It's not unusual for pilots using Gastonia Municipal Airport to land on the far side of the airstrip to avoid puddles during bad weather.

Or to get dented propellers repaired after kicking up gravel.

The problems are more a nuisance than a safety concern, but pilots are happy the runway will soon be repaired, said pilot Dewey Jenkins, 60, of Bessemer City.

Jenkins started flying in 1963, when his former boss needed someone who would fly him to prime fishing spots. He had a smooth runway back then -- it was resurfaced in 1962 and again in 1982.

The asphalt lasts about 15 to 20 years, said airport supervisor Richard Duffie.

"It's past its life expectancy," he said. "We're not at the point where it's a safety issue, but it's heading in that direction."

The airport averages about 15 flights daily.

A Rutherfordton-based company will soon start smoothing out cracks on the 3,750-foot runway and raise it slightly so water flows down the sides, but city officials don't have an exact start date. The airport will close for about a month, and pilots meanwhile can use airports in Shelby, Lincolnton, Charlotte or Rock Hill, S.C., Duffie said.

APAC Atlantic will receive almost $1 million in a federal aviation grant to complete the project, he said.

For Jenkins, the new runway will mean a smoother start to vacations. Driving to Orlando or the Outer Banks for a two-day break, he said, is not realistic.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press