Midland’s favorite saying is “The Sky’s The Limit,” and its skies have increasingly played a role in the Tall City’s economic development.
“The Midland International Air & Spaceport have certainly helped with diversifying the economy,” said Cindy Gettig, marketing and development coordinator for Western LLC.
Her company, a Midland-based aviation development and design-build firm, has just broken ground on the first aircraft hangar in Phase II of the Corporate Aviation Facility Complex Development at Midland International Air and Spaceport on Airways Drive.
“This hangar development has also helped companies establish a stronger home base in the Permian Basin by providing for their corporate aviation needs,” continued Gettig.
Demand for the hangars has come primarily from the oil and gas industry and the growing aviation demand from the industry, she said.
This is the final phase of the development. The hangar currently under construction, “Hangar P” is one of four that will be part of the development.
Gettig reports that three of the four hangar lots at Midland International are reserved, leaving only one lot available.
Western has broken ground on “Hangar P” and expects to have the steel installation completed by mid-to-late February.
Company designers met with the “Hangar P” client for months to establish a design that would meet the client’s needs and its budget.
The building will have 25,000 square feet of hangar space divided into two sections with the ability to accommodate several types of aircraft. The facility also contains 2,500 square feet of office space consisting of a lobby, four offices for pilots and a kitchenette.
Western has also designed a private fuel farm for the hangar with a holding capacity of 20,000 gallons of jet fuel. Getting explained that this size fuel tank is economical for the hangar because it will save both time and money by allowing pilots to self-fuel their aircraft.
Excavation of the site began in November 2014 and completion is set for early summer.
http://www.mrt.com/business/article_357ab86e-b317-11e4-999a-ff4336b85116.html