Dubois County Airport Authority April meeting

The Dubois County Airport Authority met for its regular meeting on Monday evening and discussed the following items.

Airport Career Cruise and Aviation Program Applications

Airport Manager Travis McQueen reported that the airport participated in the countywide 8th-grade career cruise, attracting 29 students who expressed verbal interest in aviation careers. This represents approximately 5% of the general population, consistent with historical averages from previous years. McQueen and Dustin Betz interviewed 17 of 18 applicants for 14 available seats in the aviation program, a partnership with Patoka Valley Career Technical Education Co-op. The selection process uses a comprehensive matrix that evaluates GPA, attendance, tardiness, and extracurricular activities.

Solar Panel Development and Airport Overlay District

McQueen addressed the solar panel projects being constructed on County Road 800 west of Highway 231, approaching the airport’s Runway Protection Zone (RPZ). House Enrolled Act 1150, effective July 1, 2026, requires local government units to adopt airport overlay districts to protect airspace and instrument approach procedures. The airport is working with Nick Kowalkowski, Woolpert Engineering, to develop these protective measures. The Town of Ferdinand, Town of Holland, and the county will be asked to adopt these provisions. While solar panels require glare studies at towered airports to protect air traffic controllers, non-towered airports like Huntingburg Regional Airport face fewer technical requirements. The primary concern remains tall structures, particularly cell phone towers, which could interfere with instrument approaches and force aircraft to maintain higher altitudes, reducing airport utility.

McQueen reported that a representative from Holland had contacted him about a potential cellphone tower. “That’s within a certain distance of our airspace. So we want to protect that,” he said. “We have vested interest in that.”

He explained that towers affect how low an aircraft can approach the airport, and if they can’t come down as low as they should due to a tower, it could impact the airport’s corporate clients, reducing airport use.

Terminal Building Progress and Community Engagement

The terminal building’s internet service was activated on Friday, March 6, 2026, and Betz’s class moved into the facility shortly thereafter. A community service volunteer spent significant time cleaning both the terminal building and other facilities over the weekend. Radius Indiana fulfilled its $100,000 commitment to the terminal building project, with funds now deposited in the airport’s checking account.

McQueen reported the facility hosted Forest Service personnel and their helicopter for controlled burns in the Hoosier National Forest, with crews conducting water-slinging training exercises using the airport’s pond. Approximately seven to eight Forest Service employees from various locations, including Maine, utilized the terminal building while on standby for fire suppression activities.

Financial Audit and Equipment Maintenance

The airport exceeded $750,000 in federal funding receipts during calendar year 2025, automatically triggering a state audit requirement. This threshold applies to any entity that receives federal dollars in excess of this amount annually.

Equipment failure expenses from the season’s snowstorm event totaled over $12,000, exceeding the initial $8,000 estimate as additional contractor invoices arrived. The board discussed implementing annual equipment maintenance schedules to prevent future failures. The primary snow removal equipment, a bi-directional New Holland tractor, also performs summer mowing duties. During winter, it’s equipped with a 16-foot blade and pulls a broom. The equipment cannot be stored in climate-controlled facilities; it remains exposed to weather conditions in open hangars.

Board member Brian Blessinger asked about alternative equipment arrangements to reduce costs and ensure backup availability during emergencies. He suggested investigating rental or lease agreements with local farmers whose equipment sits idle during the winter months when the airport needs it most. This approach could provide standby equipment without the full financial burden of ownership.

The board discussed various arrangements, including per-hour rental rates, first-right-of-refusal agreements, and formal lease structures in which equipment remains accessible near barn doors for quick deployment. Concerns included ensuring access to and availability of equipment during emergencies.

Dubois County Flight Services Lease Agreement

The board approved a comprehensive 10-year lease agreement with Dubois County Flight Services, effective March 10, 2024, through March 9, 2034, with two optional five-year renewal periods. The lease utilizes the FAA-recommended template and covers the hangar, adjacent apron, parking lot, and landscaped areas to the nearest taxiway, plus shared use of two 12,000-gallon aviation fuel storage tanks. Annual rent begins at $61,000 with 2.5% increases each March 10th. The tenant has 30 days to remit back rent from the previous rate. This triple-net lease requires the tenant to maintain all taxes, insurance, structural maintenance, and utilities. Required insurance includes replacement value coverage, workers’ compensation, $1 million commercial general liability, $1 million umbrella coverage, auto liability, and $2 million environmental policy.

Future rent for HNI or MasterBrand hangars will be determined through MAI-credentialed appraisals, with provisions for a second and third appraisal if the initial valuations differ by more than 15%.