A wonderful island airport is what you will find landing at the St. Simons Island Airport in the Golden Isles of Georgia. So climb in your airplane and head to KSSI. We assess every airport and the fixed base operator that we use at each airport by the same criteria (if we have a choice of FBOs or if they have an FBO).

We have flown into St. Simons Island in a Piper Cub, Cessna 150, Mooney, Piper Cherokee, Cessna 340, King Air and a Citation. The best part of this airport, is they treat you the same no matter what you fly.

McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport

If you want to visit any of the Golden Isles in Georgia, St. Simons Island Airport (KSSI) is the preferred general aviation airport. The Golden Isles are made up of four gorgeous barrier islands, St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Jekyll Island. The area has beautiful beaches, art galleries, museums, some quaint bed and breakfasts and golf.  This is perfect for couples or a family get away, with something to do for everyone.  

For us, it is one of our favorite lunch spots on a free afternoon or just to stop on our way from one location to another, because when you fly your own plane, you can. The flight over lowcountry with a view of the snaking waterways and the sun glistening off the water is a beautiful scene everyone should witness.  

There is no need to deal with the busy airspace and the distance to Savannah (KSAV) or the commercial traffic at Brunswick (KBQK), when you can arrive by general aviation airplane at St. Simons. The official name of the airport is McKinnon-St. Simons Island, also called St. Simons Airport at McKinnon Field.  The only fixed base operator is Golden Isles Aviation.  

Now if you want to stop at small airport with no services except self serve fuel, you can always go to Jekyll Island (09J).

Runway at St. Simons Airport

Condition

The runway is in excellent condition; long, smooth and two options for take off/landing. The primary runway is 04-22 and is 5,584 feet long, so you have plenty of runway. The crosswind runway 16-34 is 3,300 feet long. 

Hazards

There are no hazards present. 6-34 at 3300 feet is too short for the jets and most turboprops. When you land on 16-34, pay attention to departing traffic on 4-22 because you cannot see the departure end of runway 4 from the departure end of 34.

Controllers

We have gone in and out of St. Simons Airport quite a few times. We have never had any issues with controllers. The controllers are Jacksonville approach and they are usually on top of things. 

Controlled or Uncontrolled Field

The field is uncontrolled. If you happen to have traffic landing, you just have to wait a few minutes.  St. Simons Island Airport get a good bit of jet traffic and they fly big patterns compared to us little guys. Even on the busiest days, the wait in minimal.  

Ramp at St. Simons Island Airport

Condition

The ramp is in excellent condition.  It is well maintained and free of debris.

Security

The airport is fenced. It is not airline served so the security is minimal.  They have cameras up, so your airplane is safe. The entrance to the field is through the fixed base operator (FBO).  

Parking

They a large ramp with plenty of parking, even when the jets show up.  They park the small planes near the self serve pumps and out of the way of the jet blasts.

Chocks

The line crew handles the chocking, right after they are park you. The line crew here is great. Always friendly and waiting on your fuel order before you get out of the plane.

Now if you radio that you are going to self serve fuel, the line crew does not show up with chocks.

Tie downs/Ropes

Some spots have tie downs and some do not. You can request a tie down if you are staying overnight. The tie down areas are clean and easily accessible. The line crew handles tying down your plane and provides the ropes, so there is no need to go looking for a decent rope.   

If you go to self serve fuel and then want to park your plane, then you absolutely can.  Some of the tie down spots in front of the self serve have ropes, so if you need them, park where there are rope.  If you have your own, the ties down spots we have use are in good shape and there is no digging through the dirt to pull your rope through.

Golden Isles Aviation at St. Simon Island Airport

Service

The fixed base operator is Golden Isles Aviation.  

Friendly

The line crew is very friendly and welcomes you. I wondered if we would be treated differently flying an odd tail number.  My pilot flys different planes into this airport periodically. Even with a new tail number, the service is great.  

The customer service representatives treat the small planes the same way they treat the jets.  No matter whether we land in our Mooney, Cherokee or little Cessna 150 for a few gallons of gas or we land in a King Air or Citation, the service is the same. They treat the little piston planes with the same level of service they give to the parade of business jets and turboprops that transit the ramp all day. 

Between personal and business flights, we have probably landed twenty times in the last year and never had a bad experience. 

Helpful 

The line crew arrives to park you and take care of every need you have on the ramp. There is good communication for fuel delivery and the tanks are topped by your planned departure time.  

The line crew is National Air Transporation Association Safety First trained.

The customer service representatives are extremely helpful. They will give you a list of restaurants and give you personal recommendations.  We love the recommendations for the local places rather than the typical tourist stops.    

Prompt

The line crew arrives immediately to park you and has you chocked before you step out of the plane.  If you need a ride to the FBO, a golf cart will be there before you can ask twice. 

Fuel at St. Simons Island Airport

Full Service or Self Service

St. Simons Island Airport offers self serve and full service.  The price for self serve is a little cheaper, as expected.  

Ease of access 

For full service, the line crew brings the truck to you.  The self service is easy to get too. Self serve fuel is to the east of the terminal, about 150 yards away, past the end of the hotel.

Card reader/Payment processing 

The self service pump has a card reader with electricity and fast internet.  (I love the older ones where we hear the dial up.  I keep waiting for someone to say, ‘you’ve got mail”.)  

In the FBO the electronic card reader is up to date and fast.  

Condition of pumps 

The fuel truck is pretty new and in good shape. 

The self serve pump is an older system with a mechanical meter where the numbers flip based on the price and number of gallons purchased. The positive to the mechanical pumps is that you can read the numbers even when the sun is shining directly on the pump. There is a rotary switch to turn the pump off and on. 

The self serve system is not one of the new digital pumps and it doesn’t remember your tail number, but it operates just fine for a fuel purchase. 

Lighting  

There is good lighting at the self serve pump so you can see to pump gas in the dark. The ramp is well lit for the fuel truck, so no issues there.  

Facilities at St. Simons Island Airport-Golden Isles Aviation

Clean 

The FBO is clean and well cared for.  Everything is in good shape.

Accessible 

The entrance is well marked from the street and the ramp side. There is a hotel next door but you can tell the difference.  The building is obviously an FBO and you do not have look for the door for entry.

The walk to the entrance from the self serve pumps is about 150 yards.  For some people that is just far enough to stretch your legs, for others it is a haul.  Luckily, they have golf carts and you can hitch a ride with no problem at all.

WiFi 

Wife is fast and free.   

Comfort 

The theme at St. Simons Airport is aviation and golf. There is a display case with golf memorabilia and a Baby Great Lakes bi-plane hanging from the ceiling. The lobby has big comfy chairs in front a fire place. The gas fireplace is on during the winter months and the location is the perfect place to relax.  The large windows give you a great view of the ramp or you can sit in the rocking chairs on porch if you prefer to stay outside.

The pilot’s lounge has reclining chairs and a big screen television. There is also a snooze room where you can catch nap.

Flight Planning 

There is a designated flight planning area with newer computers, printers and telephones.  

Ground Transportation at St. Simons Island Airport

Crew Cars

There is an upgrade to the crew car.  They had an older Explorer with a million miles on it, but it ran great.  The Explorer is officially retired and now they have newer sedans.  

There is no paperwork to fill out and no exchange of license or insurance information. The process is like borrowing one of your buddy’s cars to run a quick errand.  

We flew in for ten gallons in our Cub. (The Cub only holds twelve gallons total.) We were handed the keys to the crew car like we were buying a hundred gallons. 

Rental Service

There is a staffed Hertz and Avis booth in the FBO.   

They also have a Sea Island Transport, a limousine service and another car service available.

Uber/Lyft 

Both apps say they offer services but we always get a crew car.

Food at St. Simons Island Airport

Restaurant/Delivery options

There is a list of restaurants you can visit with a crew car. One of favorite lunch spots is Gnats Landing. The salmon, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich is this pilot’s favorite.

For the gluten free co-pilot, Gnats Landing has some great salads. The staff is not very knowledgeable of the gluten free lifestyle. However, the waitress at Gnat’s Landing was more than happy to get the information I needed to order and willing to make the substitutions necessary for my gluten allergy.

If you are not up for driving or do not have the time to explore the lunch options, you can walk to Southern Soul BBQ, which has been featured twice on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. 

If you prefer catering, there is an option for that just across the road.  

Vending Machines

There are vending machines with the usual food snacks.  The drink vending machine has water, soda and energy drinks.

Free Snacks

There are no free snacks here, but with the food options, you will not go hungry.  

Ice

Bagged ice is available. It is in the freezer in the kitchen.  

Coffee

There is a Keurig on the counter with the basics. They have pump creamer, which is a definite step above the powered stuff.

Water

If you ask, a bottle of water will provided. There is no refillable water station for those of us that carry around our reusable bottles. There is a sink in the kitchen and   

Other

They also have a kitchen area with seating.

Bathrooms at St. Simons Island Airport

Clean 

The restrooms are neat and well maintained.  The lighting is good.  

Spacious 

The men’s restroom is above average size per my pilot.  The women’s restroom is comfortable and typical size for good FBO.  

Stocked 

So both restrooms are stocked with the basics including mouthwash.  They have some of the extras but they do not go all out like some of the other FBOs. This FBO has other amenities that more than make up for it.   

Showers 

They have showers should you need one.

Smell 

The bathroom had a deodorizer smell.  Nothing to overpowering and nothing offensive.   

Fees at St. Simons Island Airport

Ramp

The landing fees are waived with a fuel purchase.  Awesome tidbit – there are no minimums, which comes in handy when you show up in Cub that only needs ten gallons.  

Hangar

Hangar space is available.  They will put you in a hangar overnight if requested.  With the salt air, overnight hangar can be an advantage.

Fuel

Fuel is not the cheapest but worth every penny for such nice facilities and service. The self serve is usually about 50￠cheaper than full service.  If you plan on using the crew car for lunch, the full service fuel is the way to go.  

Additional/Surprise fees

No surprise fees here!  That is another bonus to this island airport.

Other Services at St. Simons Island Airport

Maintenance 

We have never needed maintenance at St. Simons Island. However, there is maintenance on the field not too far from the FBO.  Maintenance is nice to have for the unexpected flat tire or dead battery.  

Pilot Store 

I would not call it a pilot store but there is a glass cabinet with aviation items.  They do carry the basics likes charts and books.  They also have some cute aviation things as well as t-shirts and keyrings.  

Other 

Since golf is a big draw for the Golden Isles, there is a putting green at the airport.  Seriously.  What better way to pass the time while waiting on fuel or your charts to download, than some time on the putting green.

Anything really cool at St. Simons Island Airport

There is a Home 2 Suites by Hilton attached to the FBO, making it a super convenient overnight stop. You can see your airplane parked on the tie down from the window of your room.

If you do not want to stay the night but spending some time there, pilots have use of the hotel’s swimming pool and fitness center.  

An overnight at St. Simons is comfortable and easy. If you are traveling with your furry companion, they have pet friendly rooms.  We have not made use of the pool, but it literally in next door to the FBO and in view of the tarmac. 

If you want to play golf while you are there, talk to the customer service representatives as they offer pilot rates for golf at the King and Prince Golf Club.

If you visit St. Simons Island Airport

If you visit, let us know!  If something has changed since our trip, let us know.  If you had a different experience, we want to hear about it. If we need to go back and check out something else there.  Email us.

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