Not all air aprons need to be built to resist the jet fuel of a Boeing 747. In fact, the Beaver County Airport in Beaver Falls, PA primarily hosts historic military aircrafts that have been restored over the years.
Home of the Thunder Pig
Beaver County Airport is the home of Air Heritage Inc.’s Aviation Museum and restoration facility. In 1983, a group of aviation enthusiasts formed the Air Heritage of Western Pennsylvania, later becoming Air Heritage Inc. after a surge in membership. This organization set out to restore military aircrafts from the past, starting with an L-21B.
The facility is also home to the famous “Thunder Pig” C123K, an aircraft you may recognize from movies such as “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “American Made” with Tom Cruise.
See Air Heritage Inc.’s full list of aircrafts.
About the Project
When it came time to make sure that the apron at Beaver County Airport was in tip-top shape for museum visitors and the restoration teams, Lindy Paving, a nationally recognized paving company, was contracted to complete the project. Associated Asphalt was subcontracted to provide StellarFlex FR® to assure that the new asphalt surface would resist rutting and cracking as a result of jet fuel exposure.
The P-601 (now P-404) mix was processed at Lindy Paving’s Koppel, PA plant, beginning July 2019. 309 tons of hot mix was produced and laid at a 4 inch thickness.
If you find yourself near Beaver Falls, PA, we encourage you to visit Air Heritage Museum to see all of the hard work these aviation enthusiasts have put into preserving a piece of American history! You may spot some high-quality fuel-resistant asphalt while you’re there.