The general aviation terminal at Outagamie County Regional Airport often serves as the gateway to the Fox Valley for corporate executives who travel to the area for business.
Outagamie County officials and other dignitaries last Tuesday celebrated the grand-opening of a new $3.6 million facility, which replaces the Platinum Flight Center terminal built in 1963.
“We’re very excited for the opportunities that this building will provide us by the way of sustainability initiatives to really push us into the future, marketing opportunities as well as the first impression for many as they step into the Fox Valley area,” said Outagamie County airport director Abe Weber.
The 8,000-square-foot terminal, along with a 12,000-square-foot hangar, fulfills the airport’s master plan to relocate the private terminal, charter activities and flight training to the south side of the grounds — away from the main terminal.
Previously, the general aviation terminal was situated near the control tower, separate from the general aviation hangars.
“It’s really making a synergy for all the general aviation at Outagamie County,” said Pat Heil, a general manager at Platinum Flight Center, which operates the general aviation facility. “One of the neatest improvements is that once we moved to the south side of the airport … there’s a lot more interaction between us and the tenants that are renting hangar space there. It just makes it that much easier for us to continue to grow those synergies and make a vibrant general aviation airport active again.”
The new general aviation terminal includes a new conference room overlooking the runway that is available for rent for business meetings or training seminars.
Platinum Flight Center also is partnering with the Meat Block in Greenville for catering services and to operate a deli area inside the general aviation terminal. The goal is to eventually offer a full-service restaurant after Fox Valley Technical College opens its new public safety training center next year on the airport’s south side, Heil said.