Officials trying to impress upon the community importance of facility to area
Officials with the Ohio County Airport are taking steps to improve their facilities and spread the word about the importance of the airport to the county.
Emily Herron, chairman of the Ohio County Airport Board, says that the airport is often the first point of contact for visitors.
“This is the gateway to this community,” said Herron. “Their first impression of Ohio County starts right here. Having a good facility that welcomes people and makes people feel like we want them here is very important.”
Around the time that Herron joined the board in 2017, David Woosley became the airport’s fixed-base operator. Woosley owns Leading Edge Aircraft Services, which operates out of the airport. Herron says that Woosley is very good at his job, so much so that her father flies his plane in from Elizabethtown when it needs mechanical work.
“There’s a lot of people from surrounding counties that do the same because he’s really good at what he does,” said Herron. “Having a good FBO is important because it brings aircraft in. The more airplanes that come in here, the more revenue we’ll have.”
Herron said that they are scheduled to start redoing the apron on Monday, April 8, in front of the hangar that leads up to the taxiway. She also said they are hoping for a new terminal building in the next few years.
Herron says that the airport can help with business and industry growth. The airport has a 5,000-foot runway, which is the length needed for jets to be able to land.
“If I’m the owner of a business or industry, and I’m thinking about putting something in Ohio County, I wouldn’t want to drive all these winding roads to get here,” said Herron. “I want to fly in, and I want to be there in 15 minutes. They’re not going to be able to do that if they land somewhere else.”
Additionally, Herron says they are working on involving the community more with the airport. They have scheduled a Young Eagles event for May 11 where parents can bring their children out to fly in an airplane for free.
“The point of it is to introduce the kids to aviation.” said Herron, “Kids that may not normally have an opportunity to fly or have an airplane can come out here and take an airplane ride.
“In the near future, we would certainly like to see instruction going on here on a regular basis,” Herron said.