This color documentary film from circa 1964 features real people, places, and events in the telling of the story, “The Best Investment We Ever Made!” — and encouraging viewers to build airports in their community. As a small airplane takes off from a landing strip, narrator Arthur Godfrey tells the audience how businesses are beginning to relocate from major metropolitan areas to rural areas. In 1962, 9 out of 10 factories were being built in small communities, which has led to an increase in business traveling. At mark 01:44, we’re taken to Dillon County, South Carolina, in the eastern part of the state and the Dillon County Airport as the aircraft comes in for a landing. “If you were to ask anyone in these parts, particularly the businessmen, you’d find they all agree that it’s just about the most valuable land in the whole county,” Godfrey explains at mark 01:55.
The mayor of Dillon and a member of the town’s Chamber of Commerce are shown meeting with an out of town business executive to discuss potential sites for a new business in the small town, as Godfrey explains other benefits in the town including “good roads” and utilities. As they drive down busy Route 301 through the center of town, we cut to a variety of scenes (starting at mark 04:00) that spotlights the town’s greatest asset: the people. “Steady, hardworking people who made the county one of the most prosperous in the state.”
Following a meeting with the town’s bank president at mark 05:10 (and more sales pitch), the film takes the viewer to another businessman who explains how the town wants to attract outside businesses in order to remain a viable community. One of the first businesses to move to town, we learn at mark 07:00,s was Mohasco Industries, a rug manufacturer. A company executive explains that the company had only one reservation about moving to town — the lack of accessibility. That is, until they learned about Dillon County Airport. The film spotlights another company with a facility in town — fabric manufacturer Burlington Mills (part of Burlington Industries), and its hosiery operation.
With a total cost of just over $100,000, with the county contributing $25,000 to the final project, we are told at mark 09:53. The airport opened in 1960 and recouped its investment in less than a year. In addition to business travel, the airport is used by local crop dusting companies that service farmers. At mark 13:25, Godfrey explains the airport also aids the local agricultural community by making their farms more accessible to out-of-town buyers.
“An airport can make the difference between a marginal, struggling community, or one that’s prosperous and growing,” says Godfrey at mark 14:40.
Small community airports can also fill recreational needs, it is said at mark 17:25, as the camera pans around rows of small aircraft with happy suburban families milling about. “Wherever airports are available, flying has become a popular sport. Not only for individuals but for the entire family,” the viewer is told.
Even so, the majority of air travel into and out of smaller airports are business travelers, the viewer is told at mark 19:10. “With general aviation activities running far ahead of air carrier service in many metropolitan areas, it’s difficult to exaggerate the importance of this type of aviation and the role it can play in metropolitan development.”
At mark 20:40, the film introduces the viewer to St. Paul, Minnesota Mayor George Vavoulis, who touts small airports in Minnesota as being essential to general aviation. As the film returns to Dillon, Godfrey encourages municipalities to consider construction of a regional airport in their community.
