Benny Mallory began building a 600’-long dirt airstrip in the 1950s on a hillside in South Charleston, WV. In the decades afterward, he would build a General Aviation airport from which thousands of the best pilots on the planet have emerged. This is your chance to have your name become a permanent part of Mallory Airport (WV12), and to support the continuation of this unique and storied bastion of General Aviation.

So many folks loved Benny for everything that he did for General Aviation and his community. With Benny’s passing last year at the age of 91, a small, local group of pilots was able to purchase Mallory Airport with the intent of continuing to make aviation accessible to as many folks as possible and to revitalize a community treasure. But your help is needed to keep Benny’s legacy alive. Unfortunately, there’s been a lot of deferred maintenance at the airport over the years, and our goal is to start repairs so that flight instructors can begin training students again, helping to rebuild the ranks of local aviators. Flight instruction isn’t cheap, but Mallory Airport has always been able to produce the best pilots at a cost that’s typically less than most other flight schools. We want to be able to continue that tradition of excellence.

What’s even better is that the names of all donors of $20 or more will be prominently displayed on the wall at the airport. If you’re local, you’ll be able to come up and proudly see your name during one of our public events. And if you live outside the local area, you’ll know that your name is listed on the Wall of Honor at the airport, which could be a great excuse to fly into Mallory someday to check it out!

The various giving levels and categories are listed below:

$20-$49 Friend

$50-$99 Aeronaut

$100-$249 Flyer

$250-$499 Navigator

$500-$999 Aviator

$1,000-$2,499 Co-Pilot

$2,500-$4,999 Pilot

$5,000-$9,999 First Officer

$10,000-$19,999 Captain

$20,000+ Benjamin F. Mallory, Jr. Circle of Excellence

Your contributions will go towards the immediate projects that need to be addressed, such as making major repairs to the road up to the airport and rehabilitating the runway and taxiways. We don't receive any funding from tax revenues or government agencies, so every dollar raised helps. Thank you for helping to keep the dream of “Mudsuck International” alive!