b'30 SGH OPERATIONSSpringfield-BeckleyMunicipal AttractsUnmanned Flight Testing BY JENNIFER DAACK WOOLSON In 1903, aviation first took flightUnmanned drones and electric verticalAt an Inflection Pointin Dayton, OH, under the wingstakeoff/landing (eVTOL) aircraft are justThe opportunity started in 2005, when the of an aircraft built by the Wrighttwo types of systems currently sharing theOhio Air National Guard (OANG) Bases Brothers. Who could have predicted thatairspace above SGH. And an $8.2 million178 thFighter Wing, which is stationed at more than 115 years later, the future ofproject is in the works to accommodateSGH, lost its F-16 training mission due to aviation would be taking off just 30 mileseven more innovation.the Base Realignment and Closure Act.from their hometown?Southwestern Ohio may seem anIn its place, the OANG was assigned an SpringfieldBeckley Municipal Airportunlikely spot for a testing site for advancedintelligence mission and a new remotely (SGH), located between Dayton andunmanned aircraft systems, but SGHspiloted mission, flying the MQ-1 Predator Columbus, has become one of the hottestlocation, infrastructure and relationships (drone). The Predators are flown remotely spots in the United States for testing andnot to mention its willingness to take a risk and controlled from SGH.flight of advanced air mobility aircraft.have helped harness a unique opportunity.May | June 2022AirportImprovement.com'