COLUMBIA, S.C. — If you've taken a trip through Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) recently, you may have noticed a gathering of fighter jets along the runway.
The F-16 Fighting Falcons to be specific, which are single seated and are able to fly up to twice the speed of sound, come by way of the South Carolina Air National Guard (SCANG).
The aircraft are calling the public airport home as renovations are being done at their home base, McEntire Joint National Guard Base.
The fighter jets main runway is being resurfaced.
Officials expect this to last for six months or until the end of October of this year.
Lieutenant Michael Ferrario works for the SC Air National Guard and he says that the temporary move closer to Columbia has had a huge impact on service men and women.
"We’re not driving two hours or spending a week on the road and coming home to see our families on the weekend so being able to operate out of here has been great."
He adds that the location in addition to the cost of moving to CAE made the decision easy.
According to Ferrario, it would have cost more money and man power to move operations to bases in Charleston or other airports.
"You combine the accessibility with some availability and it just made a great match."
The main unit of SCANG is the 169th Fighter Wing, also known as the 'Swamp Foxes'.
Their mission, according to their website it, "is to maintain wartime readiness and the ability to mobilize and deploy expeditiously to carry out tactical air missions or combat support activities in the event of a war or military emergency. More specifically, the wing specializes in the Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses. The SCANG operates as part of the Total Force of the U.S. military and is fully integrated with the active-duty Air Force to perform its military mission."
It goes on to say, "The SCANG’s state mission is to respond to the call of the Governor of South Carolina in the event of natural disaster or domestic disturbance."
Columbia Metropolitan also has facilities that have made it easy for workers to adapt according to Lieutenant Alyssa Hunting, the director of operations for aircraft maintenance.
"It's the best job ever. That's what I always tell people."
She adds that the Columbia area is unique because of the military support here.
"This affords us the opportunity to get in and talk with the local citizens, answer their questions, because there’s a lot of people that’re curious."
Michael Gula, the Executive Director at CAE expressed his excitement with the partnership today and says the fighter jets should have no impact on commercial flights out of or into CAE.
"We've wanted to have a partnership. The Midlands is very big in the military and we're very supportive of it."
If you're interested in watching the F-16s slice the air, Gula says you're welcome to watch from the cellphone waiting parking lot.