AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2014 - R-4

TOP 10
REASONS
TO VISIT
ST. SIMONS
1

. SSI. Located centrally on the
island, Malcolm McKinnon Airport
offers big-town services with a
small-town feel.

. THE BEACH. St. Simons is an island
town, which means beaches! The
water temperature in November
averages 73 degrees. Popular
beaches include Massingale Park
and Coast Guard Station Beach.

. BBQ. It wouldn't be a trip to
Georgia without barbeque, and
St. Simons Island has Southern
Soul and Beachcomber, which
have been featured on the Food
Network. Southern Soul is within
walking distance of the airport.

. NATURE. Walking, biking,
kayaking, fishing, or water sports,
St. Simons offers it all. There's
wreck diving sites off the coast.

. WARBIRDS. EAA's B-17 Aluminum
Overcast complements a locally
based DC-3 for the event. Reserve
a ride on Aluminum Overcast
(www.eaa.org).

. HISTORY. Slave quarters and oaklined plantation drives; battle sites
between the colonists and the
Spanish; museums that document
the rich maritime history; and
significant churches are all in the
area.

. GOLF. One course for every 2,000
residents, including one that hosts
a PGA tour event.

. RESORTS. The island offers the
glamour of Sea Island Resort to
the off-the-grid experience of The
Lodge on Little St. Simons Island,
and everything in between.

. CHRIST CHURCH FREDERICA.
Methodist church founders
Charles and John Wesley started
the congregation at Christ
Church, and worship has been
continuous since 1736.

BEACH. Did we mention St.
Simons is an island town, with
beaches just a few short miles
from the airport?

R-4 | AOPA PILOT November 2014

A history of worship
Revered church is a joy to behold

WALKING DOWN THE STREET, it's easy to miss. Tucked back behind soaring oak
trees with their familiar Spanish moss, stands a modest white structure with a
small steeple that hides the beauty of its history and what lies inside.
Christ Church Frederica is a picture-perfect small-town church with a big
history. It may not be a towering European cathedral, but the little church is just
as magnificent. Methodist church founders Charles and John Wesley were dispatched from England in the early eighteenth century, where Charles served
Georgia founder James Oglethorpe. When Oglethorpe created Fort Frederica
on St. Simons Island, Wesley joined him and started a congregation that still
exists today.
The church was built in 1820, and stood only until the Civil War, when Union
troops nearly demolished it. It exists today in almost the exact state as when it
was rebuilt in 1884. Since there was an ample supply of skilled boat builders in
the area, the inside is modeled on a ship's hull. Some of the original church forms
at least a portion of the altar, and one of the beautiful stained glass windows is
an unsigned Tiffany.
Equally impressive to the church proper is the associated cemetery.
Gravestones dating back to 1796 are right outside the door, and soldiers on both
sides of famous campaigns abound.
If you want to follow in the footsteps of three U.S. presidents and worship,
the church offers services on Sunday mornings at 8 a.m., 9:15 a.m., and 11:15 a.m.
It's open for self-guided tours Tuesday through Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Malcolm McKinnon
Airport (SSI)
Location: 5 miles east of Brunswick,
Georgia
Pattern altitude: 820 msl light
aircraft; 1,020 msl nonturbine; 1,520
msl turbine aircraft
Runways: 16/34 3,313 feet by 75 feet;
4/22 5,584 feet by 100 feet

FLY-IN TIPS

* Flying along the beach makes for scenic view that everyone loves. The stretch
from Savannah south to St. Simons Island is
sparsely populated, which gives a wonderful
perspective of the Atlantic coast. The downside? The shoreline is always busy, so keep
your eyes outside.
* Malcolm McKinnon Airport (SSI) is on
the southern part of the island nestled in the
town. Because of that it can be hard to find.

Look a mile north of the island's southern tip
and you'll spot it.
* The wind is often blowing at SSI, but it
changes dramatically below the tree line.
Expect to use Runway 4/22 as the primary.
Both runways have large displaced threshold.
* Nearby Jekyll Island Airport (O9J) uses
a similar approach (Runway 18/36), so watch
for traffic arriving to the south. The frequency
there is 123.0.

http://www.eaa.org

AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2014