New London Airport (FAA LID: W90) is a public-use airport located six miles (10 km) southwest of the central business district of Forest, a town in Bedford County, Virginia, United States.
In 2015, Liberty University purchased the 133-acre New London Airport, so students in the School of Aeronautics could practice approaches, takeoffs and landings away from Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH). The sale guaranteed that drag racing could continue in 2016, and the university decided that it was a compatible use with a flight school and airport operations. The family-owned motorsports business finally stopped organizing the drag races after the 2017 season.
The decision to end drag racing was financial; insurance costs became too high. The motorsports company and the university had no problems sharing that facility. A Liberty University spokesperson commented on how the end of the races would increase the university's flexibility for training new pilots aircraft based at this airport.
The university purchased more land, and in 2019 requested Bedford County to rezone 468 acres from AP (Agricultural Rural Preserve district) to A (Airport district). The proposal to authorize and expand the non-conforming use was controversial in Bedford County.
Residents opposed creating a zoning district with few restrictions on uses, and highlighted the failure of Liberty University to adopt a long-term master plan for the airport which the public could review. A pattern of non-public communications between county officials and Liberty University officials created distrust about the proposal and a sense that the school was asking for a special deal to expand beyond the 133 acres of New London Airport.
The Bedford County Planning Commission rejected the proposal to create an Airport district in late 2019. County officials declared in 2020 that the university could not request both enlargement of the runway ("usage expansion") and construction of new buildings ("structure expansion"). The airport was a non-conforming use in the Agricultural Rural Preserve district, and could only expand in one form by 50%.
Later in 2020, the school asked the Board of Zoning Appeals to overrule the Zoning Administrator's rejection of its request to authorize expansion of aviation facilities. After that board supported the Zoning Administrator, the university asked a circuit court judge to determine its ruling was inadequately justified. The judge denied that request in 2021.
Airport Information
FAA Identifier: W90
Lat/Long: 37-16-18.2200N 079-20-09.2400W
37-16.303667N 079-20.154000W
37.2717278,-79.3359000
(estimated)
Elevation: 842 ft. / 256.6 m (surveyed)
Variation: 09W (2010)
From city: 6 miles SW of FOREST, VA
Time zone: UTC -4 (UTC -5 during Standard Time)
Zip code: 24550
Runway Information
Runway 18/36
Dimensions: 3164 x 40 ft. / 964 x 12 m
Surface: asphalt, in fair condition
Operational restrictions: RWY 18/36 CLSD DAILY SS-SR.
RUNWAY 18 RUNWAY 36
Latitude: 37-16.557333N 37-16.050167N
Longitude: 079-20.230000W 079-20.078000W
Elevation: 842.0 ft. 770.0 ft.
Traffic pattern: left left
Runway heading: 176 magnetic, 167 true 356 magnetic, 347 true
Displaced threshold: 115 ft. no
Markings: basic, in fair condition basic, in fair condition
Touchdown point: yes, no lights yes, no lights
Obstructions: 23 ft. pole, 654 ft. from runway, 62 ft. left of centerline, 19:1 slope to clear
APCH RATIO 8:1 TO DSPLCD THLD. 116 ft. trees, 2345 ft. from runway, 63 ft. right of centerline, 18:1 slope to clear
In 2015, Liberty University purchased the 133-acre New London Airport, so students in the School of Aeronautics could practice approaches, takeoffs and landings away from Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH). The sale guaranteed that drag racing could continue in 2016, and the university decided that it was a compatible use with a flight school and airport operations. The family-owned motorsports business finally stopped organizing the drag races after the 2017 season.
The decision to end drag racing was financial; insurance costs became too high. The motorsports company and the university had no problems sharing that facility. A Liberty University spokesperson commented on how the end of the races would increase the university's flexibility for training new pilots aircraft based at this airport.
The university purchased more land, and in 2019 requested Bedford County to rezone 468 acres from AP (Agricultural Rural Preserve district) to A (Airport district). The proposal to authorize and expand the non-conforming use was controversial in Bedford County.
Residents opposed creating a zoning district with few restrictions on uses, and highlighted the failure of Liberty University to adopt a long-term master plan for the airport which the public could review. A pattern of non-public communications between county officials and Liberty University officials created distrust about the proposal and a sense that the school was asking for a special deal to expand beyond the 133 acres of New London Airport.
The Bedford County Planning Commission rejected the proposal to create an Airport district in late 2019. County officials declared in 2020 that the university could not request both enlargement of the runway ("usage expansion") and construction of new buildings ("structure expansion"). The airport was a non-conforming use in the Agricultural Rural Preserve district, and could only expand in one form by 50%.
Later in 2020, the school asked the Board of Zoning Appeals to overrule the Zoning Administrator's rejection of its request to authorize expansion of aviation facilities. After that board supported the Zoning Administrator, the university asked a circuit court judge to determine its ruling was inadequately justified. The judge denied that request in 2021.
Airport Information
FAA Identifier: W90
Lat/Long: 37-16-18.2200N 079-20-09.2400W
37-16.303667N 079-20.154000W
37.2717278,-79.3359000
(estimated)
Elevation: 842 ft. / 256.6 m (surveyed)
Variation: 09W (2010)
From city: 6 miles SW of FOREST, VA
Time zone: UTC -4 (UTC -5 during Standard Time)
Zip code: 24550
Runway Information
Runway 18/36
Dimensions: 3164 x 40 ft. / 964 x 12 m
Surface: asphalt, in fair condition
Operational restrictions: RWY 18/36 CLSD DAILY SS-SR.
RUNWAY 18 RUNWAY 36
Latitude: 37-16.557333N 37-16.050167N
Longitude: 079-20.230000W 079-20.078000W
Elevation: 842.0 ft. 770.0 ft.
Traffic pattern: left left
Runway heading: 176 magnetic, 167 true 356 magnetic, 347 true
Displaced threshold: 115 ft. no
Markings: basic, in fair condition basic, in fair condition
Touchdown point: yes, no lights yes, no lights
Obstructions: 23 ft. pole, 654 ft. from runway, 62 ft. left of centerline, 19:1 slope to clear
APCH RATIO 8:1 TO DSPLCD THLD. 116 ft. trees, 2345 ft. from runway, 63 ft. right of centerline, 18:1 slope to clear
