A farmer’s pasture, a 5,500-foot runway, and a professor’s encouragement to dream big. The Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport – which originated, according to local history, in a farmer’s pasture nearly 110 years ago – is now able to accommodate most corporate jets with its 2020 runway expansion. But what if that included commercial air travel?
Heinrich Schnoedt, associate professor in Architecture within the College of Architecture and Urban Studies’ School of Architecture + Design, challenged students to design a facility for a future of commercial passenger travel at the Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport.
The airport is located adjacent to Virginia Tech on Research Center Drive, steps away from the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center and minutes from the Blacksburg campus. It facilitates a number of business activities, including aerial inspections, photography, surveying, agricultural spraying, emergency medical aviation, and flight training. It also serves as a gateway for business and political leaders, law enforcement, public charters, Virginia Tech Athletics, recreational flying, and rescue flights.
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About the Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport
The Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport is a public airfield with Authority members representing Montgomery County, The Towns of Christiansburg & Blacksburg, and Virginia Tech.
The answer is simple. Convenience. By using the Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport (VTMEA) you are able to immediately access Southwest Virginia’s finest education, business and outdoor resources.
Arrive and walk across the street to Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center, or visit Virginia Tech, a two-minute car ride away. If sports are your interest, the Airport’s centralized location provides easy access to the New River Valley’s challenging golf courses and countless fishing spots. Hunting, hiking, mountain biking, and water sports are also favorites in the Valley. Or, take advantage of the shuttle provided to Airport customers during football games and cheer for the HOKIES.
The Airport is located in The Town of Blacksburg, which was recently voted one of the top fifteen towns in the US in which to live by Outdoor Magazine. We’re at the center of Montgomery County, whose mantra is “Just Naturally Good for Business”. Our front door is just minutes from Interstate 81, which bisects the County.
Just three miles south of the Airport is the Town of Christiansburg, the commercial center of the region. Recent growth has allowed many national retail, restaurant, and hotel chains to move into the area. Whatever the reason for your visit, business or pleasure, using VTMEA will allow you more time to visit and less time in travel.