Commissioners approve airport changes
The Washington County commissioners unanimously agreed that Skyward Aviation can be one of two fixed-base operators, assuming terms and conditions of a lease to handle the fuel farm and terminal operations at the Washington County Airport that was formerly run by Aeronational.
The official changeover will be Nov. 3.
Scott Gray, airport executive director, described the fixed-base operator as “the airport concierge.”
Air Charter Service will continue as the other fixed base operator at the county airport, providing fueling services, meeting and greeting visitors and arranging for hotels, catering or rental cars while they are in town.
The airport is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the fixed-based operators, outside of normal business hours, are on call for service 24/7.
In the case of the most recent lease transfer, Aeronational sold that portion of its business to Skyward, Gray said.
In both North Franklin and South Franklin townships near Route 18, the airport now includes 401 acres, including the airport parcel and land that was purchased recently.
That entire acreage will soon be encircled by a fence. A surveying crew started Monday and the fence contractor is scheduled to begin Oct. 27, finishing the project by the end of November.
For a $1 consideration, the commissioners also approved a construction and permanent easement for a fence across trailer court property owned by Tom Yohe that abuts the airport in South Franklin. Gray said there is a separate agreement with the National Guard Armory, but no easement because it is a state-owned facility.
Able Fence of Wrightsville, York County, was awarded a $148,095 contract for the fence project, which will be paid for through a state Bureau of Aviation capital budget grant and a Local Share Account match from gaming revenues generated by The Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Grates that deer and other animals prefer not to cross were already installed by Lone Pine Construction at a cost of $175,354.
“We fenced the one end where we had the most trouble with wildlife,” Commission Chairman Larry Maggi said Wednesday. In the event of a deer-plane collision, damage to the aircraft reaches six figures as was the case in August 2007 when a deer bounded out of the darkness, denting the side of a Lear jet.
The county entered into a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and, within weeks of the incident, sharpshooters had bagged 23 deer and one skunk.
Gray said the latest fencing project will cover the airport perimeter’s “final 20 percent, maybe 30 percent at most.”
Also at their meeting last week, the board of commissioners approved the assignment of a ground lease for a small hangar to Brian and Christy Crile, who will assume all terms and conditions of the lease that had been with Key Environmental.
The hangar was constructed for Neale and Sima Misquitta, who owned it for about 10 years. Closing on the property is expected to take place this week.