The Carroll County Airport Commission met last week and heard promising news about a flight club coming to the airport.
Danny Hendricks said he expects to have no problem locating 10 partners to join a flying club and share the cost of an airplane. He said he has organized successful flight clubs in the past. The flight club will benefit the airport directly with fuel purchases, but Hendricks also emphasized the importance of developing another generation of pilots.
The club could be ready to take off by spring, Hendricks said. In the interim, he will look for an appropriate plane, and seek others willing to offer instruction. He will offer instruction himself, but will have other activities planned with his company, Carroll County Aviation. Hendricks said he anticipates quickly needing another plane to offer lessons.
“Those students will become pilots and plane owners,” he said. Commissioner Dave Teigen said the flight club and related services will be “a huge asset” for the airport.
In other business:
- Commissioner Morris Pate is a member of the Blue Knights, a motorcycle club for law enforcement, and is helping organize a fundraiser at the airport to benefit the club. Part of the proceeds will purchase youth softball equipment. The event planned is a Cornhole tournament, beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9. Pate said he did not know how many teams would participate, but the beanbag-tossing game has become increasingly popular. If the event is successful, it may be repeated, he said.
- Commissioner Jimmy Kelley bought a hangar earlier this year, and the lease on that hangar expires in 2030. He read a clause in his lease giving him the option to renew it for another 10 years when the present lease expires. He asked the others at the table if he could simply give that notice now, rather than waiting until his lease nears its expiration date. The remaining commissioners saw no reason why he could not pay the renewal fee now. Later in the meeting, another tenant exercised a similar option to extend his lease.
- In his monthly report to the commission, Airport Manager Michael Pfeifer said rain and thundershowers spoiled the Aug. 21 Fly-In, although some 30 locals attended. He also reported that fuel just received will be priced at $4.99.
- The airport has recently replaced runway and taxiway lights with more efficient LEDs, and the old lights went through a county assessment before they were offered for sale. The bids had not been opened by the time of the meeting.
- Consulting Engineer Dan Clinton was not available for the meeting, and commissioners still await updates on Clinton’s efforts to locate a land acquisition company. Clinton is also still working on a plan to relocate the wind cone.
- Commissioners had sought bids to place signs on the terminal building. They received a bid for powder-coated aluminum letters, which could stand out from the surface to provide depth. Pfeifer will check further to see what the bid price included. He will also check other airports on the Internet to see what information is standard. The commissioners had suggested including the name and county of the terminal, the official designator 4M1, and the elevation.
- With Commissioner Sandy Martin absent, an agenda item regarding lease reviews was postponed until October.