Columbia Approach CAE
Columbia Approach (CAE) is the approach and departure control facility that public NASR records list as the primary approach control for 7 airports, 0 of them with a control tower. Pilots call it "Columbia Approach".
Airports it serves (7)
| Airport | City | Tower |
|---|---|---|
| Bamberg County (99N) | Bamberg, SC | No tower |
| Columbia Metropolitan Airport (KCAE) | Columbia, SC | No tower |
| Fairfield County Airport (KFDW) | Winnsboro, SC | No tower |
| Jim Hamilton L.B. Owens Airport (KCUB) | Columbia, SC | No tower |
| Lexington County (6J0) | Pelion, SC | No tower |
| Newberry County Airport (KEOE) | Newberry, SC | No tower |
| Orangeburg Municipal Airport (KOGB) | Orangeburg, SC | No tower |
Pay level
The FAA rates this facility level 7 on its scale of 4 to 12. Busier, more complex facilities get higher levels, and higher levels pay more. A fully certified controller at a level 7 facility was paid between $83,912 and $113,280 a year in 2025, before the local cost-of-living addition. Overtime, night and Sunday pay come on top.
Level: National Academies (2025), The Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperative, Appendix C, Table C-2, which reproduces FAA data with staffing as of September 23, 2023; the FAA may have changed the level since. Pay range: FAA pay band table effective January 12, 2025, as posted by NATCA.
Source
FAA National Airspace System Resource (NASR) data, 28-day cycle effective 2026-10-01 (FAA NASR subscription). Facility data changes every 28 days; check current FAA publications before flight.
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