Local news

Piper Airport discusses future of facility

LOCK HAVEN -- Officials, volunteers and concerned citizens met Tuesday morning to discuss the future of the William T. Piper Memorial Airport.

The City of Lock Haven has been considering selling the airport for aviation use, the news coming via letters sent to employees at the airport and business owners renting space on the property.

Alan Uhler, Civil Engineer and Surveyor, gave a presentation that discussed numerous points on why the airport is an asset to the community and the county as a whole.

The presentation was educational, offering facts and statistics about the airport's day to day operations and what potential it has.

"Our intent (with this) is in no way to criticize the city or complain, we want to work with the city and improve the situation. To find a solution," said Uhler.

The city bought the original 70-acre airport in 1937 when William Piper moved his operations from Bradford to the city, and it is currently situated on approximately 112 acres of land with a 3,600 foot asphalt runway in good condition.

When Piper closed its doors in 1984, the city began to operate the airport as a general aviation facility.

At this time, it is the only public airport in Clinton County.

Uhler gave detailed data on the facilities themselves, indicating that their 24 T-hangers in varying condition and age, the two large common use hangers with office and shop areas are in fair condition with regular maintenance and some repairs required and that overall the facilities at the airport are functional, but in decline and in need of maintenance.

The airport averages 48 operations per day, 63 percent of those are local, 34 percent transient and 1 percent military.

There is also a high demand for hanger space. According to Uhler, as of December 2022 there was a waiting list for T-Hangers at the Piper Memorial Airport.

"When you take a look at the hangers around the area... Of the six nearest airports, there are only three other hangars available within an hours drive. There is a definite need for private airplanes. If the airport is closed, where are these airplanes going to go?" asked Uhler.

Uhler also indicated that the airport is host to nine aviation related businesses. The businesses he listed were:

-- Keystone Instruments – aircraft instruments repair, restoration and certification

-- Lock Haven Aircraft Sales – aircraft brokerage

-- Goodrich Flying Service – aircraft maintenance services

-- Hanger 2 Avionics – aircraft avionics sales, installation and service

-- Coastal Defense – Public and private sector threat assessment, training technology and equipment

-- Air Parts – FAA Certified repair station and wholesale supply source for new, used and overhauled aircraft parts

-- Cub Restoration Services, "The Cub Doctor" – Handmade reproduction cub parts and services

-- Baileys Aircraft Services – aircraft maintenance services

-- AvSport – light sport flight training

"Without the airport, most of (these) businesses can't function. We close the airport down and we lose those businesses," said Uhler.

Previously, in the letter sent by City Manager Gregory Wilson, it was noted that only five of the city's more than 8,200 residents are tenants at the airport. Uhler says this statistic is a bit skewed.

"They're concerned about the additional money put in... I see their point to an extent, but (there's) a couple of things to consider. First of all, it goes beyond just individuals with airplanes. We have businesses that are based here, those businesses have employees, those employees are using facilities and services. Beyond that, five individuals live in the city that uses the airport; I may not live in the city but most of my business is down here, I have a business solely based here and I have real estate here. I pay taxes here. I wasn't in that count," said Uhler.

Uhler compared a study done by the PennDOT Bureau of Aviation in 2012 with one completed in 2022.

According to the study, in 2012 the total jobs created by the airport were 51, the total payroll was $1.9 million and total output was $6.8 million. These numbers have increased in the past decade, with the total jobs increasing to 77, the total payroll increasing to around $4.5 million, and the total output increasing to $13.1 million.

The study said, "William T. Piper Memorial Airport has significant recreational flying activity... most other common aviation activities from medical transport and forest firefighting to agricultural spraying and search and rescue operations occur at least seasonally."

Uhler used this to discuss the tourism revenue brought in by the airport.

The most popular tourism aspect of the airport is the Sentimental Journey Fly-In.

According to Uhler, there are typically 300-600 aircrafts on the field during the event and over 4,500 people in attendance.

"If I take a very conservative estimate of the money they bring to the area, figuring that each person that comes in spends about $120. If I assume 350 aircrafts come in, a slow year, and I assume each aircraft has two people in it, that's $84,000 brought in," said Uhler.

The Wings of Williamsport RC Event also brings revenue to William T. Piper Memorial Airport, with 50 RC pilots attending the event this year.

"Those are 50 people who came in and stayed for 3-5 days, that's hotels, restaurants -- money into the area. Conservative estimate is $12,000," said Uhler.

Another aspect of the tourism revenue is the Piper Aviation Museum which annually has around 2,500-3,000 visitors, excluding complimentary tours and local museum members.

The museum has visitors from across the world. An installation of a map allows for those visiting to place a pin at their home state or country.

"We put (the map) up in March when we opened up for the season," said Ron Dremel, President of the Piper Aviation Museum. "I'm amazed. We have people from all over the United States -- not North Dakota -- and (a lot) of the world. There's pins in Beijing, Hong Kong, Moscow and Argentina. It happens all the time. It's a great international tourist destination."

The airport is also used for operations such as aerial spraying, state police operations and fueling, occasional Life Flight fueling and transfer point and a commercial/business airport destination point for local businesses.

"There were two companies with nine airplanes (spraying for spongy moths.) It was a large operation," said Uhler.

The importance of the airport in terms of commercial development for the area was also brought up, Uhler indicating the Mill Hall Walmart as an example.

"Walmart would not construct a Super Walmart if there wasn't an airport within 15 miles. If this airport were not here we would not have gotten a super center when we did," said Uhler.

Another point Uhler made was the importance of airports during natural disasters. He sourced an article posted to aviationfile.com that had a few key facts: Airports serve as critical hubs for rescue and relief operations, they're a staging ground for emergency response teams, a base of operations for search and rescue missions and they're an important hub for information thanks to their communication and navigation systems.

"In times of emergency having an airport nearby is very nice. An awful lot of resources can be brought in... It's a very strategic asset to have," said Uhler.

The article also said, "Airports are also a critical part of the local economy, providing jobs and supporting businesses. After a natural disaster, restoring airport operations as quickly as possible is essential to jumpstarting the local economy and helping the affected communities get back on their feet."

"This isn't just a place for some rich playboys to have their expensive toys. Most of us are just middle class people. I own 50 percent of an airplane that doesn't cost more than my friends have invested in their Harley Davidsons. We're just middle class people that like to fly. Economically, this airport is just a tremendous asset," said Dremel.

Uhler also included a slide dedicated to the future of airport traffic.

"Over 200 companies are investing hundreds of millions into innovative and potentially autonomous air taxi aircrafts. The goal for a lot of them is for them to fly autonomously, no pilot necessary. It's something we need to think about and take seriously. There is a fallacy that people think they'll land on the street by their houses and pick them up. That's not realistic. They're still going to need a facility to land," said Uhler.

According to Wilson, the city's used over $1,927,000 in taxes in the past 10 years to ensure the airport budget breaks even.

In its 2023 budget, the city approved raising its rental rates nearly across the board after five years to bring in more revenue while still keeping rates at a level lower than other airports. Total revenues were predicted to be about $147,792.

According to Uhler, they will be meeting with the city today to discuss a starting point. They're to be meeting with the city manager, the director of public works and two members of city council that are on the airport committee.