The National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Center is Korea’s first dedicated aerospace infrastructure established to support system integration, ground testing, flight testing, and component performance evaluation of national R&D and next-generation advanced aircraft systems, as well as serving as a forward base for scientific experiments related to space observation. It is located on reclaimed land in Goheung Bay, Goheung County, Jeollanam-do.
In August 2002, KARI and Goheung County signed an agreement to build the test center on a 16-hectare site (9.3 ha for the aerospace center, 6.6 ha for the runway), with a total investment of KRW 28.3 billion. Initially linked with the medium-sized airship development program, the first constructed facilities included an airship test hangar (72m × 32m × 25m) for assembly, maintenance, and storage of 50m-class airships, a research building (36m × 9m × 8m), a mooring field (60m × 60m), and a 700-meter-long, 24-meter-wide test runway.
Subsequent expansions included a test facility for small aircraft and UAVs in 2006, a drop test facility for landing gear in 2008, a whirl tower for testing rotary-wing rotor blades in 2009, and a security fence and guard station in 2010.
In July 2015, a large-scale test runway was constructed, comprising two visual flight-compatible runways and taxiways, measuring 1,200 meters in length and 45 meters in width across a 1.09 million square meter area. The center enables one-stop services from ground integration testing to flight testing for aircraft components, navigation equipment, drones, and developmental aircraft. To further enhance safety and utilization, infrastructure such as a flight monitoring system, monitoring tower, EO/IR sensors, RF scanners, and VCCS (Voice Communication Control System) are being installed. These upgrades will allow the center to support smooth and efficient testing and certification of both manned and unmanned aircraft, aviation equipment, and navigation safety facilities.
In 2015, following revisions to the Aviation Act, the 700-meter paved temporary runway at the center received official approval from the Busan Regional Office of Aviation of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) as a certified takeoff and landing site for light aircraft. That same year, the management authority was delegated to KARI by Goheung County, enabling continued joint use of the facility by the institute and domestic academia and industry for various R&D flight test activities. The center features two test hangars for mid-sized and small aircraft, a tether crane for safety tether testing, a 1,200 × 45-meter runway, and a 700 × 24-meter runway. Major testing equipment includes a whirl tower for balancing the main and tail rotors of helicopters and facilities for the drop testing of landing gear systems. The center is used annually by over 10,000 personnel from 20 institutions and private companies. Activities include drop tests using large-scale testing equipment, rotor balancing tests, and functional and performance tests of components on developmental aircraft. More than 70% of the usage is for flight testing purposes. The center also supports various programs, such as the National University Rocket Competition, CanSat competitions, and meteorological observation campaigns. Over 70% of the center’s usage is attributed to external organizations, surpassing the share used by KARI itself.