West Virginia FBO Pounces on Tiger Facility

Aero-Smith, the long-time FBO at Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport (MRB) in Martinsburg, W.Va., has taken over the former Tiger Aircraft manufacturing facility, which had been vacant since Tiger ceased operations in 2007. The main structure of the reopened 60,000-sq-ft Tiger facility will be used as a community hangar to accommodate light twin and singles and house the flight school and administrative offices. In addition, the new space will be available for other businesses to provide avionics and engine repair, interior renovations and related services. Aero-Smith, the lone aviation services provider on the field, will continue to provide aircraft maintenance from its original location.

Tiger Aircraft completed construction of its plant in 2001 and aircraft assembly began in 2003. At nearly the same time, Sino-Swearingen began building its SJ30 small business jet in a nearby building co-located on the field. Manufacturing activity was strong until 2007 when the national economy in general and aviation in particular suffered a serious recession. During the ensuing seven years, both Tiger and Sino-Swearingen ceased operations and the buildings sat unoccupied for several years.

MRB is located just outside the restricted Washington, D.C. Special Flight Rules Area and has a control tower, 8,800-foot grooved asphalt runway, designated practice area and many approaches for IFR training.