Airport Authority meeting: Work begins on t-hangars

The Huntingburg Airport board saw for themselves Monday night that the ground work has begun on the new t-hangars.

After months of working out the details and securing financing, the project is underway and should be completed by early 2015.

Woolpert Engineering’s Luke Reynolds, reported that the airport received its conditional notice to proceed on Tuesday, September 2, and the contractor, W.B. Koester has stripped the top soil from the land and is beginning the dirt work on the project site, southwest of the public terminal.

The project bid includes paving that will connect the 10 new t-hangars to the existing taxi ways and the runway.

Reynolds says that the dirt work and drainage work will proceed while remaining reviews of the work is still on-going. He says that the concrete work can begin as soon as the middle of October, but Koester will probably be ready sooner than that.

Reynolds also reported that the Airport Layout Plan (or ALP as it is called) grant request is very close to being approved by the FAA. Included in the plan is the 500 foot runway extension and widening project. The runway will be widened from 75 feet to 100 foot to help allow for the landing of larger planes.

He expects the request to be approved in the next few days.

–Also in the meeting, Airport Attorney Phil Schneider told the board that Best Home Furnishings has renewed their lease agreement for their hangar at the airport. The original lease was for 20 years and was signed in August 1994. The renewal is for ten years at $20,000.00 annually, payable in annual installments. The board approved the lease agreement.

–Eric Sieber with Pathways to Flight Foundation appeared before the board to update them on the aircraft youth project regarding the lease with the airport for space in which the small plane can be built. Sieber reported that the fundraising for the effort is going well and that so far they have raised $5,000.00 since May from area businesses and individuals towards the project. He says that they need a total of about $25,000.00 to purchase tools and the kit to get started and told the board that they want to hold a fundraiser at the airport in the coming weeks to assist with the effort. The board had no objections to the concept, but did not vote on the issue.

–Airport Manager Travis McQueen reported that 100 low lead fuel prices have dropped. The board encouraged him to purchase more since there is some uncertainty with foreign oil supplies due to world unrest and the effect that it can have on fuel prices.

–McQueen also reported that the airport budget for 2015 was approved by the Dubois County Council and will now be in the budget hearing on Wednesday evening.