Members of the Carroll County Airport Commission met last week and continued preparations for the April 8 eclipse.
Commissioners had weighed several possibilities for the mid-day event. They briefly considered a full-fledged Fly-in for that date, but traffic problems could prevent local people from attending by car. Instead, commissioners will plan a scaled-down approach, with hamburgers and hot dogs available for any pilots who arrive for the eclipse.
The commissioners had also considered holding the regular April Fly-in on the Saturday before the eclipse, but decided to keep the usual third-Saturday schedule. Pilots in the region are already comfortable with that schedule, and the weather may be warmer in mid-April than early in the month. The April Fly-in will be a breakfast event. The February Fly-in was scheduled for the day after this meeting.
In other business:
- Caroline Rogers has been active in opposition to a proposed wind turbine farm south of Green Forest. She said the Federal Aviation Administration is inviting comments from pilots, and she encouraged pilots to go to the FAA website.
- Airport Manager Mark Pepple said a new door has been installed on an equipment shed. During the past month, he also worked on cleaning the airport’s courtesy cars, and he removed some trees near the end of the runway. Pepple also noted that a new hose reel has been installed at the fuel pump.
- Commissioners discussed the acquisition of another courtesy car. Pepple recommended spending more for a vehicle with lower mileage to avoid maintenance costs.
- Before pursuing the purchase of a generator, commissioners will have to assess the size of a generator needed to power the terminal and the runway lights, at a minimum.
- The commissioners and members of the airport community have previously discussed a weather-reporting system at the airport. Reporting stations at Harrison and Springdale often leave a gap in reporting conditions at the Carroll County Airport, and arriving pilots sometimes encounter unexpected weather conditions here. The FAA will pay to install a weather-reporting system, but the airport would have to spend about $4,000 annually to maintain it. The monthly Fly-ins generate several hundred dollars for the airport, and those funds could support the weather-reporting system.