight that leaves from Destin on Saturday and arrives in Oxford two hours before the game starts,” said Keith Sisson, chief operating officer of Southern Airways Express.
Once the game is concluded, the flight then leaves Oxford once all passengers are able to make their way back to the airport and ready to board, no matter the time of day or night.
With a high demand for travel and lodging, Sisson said flying out the same day provides convenience, so that passengers do not have to go through the trouble of booking at hotel for the night.
With many other parties flying in and out simultaneously, McManus prides his staff on the work they do, making sure each plane is taken care of at all times.
During football games, the University-Oxford Airport staff works around the clock. McManus said fuel orders must be submitted by halftime and that thousands of gallons are used during Southeastern Conference games compared to a non-gameday weekend.
Line Technician James Campbell has worked at the University-Oxford Airport for ten years and said he has never run into any major issues besides a few close calls when parking planes.
“We have not had any accidents on the ramp since I have been here,” he said.
Safety and being cautious is key because colliding the wings or even just a little knick could cost a lot of money, Campbell said.
With another ramp, McManus said extra space would provide not only more room for parking but also help prevent potential accidents from happening.
He is hoping that next year, the Federal Aviation Administration will accept the parking ramp project and provide funding for the dirt work, so the ramp can be completed in 2016.
