June 15, 1999


AirGate PCS, Inc.
230 Peachtree Street, N.W.
Suite 1700
Atlanta, Georgia 30303

     Re:  AirGate PCS, Inc.
          Registration Statement on Form S-1


Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as special counsel to AirGate PCS, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company") in connection with a Registration Statement on Form
S-1 (the "Registration Statement") pertaining to the registration of $100
million of the Company's common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common
Stock"), and $150 million of the Company's Senior Discount Notes (the "Notes")
due 2009 being offered by the Company or such additional amounts of Common Stock
and Notes as may be registered in connection with this offering and pursuant to
an abbreviated registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act").

     We have examined such documents and records as we deemed appropriate,
including the following:

     (i)  The Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

     (ii) The Company's Amended and Restated Bylaws.

     (iii)  Resolutions duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company
            authorizing the filing of the Registration Statement.

     In the course of our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all
natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all
documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of
all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the
authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.  In making our
examination of documents executed by parties other than the Company, we have
assumed that such parties had the power, corporate or other, to enter into and
perform all obligations thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization
by all requisite action, corporate or other, and execution and delivery by such
parties of such documents and the validity, binding effect and enforceability
thereof on such parties.


AirGate PCS, Inc.
June 15, 1999
Page 2


     Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

     The shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized, and when issued
subject to effectiveness of the Registration Statement and compliance with
applicable state securities laws, will be validly issued by the Company, fully
paid and nonassessable.

     We express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the
State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States of America.  We
hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement, to the incorporation by reference of this opinion in any abbreviated
registration statement, in connection with the offering covered by the
Registration Statement, filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act
and to the reference to our firm under the caption "Legal Matters" contained in
the Prospectus included therein.


                                 Very truly yours,

                                 PATTON BOGGS LLP

                                 By: /s/ Mary M. Sjoquist
                                     -------------------------------------
                                     Mary M. Sjoquist