Portland has requested $$
Funds would go to extend airport runway
Portland has requested $$
Now, they wait.
Portland Municipal Airport has made its request for a portion of additional Federal Aviation Administration funding to allow its runway extension project to move forward a year earlier than plan.
Portland Board of Aviation discussed the request Wednesday while also getting a first look at its capital improvement plan and got an update on a September fly-in.
Jason Clearwaters of Butler, Fairman and Seufert, the airport’s engineering firm, reported that the request for a portion of the FAA’s additional $1 billion in funding available for rural airports. The funding, being distributed in 2018, ’19 and ’20, was part of the federal omnibus spending bill that was passed in March. Portland’s request for $3.2 million was submitted Oct. 18 ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline.
The funding would go toward the project that would extend the runway at Portland Municipal Airport from the current 4,000 feet to 5,500.
In hopes of the airport receiving the project, Butler, Fairman and Seufert is working on the second phase of the runway design. Clearwaters said the project will be ready to bid no later than June 1, and that timeline could be pushed up if necessary. In February, the airport received a $150,000 FAA grant to fund the second phase of the design.
The runway extension earned FAA approval in 2015 following years of planning. Surveys showed the runway extension, which would allow larger aircraft to land, could double the number of flights to the airport each year.
It had previously been planned for 2020 construction via regular FAA?grants, which require a 5-percent match from both the state and city. The special FAA?funding the airport requested would allow for construction in 2019 and would not require a local match.
Clearwaters also presented the board with an updated capital improvement plan, which is highlighted by the runway extension in 2019.
Future projects include:
2020 — Design of terminal apron expansion
2021 — Construction of the terminal apron expansion and design of work to reconstruct the existing apron
2022 — Reconstruction of the existing terminal apron
2023 — Design of a new T-hangar and wildlife control fence
2024 — Construction of new T-hangar and wildlife control fence
Clearwaters asked board members John Lyons, Dick Baldauf, Mitch Sutton and Faron Parr to review the plan, with plans to vote on it in January.
Airport manager Hal Tavzel also reported that 52 free airplane rides were given to 8 through 17 year olds during a September fly-in in conjunction with Young Eagles. He said the airport hopes to continue the event in the future as part of ongoing efforts to promote interest in aviation.
“I think all the kids really enjoyed it,” said Parr.
In other business, the board:
•Learned from Clearwaters that FAA and INDOT representatives will make a site visit to the airport Nov. 28.
•Heard from Tavzel that the airport sold 5,382 gallons of fuel for $21,224.67 in September and 5,357 gallons for $21,423.12 in October. Those numbers are down from 5,875 and 6,448 gallons, respectively, for the same months last year.
•Learned Air Methods, the aviation partner of Lutheran Air, will begin renting a house adjacent to the airport in December. The City of Portland purchased the house for the airport earlier this year. The rental agreement is for three years.
•Heard from Tavzel that he, Sutton and Clearwaters attended the Aviation Indiana conference last month to meet with FAA officials and promote the airport.
•Paid claims totaling $2,555.96.
