Airport study will be tweaked

Portland Board of Aviation on Wednesday learned a trip to Chicago to talk to the Federal Aviation Administration about its runway extension justification study went well.
It also heard the annual fly-in at the airport was well attended despite bad weather early in the event.
Board president Bob Sours told members he, Mayor Randy Geesaman, airport manager Hal Tavzel and representatives from Butler, Fairman and Seufert, including Jason Clearwaters, traveled to Chicago on Tuesday to meet with FAA representatives.
Sours and Geesaman told FAA representatives about the history of Portland Municipal Airport and the role it plays in the city. And those representatives requested some tweaks be made to the study.
“I felt it was well worthwhile,” Sours said. “I thought it was received well … I think we had real positive support.”
Geesaman agreed with Sours, saying the Portland group was able to tell the FAA the airport’s story.
“I think it made a huge difference,” he said. “Now they know the whole picture.”
Clearwaters said they didn’t hear any negative comments from the FAA representatives.
“I don’t think anything could go any better,” he said.
Butler, Fairman and Seufert, the airport’s engineering firm, will make changes to the report, and Geesaman is working to try to get a letter of support for the extension from U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly.
Tavzel said the annual fly-in was successful, despite airplane rides not starting until noon because of fog. There were approximately 45 rides, and about 400 people attended the pancake breakfast.
“Overall it went pretty smooth,” Tavzel said. “I was real pleased with the event minus the weather.”
In other business Wednesday, members John Lyons, Jim Runkle, Mike McKee and Sours:
•Approved paying $8,337.79 in claims.
•Learned the airport sold 5,285 gallons of fuel in August for $27,169.97. To date, the airport has sold 4,807 gallons of fuel totaling $23,556.82.
Tavzel said a lot of crop duster activity has led to more fuel being sold in the last week.
•Heard Butler, Fairman and Seufert is continuing to work on the airport’s layout plan.