Cruise the Runway at Huntingburg Airport
The public is invited to cruise the runway of the Huntingburg Regional Airport this Friday, September 24, 2021.
A special ribbon-cutting celebration with U.S. Senator Mike Braun, CEO/President of OFS Brands Hank Menke, and Marty Blake, manager of the Aeronautics Section of the Indiana Department of Transportation will be held at 4 p.m. celebrating the nearly completed project to widen and lengthen the runway.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, all attendees will be invited to drive their vehicles on a guided tour of the most important mile of pavement in the region, according to airport officials.
“This is a great opportunity for the public to see first hand the most important mile of pavement in the region,” said Jim Hunsicker, president of the Dubois County Aviation Authority.
Hunsicker credited the successful completion of the project to the foresight of the previous airport board members and the solid partnerships with the Federal Aviation Agency and INDOT.
He also thanked the contractors, Evansville-based Weddle Brothers and Appalachian Foothills Contracting of Lexington, for their work on the project that saw the runway widened from 75 feet to 100 feet and lengthened an additional 501 feet to 5,501 feet.
“We are excited to share with everyone this conclusion of our airport improvements and to see first hand what the final product looks like,” Hunsicker said.
The project included Indiana’s first tunnel to accommodate the landing approach to the runway as well as provide a base for another future expansion of the runway.
The expanded runway impacts the region’s ability to attract new business while preserving local jobs and corporations. The longer runway can accommodate larger aircraft with bigger payloads.
In the past, local pilots would not fully fuel their aircraft to keep their weight within the parameters necessary to take off from the shortened runway. The extension will allow for more fuel in local fuel tanks on take-off which equates to fewer stops for local aircraft and also greater local fuel sales further offsetting the impact of airport operations on local property taxpayers.
It also puts the airport on the map as a destination for refueling for cross-country flights from outside of the area. This equates to more fuel sales for the airport as well as the potential for overnight stays and other economic impacts from more dollars making its way to the region.
According to Airport Manager Travis McQueen, he’s already had an inquiry from a corporation outside the area about the Huntingburg Airport’s services. The company has Challenger 604 aircraft which is more than 60 feet long and can carry up to 3,000 gallons of fuel; a plane that prior to the expansion probably would not have considered landing here for fuel.
The Huntingburg Regional Airport (HNB) founded in 1937, serves the needs of the regional industry base including: Kimball International, MasterBrand Cabinets, Fortune Brands, Jasper Engines and Transmissions, Best Home Furnishings, OFS Brands, Dubois County Flight Services, Mann Enterprises and HNB Hangar, LLC.
