Bringing awareness to importance of general aviation

WORLAND - Officials from the National Air Transportation Association visited with city officials and Worland Municipal Airport users during a meeting last Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the airport.

Founded in 1940, NATA is the national association of aviation business service providers. Its mission is empowering members to be safe and successful aviation businesses.

Per its website, "NATA is the leading national trade association representing the business interests of general aviation service companies on legislative and regulatory matters at the federal level, while also providing education, services, and benefits to our members to help ensure their long-term economic success."

Meeting with airport officials, pilots and business owners were Timothy R. Obitts, president and CEO of the NATA and Ryan Waguespack, NATA senior vice president.

The purpose of Tuesday's meetings and similar meetings NATA representatives are having with airports across the state and country was to discuss how general aviation stakeholders facilitate the success of the community and how rural airports serve as a runway for economic development, job recovery, and emergency response.

Obbits said, "This is an opportunity for aviation businesses that service rural America to be able to reshape the story. The story in the minds of most of the public is that airports are a nuisance, noisy, why are we supporting them, service the rich people. That's not the case at all."

He said more and more commercial operators providing essential air service are pulling out of more and more airports.

Obbits said this has happened even moreso with the COVID-19 pandemic. Commercial airline companies stopped or limited service and focused on their main hubs. He said general aviation pilots and companies stepped up to fly COVID patients and medical personnel to where they needed to go.

Waguespack said another impact from airlines stopping or limiting service to smaller airports has led to some of the struggles in trying to get the vaccine distributed across the country.

During the pandemic there has also been an increase in people flying private charters rather than public airlines. There has also been an increase in people taking flying classes, purchasing private planes and joining flying clubs.

"There is an economic impact the airport has on the community. It serves as a gateway to the community," Obbits said. He added that a community's airport is often times a person or a business' first and last impression of a community.

CARES FUNDING

Obbits said during the pandemic, Congress approved the CARES Act and that provided $10 billion to airports with just $100 million allocated to 4,500 general aviation airports and the other $9.9 billion that went to 398 airports. The average general aviation airport received $30,000. Worland Airport Manager Lynn Murdoch said the Worland airport received $30,000 but her understanding is that Thermopolis and Greybull/South Big Horn County Airport received just $20,000.

Obbits said NATA is there to help airports as they would like to see general aviation not just survive, but thrive.

WMA

While the Worland Municipal Airport lost its essential air service on Sept. 30, 2016, the airport still serves a vital purpose to Washakie County residents.

Worland Airport Manager Lynn Murdoch said. "A lot of businesses are using our airport."

She said Crown, Cork and Seal use the airport, as does Admiral Beverage and Fremont Beverage.

Worland Municipal Airport is also home to Guardian Flight, an air medical evacuation company, which has contracted for services in Washakie County.

Sky Aviation also calls the WMA home and is the fixed based operator (FBO) at the airport, which provides services to general aviation including fueling services.

And there are a lot of private users, Murdoch said, with more and more every day.

"We are one of the most flyable airports. We don't have the wind like some airports," Murdoch said.

Bill Pennington, a pilot and head of the Worland Flying Club said he has to take flying students to other airports to practice flying in crosswinds because of the fact that Worland is one of the best airports to fly into and out of.

Along with private pilots and business, state government will fly into the Worland airport, as well as actors and former governors, including several years ago when former California governor and Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger flew into the airport and then was driven down to Thermopolis for lunch and to purchase a coat.

PANDEMIC

Murdoch said they have seen an impact from the pandemic with wealthy people from out of state purchasing homes in the area and wanting to build hangars.

"Everything the master plan was designed for has changed. We need to plan on larger aircraft," Murdoch said.

Tom Woodward, president of Sky Aviation, said with the new presidential administration there has been an impact on fuel costs, having seen a spike already, with under 20 days into the new administration.

IMPROVEMENTS

As for the airport itself, a new runway was constructed in 2009 and a new taxilane to allow for more general aviation hangars was completed this past summer.

According to the most recent airport master plan, Worland Municipal Airport has three runways, one paved (Runway 16/34) and two turf (Runway 10/28 and Runway 4/22). Primary Runway 16/34 is 7,000 feet long and 100 feet wide and accompanied by a full parallel taxiway. The airport is located on flat ground surrounded by a mixture of different land uses (farm ground, golf course, Bureau of Land Management, and residential).

Woodward noted during the meeting with NATA ideally there would be one runway with an additional 1,000 feet to accommodate larger aircraft.

He said another issue with airports without an essential air service is that companies do not often support the FBO. Woodward noted that even the state will not support a local FBO when flying into a local, smaller airport.

He said in order for businesses and general aviation to grow at Worland Airport there needs to be more and better utilities and all of that takes money that the city does not have.

Mayor Jim Gill said the only source of revenue from the airport is the leases from the hangars.

Obbits and Waguespack said a strong economic development authority could try and find private investors willing to help grow the airport.

WAM HISTORY

According to the master plan, Worland Municipal Airport was constructed in 1944 and initially consisted of a dirt landing strip. In 1949, a paved runway and short taxiway were constructed, along with an apron on the west side of the runway. An administration building was also constructed in 1949. In 1953, a new administration building was erected to serve as the terminal building. The new building was a joint venture between the Worland Country Club and Worland Municipal Airport Board. The country club occupied the south half of the building until early 1959, when they built their own facility. During the 1960s and early 1970s, WRL continued to experience growth and several new hangars were built. Additionally, the full length parallel taxiway was constructed and the parking apron was expanded. Installation of a segmented circle, lighted wind cone, and Medium Intensity Runway Lights (MIRLs) and construction of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) building also occurred. Between 1959 and 1976, the runway grew in length from 5,200 feet to 7,000 feet.