Corporate Hangars
09/05/07

Two new corporate hangars were recently constructed at AYS to provide additional space to house large corporate aircraft.

New T-Hangars
09/05/07

Twenty-four new T-hangars were recently constructed at AYS to provide additional space for pilots to house their aircraft.

Ware County 3rd Graders Visit Airport
09/20/07

Third grade students listen as an airport official teaches them about the Waycross Ware - County Airport (AYS).

3rd Graders See Gyrocopter Demonstration
09/20/07

Retired Air Force pilot and gyrocopter owner Jerry Tiahrt demonstrated the capabilities of his experimetal aircraft for Ware County third graders during a recent field trip to the Waycross Ware - County Airport (AYS).

101st Airborne Visits Ware County
12/10/07

It wasn't a scheduled stop, but the 101st Aviation Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, KY visited Waycross-Ware County Airport (KAYS) in December in route to Afghanistan. Inclement weather forced the battalion of 24 Apache Helicopters and 1 Blackhawk to stop short of their seaport destination near Jacksonville, FL.

Airport officials quickly rounded up transportation to get the 50+ stranded soldiers to town for food and lodging. While the soldiers expressed gratitude for the assistance, local officials thanked them for their tireless contributions to our country.

We wish them safety and success on their year long deployment.

RedStar Pilots Visit Ware
01/28/08

Ware County residents got a special treat January 24th - 27th as more than 50 aircraft from the RedStar Pilot’s Association (RPA) came to the Waycross-Ware County Airport (AYS) for their winter training.

As stated by their Website, the RPA is a Precision Warbird Mass Formation Display Team that consists of several teams across the United States, staffed by FAA qualified warbird formation pilots that have been trained and evaluated to the standards of the RPA, a member of the National FAA Formation and Safety Team (FAST). A Federal Non Profit 501(c)(3), RPA connects air shows with its teams from California to Maine and in to Canada.

According to RedStar pilot and event organizer Shane Golden, the RedStar pilots visit Ware County to conduct winter training prior to the open of the air show season in March. The pilots receive training in formation flying, aerobatics, safety, maintenance, and more. The aircraft RPA pilots train in mostly include such radial engine planes as the Nanchang CJ-6, Yak 52/50, along with L-39/29 jets, all of which are foreign made.

“This is a great event, and we always enjoy having the RedStars visit our community,” stated Ware County Manager Gail Boyd

Though the visit was not for the purpose of an air show, the public was invited to watch the aerial demonstrations at no charge.

The RPA is a recognized leader in the FAA civil formation credential program and author of the National Formation Training Manual and manages the RedStars Mass Formation Program. The organization has fielded some of the largest such demonstrations from Oshkosh to Sun n’ Fun, and all sized air shows in between. Teams range from 5 aircraft to 25, and shows generally include multiple passes in front of the audience in varied military formation configurations and generally include opposing solo and opposing team maneuvers that are unique to the RedStars performance. These demonstrations are non-aerobatic and display the precision flying capabilities of RPA formation qualified pilots.

Approximately 40 aircraft, including two jets, made the trip to AYS and a section of airspace known as an aerobatic practice box was sectioned off for their arrival. It was thrilling weekend for local aviation enthusiasts and spectators.