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The Future
Continued from page 43
Jeff Wales, owner of Peoria
Aviation and the Mount Hawley
FBO since 2006, mentioned
similar factors as he said he
favors the runway extension
project.
“I’m very happy with it, very
happy they are finally doing it,”
Wales said, noting the feasibility
study calling for the runway
extension was completed in 2006.
“I don’t think it was any one
person’s fault it was out off but
a combination of factors. I’m just
glad they can do it now because
it is needed,” he said.
Wales said the additional
400 feet would improve safety
margins for the pilots that use
Mount Hawley and enhance
revenues for the FBO and, in
turn, the airport authority.
“That will help the authority
then reinvest those increased
revenues back into the airport,”
he said.
Olson acknowledged the
authority has had to battle some
credibility issues with pilots
and tenants of Mount Hawley
“because the feasibility study was
completed in 2006, then nothing.
But there were other things going
on, including construction of the
new terminal at the big airport,
and it did get set back. But it’s on
target now.”
The market Mount Hawley
Airport serves is very different
from the market served by
Downing Peoria International
Airport, Olson added. One of the
chief differences is that there is no
control tower. “To a lot of pilots
that is freedom. That doesn’t
make them any less safe or the
airport any less safe. It’s just
easier to get in and out of, which
means time. To the business flyer,
time is valuable,” he said.
The runway extension is
mostly state and federally
funded. The federal money will
come from a national airport
and airway trust fund every air
traveler pays into every time they
purchase an airline ticket. The
$3.5 billion trust fund allocates
money to each state each year for
airport and airway improvements
and includes what Olson termed
“non-primary entitlements,”
meaning money set aside for
non-primary airports (those
with fewer than 10,000 airline
passengers a year).
The non-primary entitlements
and state apportionment money
from the federal fund equal about
$650,000.
Main entrance to the Mt. Hawley Airport terminal at the foot of Bird Boulevard in north Peoria.
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