[NOV. 2, 2005]
Logan County Airport is one of many small airports
across the country meeting business, transportation and community
needs. The airport is both owned and run by the county.
Airport committee chairman Bill Sahs reported that the
committee submitted a five-year plan to the state at a meeting on
Oct. 3. The airport receives valuable federal dollars through a
program known as T.I.P.S., which helps keep the airport a viable
economic and transportation asset for the community. The projects
that are accepted under the program receive 90 percent federal
funding, 5 percent is paid by the state, and the county pays the
remaining 5 percent.
Plans that were submitted for approval
include the following:
2006 -- Phase one and two of the storm sewer and tiling at
the north end of the runways
2007 -- Acquire land
2008 -- Expand apron
2009 -- Additional aircraft parking
2010 -- Partial parallel taxiway
This year's project was completed recently. An area to the north
end that included taxiway access to the fuel pump and the tie-down
area was resurfaced, first removing a couple of inches of asphalt
and then adding a new overlay and paint lines. It cost $375,000.
Last year the main asphalt runway, 3-21, had an overlay and new
runway lines painted. The lines were not holding up well and were
repainted this year at no extra cost.
The airport expanded its horizons this year by hosting the
balloon portion of the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival. About 10,000
spectators attended the three-day event the last weekend in August.
The airport was more spacious than the previous location and
could accommodate all the activities that have built up, including
lots of food vendors, music, staging, bocce ball, bingo and, most
importantly, room for a beautiful mass balloon ascension.
Sahs said the county will begin planning with the Lincoln/Logan
County Chamber of Commerce to have the balloon festival at the Logan
County Airport again next year. This year's was considered very
successful and a good location. Planners will be working on
improving the only problem from last time: traffic flow onto the
grounds.
The Logan County Airport had fuel sales in the amount of 4,617
gallons for the month of September. A pretty good jump, chairman
Bill Sahs said. The North American Top Guns, a World War II warbird
operation that sells plane rides, used approximately 800 gallons of
fuel during the weeks they were here. The airport attracts a lot of
aircraft that just stop by for fuel, as it is usually the lowest
price around and it is easy access.
On another airport-related matter, a Logan County resident has
addressed the airport committee and the Logan County Board about the
airport hangar lease agreements. Perry Harris is not happy that he
has not been able to lease a hangar at the Logan County Airport.
Harris said that he has been trying to build an experimental
aircraft for more than two years and four months. He would like to
have hangar space to complete his work.
He said that he has been on a waiting list that had nine people
on it in September 2004. He was recently bypassed by county
coordinator Dewey Colter, who wasn't even on the list at that time.
Colter does have a flyable aircraft.
The lease agreements say that the hangars are for flyable
aircraft. Harris contends that there are several hangars that have
unflyable aircraft occupying space in them. He feels he is being
discriminated against and has retained a lawyer to take up the
matter for him. He has filed seven formal complaints with the
Federal Aviation Administration and the Illinois Department of
Transportation, Aeronautics Division, and has been informed by those
agencies that it is being looked into.
The airport committee has a new policy and procedures on leases
and tie-down agreements submitted to the IDOT Aeronautics Division.
After the state returns the document, it will go on public display
before a final decision is made.
