As Rob Long guided the small Cessna 172 onto the runway for takeoff, a handful of other planes waited to take his parking space Friday morning at Daniel Field airport.

As he climbed into the sky at about 90 knots -- that's pilot talk for 105 mph -- over swimming pools, baseball fields, the Augusta Mall and the Augusta National Golf Club, Mr. Long eyeballed a handful of airplanes passing him by -- headed to one of four airports in the Augusta-Aiken area.

Many planes flew in and around Augusta this week, but nowhere near the record number airport officials were expecting earlier in the week.

The biggest day was Thursday, and rainy, windy weather slowed air traffic that day, said Daniel Field airport manager Buster Boshears.

Daniel Field serves smaller, corporate aircraft while longer runways at Bush Field airport allow it to serve larger planes.

``The wind kept some of the smaller airplanes away. It's been a good crowd, and the number of planes have been consistent. But it won't be a record-setting day based on what's gone on all week.''

From an aerial view at 3,000 feet above sea level, all seemed dead at Bush and Daniel fields. But on the ground was a flurry of activity.

As of 6:30 p.m. Friday, 563 airplanes flew in and out of Augusta's airspace. That includes Bush, Daniel and Thomson fields as well as Aiken Airport, officials said.

Air traffic at Bush Field accounted for more than half of airspace activity. More than 310 planes flew in and out of that airport Friday.

There were 65 planes on the ground Friday at Daniel Field, the same number it had Thursday. That number was expected to increase Friday evening as more guests arrived for the Masters Tournament, Mr. Boshears said.

About one plane landed at Daniel Field every five minutes Friday afternoon, Mr. Boshears said. Air traffic controllers at Bush Field were somewhat busier.