KAIK · Tournament week
Our busiest week on the ramp — traditionally the first full week of April.
Augusta National has not announced next year's dates yet. The moment they do, this page updates automatically — real dates, and open reservations. Until then, here is what tournament week looks like here, and how to reach us.
Aiken Aviation is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Augusta National Golf Club or the Masters Tournament. We provide aircraft handling and ground services at Aiken Regional Airport. We do not sell, source, or obtain tournament tickets or badges.
What to expect on the ramp
Normally non-towered. A temporary FAA-recognised tower operates during tournament week only. Beyond that, tournament week runs on the same services we offer year-round — just more of them, at once.
Reserved ramp space
Held for you when you reserve ahead. The ramp genuinely fills this week — reserve early.
Full-service fuel
Jet A and 100LL, with quick turns handled the same as any other week.
Ground transportation
Rental cars and a courtesy crew car, subject to availability — same as always, in higher demand.
Catering
Ordered through our usual local partners. Last-minute is not a problem.
A temporary tower
The field is normally non-towered. A temporary FAA-recognised tower operates for the event only.
A straight answer
If we can't fit you, we will tell you that directly rather than let you find out on the ramp.
Temporary tower frequencies
The FAA publishes the temporary tower's frequencies before each tournament, in its sporting-event notice. We link to that notice rather than hosting a copy, because a frequency from a past year shown as current is exactly the kind of stale data this rebuild exists to remove. Current FAA sporting-event notices.
Distance, and who else is closer
We are not the closest field to the course, and we are not going to pretend otherwise — the table below marks our row honestly. Our argument is congestion and access, not proximity: the fields nearest the course fill first and stay busiest.
| Field | Distance | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Field (KDNL) | 4.4 mi | The closest field to the course, and the first to fill. |
| Augusta Regional (KAGS) | 11.6 mi | The commercial field. Airline traffic has priority. |
| Aiken Regional (KAIK)Us | 25 mi | About thirty minutes on I-20, and the traffic moves. |
| Thomson-McDuffie (KHQU) | 33 mi | Further west. |
Distances are approximate and city-centre-based. Deliberately rounded — quoting a drive time to the tenth of a mile is a precision that tournament traffic will immediately make a liar of.
Official sources
- FAA sporting-event notices
The evergreen index the FAA publishes airspace procedures to before each tournament.
- TFRs
tfr.faa.gov — check for active temporary flight restrictions.
- Preflight briefing
1800wxbrief.com — file a briefing or flight plan.
Tell us your plans for tournament week.
Reserve now, or call — we would rather talk to you anyway.