minnesota - Midwest Flyer

AIRPORTS
Outagamie County Airport Continues To Expand
APPLETON, WIS. – As the Fox Cities region in northeastern
Wisconsin continues to expand, so does the Outagamie
County Regional Airport, located in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Leaders in the community, with its strong industrial base of
manufacturers, recognize the need for increased general
aviation activity and commercial air service. In addition,
the bulk of the airport’s passengers are business fliers who
require a facility that can keep up with their often-hectic
schedules. The challenge for the Appleton airport is to
meet the growing needs of the community while maintaining
its high quality and safety standards.
The following improvements are currently in progress
to ensure the safety, security and convenience of the flying
public:
• In September 2007, the airport broke ground in preparation
for new taxiways, a ramp and an access road that
will be landscaped for the new general aviation terminal
area. This plan also includes additional T-hangar construction
and aircraft parking to accommodate the increasing
need of the annual EAA AirVenture event.
• To meet anticipated future needs, the airport is currently
in the process of expanding the entrance roads, service area
and parking lot, which is scheduled for completion in
November 2007. Additional parking spaces and wider roads
will relieve passenger congestion when picking up or dropping
off passengers. A convenient credit card-only lane is being
added as well as extra cueing for the entrance and exit lanes.
Demand for additional aircraft parking spaces on the Airport
Operations Area (AOA) has prompted an expansion to the air
carrier terminal apron, planned for completion next year.
• With a focus on enhancing and protecting the environment,
the airport is proactively developing a glycol management
master plan that is now in Phase II. Design will
incorporate an innovative approach to collection and treatment
and also includes a spill prevention control and
counter measure plan.
• To sustain the growth of operations and protect the
approaches of the airport, land acquisitions of approximately
200 acres of additional land is scheduled which will bring
the total airport property to 1,915 acres. The perimeter road
construction is almost complete, which will enhance security
and allow emergency vehicles to access the AOA and deter
animals and other wildlife from entering.
All projects increase public safety and welfare, as well
as improve the overall efficiency of the airport. Designs are
sensitive to the environment by incorporating features such
as bio-filters. In addition, projects always take into consideration
future expansions to support business growth and
economic development in the area. No tax levy dollars are
used for airport improvements. Funding for these projects
is through a combination of the Federal Aviation
Administration, Wisconsin DOT Bureau of Aeronautics
grants, and airport-provided funds.
❑
GFK Flight Support To Build State-Of-The-Art Corporate Jet Center
GRAND FORKS, N.D.
– GFK Flight Support,
in cooperation with the
Grand Forks Regional
Airport Authority, plan
to build a corporate jet
center in Grand Forks,
North Dakota. In conjunction
with the new
airline terminal planned for Grand Forks International
Airport, at press time, GFK Flight Support was scheduled to
break ground on a state-of-the-art, $4.5 million addition in
September. Expected to be completed sometime in April
2008, this 45,000 square-foot, five-star facility will increase
GFK Flight Support’s heated hangar and aircraft support
space to 130,000 square feet, making it the largest aircraft
service center in North Dakota. The facilities, staffing and
equipment will allow GFK Flight Support to serve everything
from airliners, to the largest of corporate jets, and all
personal aircraft.
44 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2007
This addition to GFK Flight Support will feature a multitude
of amenities. The two-story facility will contain a
combination of pre-cast and sky-lit walls, a five-star hotelclass
lobby, comfortable waiting areas, and exclusive pilot
lounges. It will also feature four classrooms for flight training,
cutting-edge technology for weather and flight planning,
a pilot pro shop, paid luxury transportation, an onsite
conference room for 25 people overlooking a balcony
to the runway, an in-house theater and 10 indoor parking
garages for vehicles whose owners base their aircraft at
GFK Flight Support.
In cooperation with Chevron/ Texaco, GFK Flight
Support will be the first to offer wing-tip invoicing, which
will enable aircraft crews to pay for services right from the
pilot’s seat. GFK Flight Support is also currently garnering
approvals with the FAA to become an all-jet certified air
carrier, providing corporate jet service charter flights in
and out of Grand Forks to the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The GFK Regional Airport Authority will contribute
more than $1.4 million to the project for aircraft apron