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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-10-14 MinutesI r MINUTES FAYETTEVILLE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT BOARD MEETING Thursday, October 14, 2010 MEMBERS PRESENT: Bob Nickle, David Hollman, Otto Loewer, Janice Stanesic, Tim McCarley, Vaughn DeCoster (attended part of the meeting, left at 2:47) MEMBERS ABSENT: Richard Greene STAFF PRESENT: Ray Boudreaux, James Nicholson OTHERS PRESENT: Mike Gibbs -citizen, Warren Jones -Arkansas Air Museum, Ross Smith -Flying Investments, Tim House -citizen, Wayne Jones -McClelland Engineers, Kathy Moore and Mark Frankum-SkyVenture Aviation, Don Marr -City Administration ITEM #1: Welcome — Chairman. ITEM #2: Approval of the Airport Board Minutes of the September 9, 2010 meeting. A motion was made by Tim McCarley to approve the minutes, and was seconded by Janice Stanesic. The motion carried. • ITEM #3: Receiving of Reports. A. Director Ray Boudreaux, report of Airport Activity. He gave a review of the Quarterly Report from the Agenda packet. Mentioned, as a result of comments made during the Airport Marketing Meeting, James had set up Facebook for the Airport and invited all to check it out and click on "Like", and to also post their pictures of Drake Field. Just in three weeks we have sixty friends. Million Air did a good job of getting the planes off the runway and parked on game day. Related that he and Wayne, had visited last weekend at the AAOA Conference, with the FAA Regional Manager and our FAA Project Manager. A date will be announced for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the completed Runway Safety Area /Highway Relocation Project. Wayne is working on a plan for obtaining the Aviagation Easements at the south end of the airport. Kristen of Loomacres will make a report to the Airport Board in November. Loomacres has contracted to additional airports in this region. Reported there are five T -Hangars vacant. He said he had been working on the new FAA required Emergency Plan, 120 pages. Because of so many comments, the FAA has extended the due date to the middle of 2011. It addresses every possible hazard and all emergency entities must review it and sign off on it prior to being sent to the FAA. The FAA has approved additional fencing and bank work within the construction area. He welcomed Don Marr to the Airport Board Meeting. B. Financial Coordinator James Nicholson report on FBO and Budget. Reviewed and displayed on the screen the charts from the Agenda. Related Million Air now has a military fueling contract and the military operations have increased. Read from FAA • Activity Forecast that predicts an average of I% growth annually for the next twenty years. Suggested concentrating marketing efforts more on the corporate aircraft as there were more itinerant jet fuel sales, and there were more turbine planes than pistons for the Alabama game. Million Air's fuel sales almost reached 40,000 gallons for the month. 1 • Mentioned the Services and Charges amount shows the Airport's payment of $ 21,711.00 for property taxes. This was the first year the Airport had to pay that tax. Cash balance is $8369950.00. C. Report on T -Hangars. This was previously discussed. D. Wayne Jones, McClelland Engineers, report on construction projects. Related that two weeks ago a buried floor and roof drain from Standard Register was discovered when it became blocked and backed up in their floor. Construction is tunneling under Highway 71 to connect with a drain location that was as deep as Standard Register's previous drain. Plans had to be submitted to the Highway Department to see whether a boring under the highway or an open cutting of the highway was preferred. We are working with the FAA to see if we can replace some current fencing with 8 ft. fence with outriggers that matches the new fencing, along the north end of the airport. It will be required eventually by the FAA as part of airport security and will be cheaper to install now while they are working on the fencing. Asphalt work was to start today, but their subcontractor won't be there until tomorrow, and should be finished by next week. We were going to nominate this project for the Chamber of Commerce Developers Award, but the project was not completed. Explained the project will probably come in under budget, unless the Airport pursues installing fencing across the north end to match the fencing in the construction area. That is very heavy duty fencing, 9 gauge, not like your yard fencing. There may be some savings with the asphalt. E. Museum reports. Warren Jones reminded everyone of the Rhythm and Ribs event at the Arkansas Air Museum on Saturday. Tickets are $50, and today only, you can buy one • and get one free. Begins at 6 for social hour, dinner is at 7 and band and dancing at 8. Announced he had signed the contract to host the finish of the Air Races Classic, Inc. for June 2013. It will cost $7,500.00 to bring the race here and we have plans to re -coop part of the cost. It is a 2,600 mile race for female pilots only. They will rent 100-125 hotel rooms, restaurants will also benefit, and they will fill up their planes before leaving so Million Air will also benefit. The Museum has made a request to the Advertising and Promotion Commission for a $7,500.00 grant. November 6` the Museum will have the First Annual Aviatorr's Ball, with the Jack'Mitchell Band, and a group of singing flight attendants from Dallas, called the "Flight Crew". He offered his congratulations to Vaughn DeCoster for accepting President of the local EAA next year. The Young Eagles program is sponsored by the EAA and 1,500 children were flown locally last year. We are trying to get youth interested in flying. Twenty years ago there were 1,000,000 pilots, now there are only 600,000 registered pilots. We are also encouraging women to be involved in aviation by joining "Women in Aviation". Director Boudreaux thanked Lindsley Smith for sending out City-wide announcements of the Rhythm and Ribs event. ITEM #4: Old Business. A. Update: Ark. Airport Operators Association Oct. 10-12, 2010. Director Boudreaux announced he, Wayne Jones, and Airport Board Member Tim McCarley, had attended and had good meetings with the FAA folks. They are looking forward to coming to see the completed Runway Safety Area Project and meet our Mayor. We will have a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and have the FAA people from Fort Worth, the Arkansas Highway • Department, the State Aeronautics people, the Airport Board, and the Mayor. We learned a lot in the AAOA meetings, there will be some changes we will have to make on our Airport, new FAA things. B. Update: Marketing and Promotional Activity. 4 • 1.) Face Book. The Airport's Facebook is being used as a marketing tool and hoped others Airport businesses will look at our Facebook and become our friends and promote their airport businesses. We do have the ability to block any inappropriate comments or material. The Airport's Facebook was displayed on the screen, showing a picture a tenant had posted, two unusual planes at Wings Avionics Hangar, both were Long EZ's, both belonging to airport tenants, and one belonging to our Airport Board Member Vaughn DeCoster. You can also see Ray's debut as the spokesman for the Airport. We can post real time, for instance he had had posted the Airport Board Agenda that morning. Another interesting item is a picture and information of the first airplane flight in Fayetteville. Glen Martin was the pilot from California, and his company eventually became Lockheed Martin. There are great pictures of parked planes on the airfield on ballgame day. You can find us on: http://www.facebook,com/DrakeFieldAirport 2.) Air Show. There has been some discussion on having an airshow again. The best way would be to get sponsors for the show. You can hire a promoter to put on the show and they can provide the ground crew, announcer, sound system, and the acts. Several items were discussed: Reasons to have an airshow: Goodwill; Economics; Public support; Time of year -while school is in session to draw more attendance and promote aviation in the schools, or in the summer; How much money is the Airport willing to lose, or spend; Annual event or every other year. Was decided for Ray to investigate getting sponsors and perhaps the best time to do that would be after a Snowbird Event which • would have created interest in an airshow. Don Marr commented that Walmart had suggested having more local events to be scheduled during the time of their annual stockholders meeting, first weekend in June, and that maybe the airport might consider that time 3.) Airport Presentation. Airport Presentations were discussed at the AAOA Meeting as an airport marketing tool. We will be developing a presentation that can be loaned out, and will make it available to committees, service groups, anyone wanting to learn about the airport, and will encourage our Board Members to take it and use it to promote the airport. 4.) SkyVenture Proposal. Mark Frankum and Kathy Moore were recently in Wichita visiting with Cessna and had been told about a flight school and FBO in Kansas City that was putting on a Wings and Wheels event with Merrill Lynch and high end car dealerships. Cessna said that would be a good opportunity to bring in and market a Mustang, a Carvan, and a Cessna Citation, and Million Air would be welcome to be part of the event. This could involve a lot of businesses on the field with exposure to the customers of wealth management businesses, nice aircraft, and high end car dealerships, with them sharing their customer base and inviting those to the event. Boats could even be added to the event. 5.) October 5, 2011, 1001n anniversary of flight in Fayetteville. We need to start planning for that day next year, maybe arrange for a special flyover to celebrate the 1001s anniversary of the first flight in Fayetteville. ITEM #5: New Business. • A. Board Member Resignations (Vaughn DeCoster, Richard Greene). Two vacancies will be coming available, one for "pilot" and the other is "aeronautical". Call Ray to discuss the process to apply for Board Membership. 3 B. Flying Investments Request. Russ Smith, Chief Pilot and Department Managner for Flying Investments made the presentation. When the second hangar was built, they had a client, but now that client has built their own hangar and Flying Investments has been trying to find other aviation interest, and not finding that, they are requesting to be allowed to seek non -aviation interest to lease the hangar space. A motion was made by Otto Loewer and seconded by Janice Stanesic to approve submitting to the City Attorney a Conditional Use Amendment for the Flying Investments' Lease for their second hangar, located at 4560 S. School Avenue; This Conditional Use Amendment will allow for a non -aeronautical use tenant, with the Airport Director's approval of sub -letting hangar, lease, and tenant; Which use would not be detrimental to the Airport; The Conditional Use would be for a period of no longer than three years, which at that time a review of the Conditional Use Lease will be conducted by the Airport Director. The motion carried with four members, Bob Nickle, Otto Loewer, Janice Stanesic and Tim McCarley voting for, and one member David Hollman abstaining from voting, and two members Vaughn DeCoster and Richard Greene were absent from the meeting. B. Obstruction Removal Project Request. Preparing a Task Order was discussed. A motion was made by David Hollman and seconded by Otto Loewer to approve McClelland Engineers to prepare a Task Order for the design and purchase of • Aviation Easements for the south end of the Airport with cost to include identifying and removal of identified trees that penetrate the approach surface The motion carried. Wayne Jones said some work was prepared in 1988 or 1989 for areas near the Greenland Schools, but not along Shaffer Road or Wallen Mountain Road, up on the hillside. Height would probably be no higher than 25 ft. ITEM #6: Other Business. A. Items from the Public. None. B. Items from the Airport Board. The November Airport Board Meeting was rescheduled for November 18`h, 2010, at 1:30 pm because of the Veteran's Day Holiday. Meeting adjourned at 3:04 p.m. Hollman, Secretary • M9 I