Group seeks re-establishment of airport board
During a work meeting on Sept. 1, the Big Horn County commissioners met with a group of county residents who would like to see the re-establishment of an airport board.
The spokesperson for the group was Dave Flitner. He indicated it was by default, as Curtis Abraham attended by teleconference due to a head cold. He was asked not to come. Fifteen people were in attendance in person.
After thanking the commission for allowing them to appear, Flitner said, “The goal of the committee was to assist the commission in meeting the needs of the airport that would serve both pilots and the community. In the interim, since the airport board no longer exists, we really appreciate the work of the commission, Willie (Bridges), the managers and the others that have been instrumental in keeping it alive. They have been doing a good job.”
The commission has put out a request for proposals to run the airport, but Flitner said the group feels that the fuel sales and the commercial activities are not adequate to justify a commercial operator. An airport board would better serve the county and users of the airport, he said.
“There is recent growth in aviation enthusiasm and activity at both of the airports in the county," he said. "Curtis (Abraham) has basically spearheaded this whole program. He has not found one individual that supports a professional management team coming in. I think it is safe to say these gentlemen here today can speak for themselves, but I think that they feel the reinstitution of the airport board is probably the most viable solution. And again they are not interested in a commercial operator.”
He went on to say that the county is in an enviable position because it has two airports. He also noted there is an increase in people wanting to come to rural areas and there will be more people coming in.
“What we feel is in the interest of the taxpayers, the aviation community and the general public would be better served by the airport board that can focus 100 percent on the activities of the airport and actually be a buffer for the commission,“ Flitner said.
He said the commissioners might not have time to know all the details of what is going on in aviation. Having a chairperson on the airport board that does would not only be helpful, it would become similar to a full-time job. Having an airport representative going to some of the regional and national meetings and interacting with the FAA would be a huge advantage to bringing in events and funding for improvements.
Flitner said that when he was the chairman of the county airport board he found out then that the county had missed out for years on these opportunities. The board was beginning to bridge that gap when it was disbanded.
He made a case that if the board was reestablished, the county would not have to have an airport manager and that the cost of salary and benefits could be used for airport upgrades. An example would be the restrooms.
He said, “We have people coming to our operations in Shell from basically all over the world. Many fly their own planes into here. There is not a reasonable place for a bathroom for males or females in the Greybull airport. It is better in Cowley. To have a guy come in on his own jet from San Francisco or Belgian, Brussels and get out of his airplane … it is despicable, what we have.”
He continued that other airports around Wyoming have clean and adequate bathrooms. If the county wants a viable airport that represents the community well, there needs to be basic facilities, he said. Hopefully, this is something the county can take care of. He suggested if a board was established, the commission would be welcome to come to board meetings and the board would submit a monthly report to the commission.
Jennifer Abraham read some background info that had been prepared by Curtis. It said, in part “airports administration in the United States are unusual but a viable component of local government. Although, the administration of airports is essentially a local responsibility handled by the city or county by airports boards, the Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, has significant input into airport operations to regulatory direction. Hence, the unusual status of airport administration in local government. It receives much direction, though not dictation, of operations from the national government, FAA. Nevertheless the negative management of airport affairs is left largely to local government and ultimately the users."
Recognizing the number of primary airports in the United States and understanding the importance of these facilities to state and local government gives us, the users, an interest in the administration of these local enterprises, he said.
Because it is at the local level that the rubber meets the runway, understanding the management of such an important service is significant given the financial and economic consequences such entities pose for local communities.
"We believe it is important for public administrators to understand how these facilities are typically managed. Whether administrative structure is common across airport administration and whether administrative structure affects taxing and spending practices of our airports," he said.
Airport administration provides significant economic contributions to local communities and their immediate regions. Economic studies generally conclude that airports have positive effects on local economies based on direct, indirect and induced affects.
“It is our goal as the aviation community to help facilitate adequate services at our airports and connect our desires of operation and future growth with the sponsors of the Big Horn County airports and help them meet these objectives.”
Flitner asked if people who were in attendance would like to make a statement to the commission.
Orville Moore from Cowley said that WYDOT does a survey that measures the economic benefit of each airport. He believes the last one was done in 2018. He added that it was amazing the amount of income that came in at a “Podunk airport" like Cowley.
A flight school is in the process of being established at that airport. They already have students lined up. The school will be using both the airports a lot, according to Moore. He then said, “I wouldn’t say the airport is as important as the hospital but the life of the community is very greatly enriched by having the airport there.”
Moore added he is at the Cowley airport every day and that the others in the group are there often. They know what is going on and what is needed. He feels they can keep the airport going better than a management company based in another location that is there as often as the locals.
Devin Bair spoke up next. He said he has only been in aviation for two years. He and his wife Stacey built a hanger. They own Bair Co. Construction and Club Dauntless. He feels that the airports are gateways to world-class recreation. He agreed with Flitner that the facilities aren’t the best. They are the worst — by far, he said.
When he flies to different airports, he inquires about fuel, car rentals, if there a place to shelter a plane overnight, etc. He added that people don’t like to fly in if they don’t have a safe place to shelter their plane. He continued that Big Horn County should be marketed as a fly-in destination.
Casey Abraham said an airport board is not there to make money. “With an airport board you’re going to pay a little and get a lot. With a private entity you are going to pay a lot and get a little. That is just the nature of it. They have to make money. I don’t know what they promised but I can tell you it is not what we as the community can put into the airport.”
A few others from the group spoke before Carrizales told them that earlier in the day, the commission put the RFP they received regarding airport management on hold until they could hear from this group.
The commission took no action after the group left.