Airport Authority: T-hangar open and bringing new business

The Huntingburg Airport’s new t-hangars are open and in operation.

According to Huntingburg Airport Manager Travis McQueen, every unit is leased except one. During Monday’s Dubois County Airport Authority, McQueen reported that by alleviating some of the crowding in the airport’s older hangars, other business-owners are interested in moving their planes to Huntingburg’s airport from other local airports.

“They appreciate the fuel prices we have, but more so they appreciate the service we offer,” McQueen said about the airport authority operating as the fixed-base operator. “They appreciate the fact they can call ahead and have their plane warm and ready to go when they arrive at the airport.”

McQueen reported he has already met with a business owner who has decided to bring a plane to Huntingburg from Washington’s airport.

During the meeting, several airplane owners who are leasing space in the new t-hangar congratulated the board and McQueen for their efforts in getting the building built. A common question was, when will the airport build another one, but the authority will need to work on replenishing the funds used on the construction of this hangar.

And on that note, McQueen informed the board of some overages on the construction of the hangar that will have to be addressed once the figures are made available. To mitigate the impact of some construction problems crews encountered during the construction that drove the cost up, certain features of the construction of the hangar where altered.

These changes amounted to less yardage of asphalt being used in the parking lot and the decision to change the construction of a drain line as well as some other cost-cutting efforts.

The total cost of the t-hangar is about $630,000.

In regards to the planned 500-foot extension of the airport’s runway, the board heard from Phil Schneider, their appointed attorney, that the property owners of the 41.58 acres required for the expansion were unhappy with the first appraisal and offer from the board.

Schneider said the Hasenour family pointed out some recent appraisals of property that were not used in the assessment of the property. “These new appraisals were not available in February when the appraiser completed the appraisal,” he said. “We simply asked him if these new appraisals would impact his assessment of the property and he said they did.”

Schneider asked to contact the attorney representing the family with the new offer based on the changed appraisal.

Additionally, the land being purchased has a portion that is certified organic and is used as part of the Hasenour’s business. The purchase of the land by the board would likely damage their business through the loss of the acres of certified organic land. The airport’s easements would also impact the usage of the land next to the airport’s property.

To support their organic produce and livestock business operation, the Hasenours will have to find certified organic land or through a three-year process, have new land certified organic.

To alleviate the impact on the business, Schneider asked the board to consider no more than $15,000 be paid to the family.

The board approved both requests and Schneider will likely reach out to the family’s attorney this week. The appraisal amounts were not made public during the meeting.

The Federal Aviation Administration will pay 90 percent of the cost of the land acquisition; the Indiana Department of Transportation will pay 5 percent; and the remaining 5 percent will be covered by the airport board.

The board also took the following actions.

-Approved the renewal of an annual $1 lease with Pathways to Flight, a non-profit building an experimental aircraft with local high school students. Eric Seber is the director of the program. Five local high school students attend meetings on Wednesday evenings to work on the aircraft.

-Approved payments of $29,443.75 and $31,444 to Jasper Lumber; $103, 182.40 to WB Koester; and $1,690 to Brosmer LS&E related to the construction of the t-hangar.

-Heard that a ribbon-cutting would be planned for the new hangar.

-Heard that Governor Mike Pence was taking a more proactive stance towards attracting the aerospace industry to Indiana.