Airport worker in fifth year of keeping planes perfectly parked

For Phil Benifield, a day of helping to park airplanes at Augusta Regional Airport is full of ups and downs.

The highs, however, are a bit loftier during the first full week in April, when hundreds of pilots and executives descend upon Augusta for the world's premier golf tour- nament.

Mr. Benifield is preparing for his fifth Masters Tournament as a lineman at Augusta Regional Aviation Services.

On a recent weekday, Mr. Benifield could be seen driving a golf cart back and forth along the airport's runways to help customers as they landed.

Linemen don't actually park the planes; rather, they direct the pilots into the parking spots.

"It's basically anything and every- thing the customer needs," Mr. Benifield said.

His duties vary from refueling airplanes to delivering hot catered food to passengers on private jets.

"We do anything to expedite the flight on time," he said.

Typically more than 170 private airplanes are parked on the ramp once the tournament begins, in what one employee called a "sea of white."

That doesn't include the commercial airliners that arrive throughout the week, said Line Chief Terry Cawley.

Mr. Cawley said the staff is doubled for the week by "borrowing" groundskeepers and baggage men.

"We have three shifts all on duty during Masters, at all times," he said.

The airplanes haven't been as flashy in recent years, but in the past, Mr. Cawley said, it wasn't unusual to see a Nike plane painted like a shoe or one emblazoned with a Jimmy Buffett sticker.

"We get some unique aircraft out here," he said.

As he finished helping a new employee re- fuel a Delta Connection flight's tank, Mr. Benifield continued to list the grab bag of duties that make up his job with the airport industry.

He grimaced when he mentioned emptying the airplanes' lavatories.

Mr. Benifield clearly would rather be parking the planes.

Reach Adam Folk at (706) 823-3339 or adam.folk@augustachronicle.com.