Posted: 1/20/2009 5:00:16 AM EDT
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I was riding over to a buddys house last week and saw some signs on the side of the road.
Tactial Shotgun Range Tactical Handgun Range Rifle Range Sniper Range Sounds like it will/is going to be a cool place and looks as if it will be open to the public. I will ride back over in a few days––-to a week, and take some pix. It is on the NW corner of the airport Maxton-Laurinburg Airbase Road/Hwy 1407 N34* 47.723 W79* 21.111 
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Maxton is a cool place. They do Bonneville type speed runs at the airport. Go for a mile or so, WFO.
http://www.ecta-lsr.com/ |
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Keep us informed on it. I may ride up there and check it out. I only live about 45 minutes from there and that would be better than the longer ride to Uwharrie. I use to go to maxton all the time (ECTA) but lost a close friend at Bonneville and decided I needed to re-think my life. Somewhere I have some aerial photos of the airport. BTW for those that don't know the airposrt use to be an airbase back during WW2 and is used by Golden Knights as a practice field for their jumps. ETA Aerial Pic. That area is on the other side of Airbase Road. There use to be a mobil home manufacturing on the left now it is use to salvage commerical airliners. ECTA uses that particular run way once a month it is 2.1 miles long. May see if GF is up to a ride up there today. If so will try and get some pics. 
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I was riding over to a buddys house last week and saw some signs on the side of the road. snip.. Sounds like it will/is going to be a cool place and looks as if it will be open to the public. snip... Its the military-oriented ranges that Gryphon Group announced. Fayetteville Observer, Decemeber 11, 2008 Laurinburg-Maxton airport lands jobs
By Jennifer Calhoun Staff writer MAXTON — A Florida-based combat-training company will open a facility at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport’s industrial site in July, bringing 50 to 70 jobs with it. The Laurinburg City Council and the Maxton Town Board unanimously approved a 20-year lease agreement Wednesday night, allowing Gryphon Group Security Solutions Inc. to locate its Fort Bragg Combat Training Center at the airport. Airport bylaws require the boards’ approval for new tenants. Gryphon Group specializes in training military personnel and federal agents for the psychological aspects of combat, said Michael Vaden, founder and chief executive officer of the 10-year-old company. Vaden said the company currently trains about 1,000 Fort Bragg soldiers and hundreds of Marines from Camp LeJeune. He thinks those numbers will double once the company expands its operations to the airport. Vaden said he had looked at other sites in the Cape Fear region, but that the airport location offered the perfect land for off-road vehicle training, as well as a supportive military community. Gryphon Group, Vaden said, will lease about 320 acres of airport property and about 20 acres of adjoining private land. The company plans to spend from $2 million to $2.2 million renovating a 36,000-square-foot building for an operations center and building more than 25 training ranges, including a 20-acre urban combat range, seven sniper ranges and tactical off-road driving ranges. Fort Bragg will be able to use the training ranges, as well, Vaden said. Gryphon Group anticipates paying the airport about $70,000 in rent between July and December 2008. By the fifth year, it will pay about $200,000 a year, said Paul Davis, executive director of the airport. The first few years of the lease give the company credits for making improvements to the property. In Florida, the company’s full-time jobs pay around $50,000, and part-time jobs pay about $15 an hour, Vaden said. Gryphon Group website with a video from my old buddy Gary "Mike" Jones. |
| I don't know if it is the same group or not, but someone over the last few years has been using the old runway for vehicle trainning. There is markings painted and sometimes you could see skids marks everywhere. Also Metior(sp) test truck and trailer brakes on the same run way. |
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Well hang up that idea. Why advertise with road signs if it is for federal employees only? So when military personnel drive over to use the ranges they've contracted to use they can find them? All the ranges at Fort Bragg have big signs on them like "Range 49 Machine Gun Field Fire". I'll try and remember to call / e-mail Gryphon & ask if the NC ranges will ever be open to the public. |
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I don't know if it is the same group or not, but someone over the last few years has been using the old runway for vehicle trainning. There is markings painted and sometimes you could see skids marks everywhere. Also Metior(sp) test truck and trailer brakes on the same run way. That'd be us, the Tarheel Sportscar Club doing autocrosses there. We usually have 4 events there a year. - Wes |