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Flight Schools Key to Future of Aviation
The recent survey results showed us that 86.4% of us learned to fly at a general aviation airport. Of those, 44% learned to fly right here at Waukesha County Airport and many others have earned additional ratings or taken recurrent training at one of our flight schools. Why does this matter? The survey also told us that where we learn to fly tends to be where we buy and hangar our aircraft for years to come, building a strong and loyal community of pilots. More than half of us have been flying from this airport for a decade or more and 70% of our tenants have hangared aircraft here for at least 6 years. Since 76% of us decided we wanted to learn to fly when we were under age 30 and 55% decided before age 18, the future of aviation in Waukesha and elsewhere clearly lies in inspiring kids and young adults to join us in the wonderful world of flying.
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Gate 9 Construction Done
Construction on Gate 9 is completed and fully operational. Thank you to eveyone who has called or emailed with suggestions to improve Gate 11; your suggestions have been carried into the design on Gate 9. We hope that both gates will better serve you and make your experience here at Waukesha more efficient and convenient.
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Fly-in/Drive-in Movie
On Friday, June 24, when the sun goes down it's movie night at the airport! "Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines," will be shown on the east side of the terminal building and popcorn, soda and chairs will be provided. Bring your family and enjoy the fun! Cars can be parked in the terminal lot where you can enter the movie area through the terminal conference room. Aircraft can park in the tie-down area east of the terminal. This event is sponsored by Waukesha Aviation Club, Atlantic Aviation and the Waukesha County Airport.
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Our Day Jobs: Business and Science
One of the more interesting demographic revelations from this year's survey was regarding our professions. Business leaders comprise nearly 30% of our pilot population, while professional pilots are 14%. Nearly all other professions represented in our pilot population are in the sciences, including medicine, engineering, information science and others.
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Airport Commission
The Airport Operations Commission meeting schedule is as follows:
July 13
August 10
September 14
October 12
November 9
December 14
All meetings are held at 8:00 a.m. in the Waukesha County Airport terminal conference room.
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Greetings!
In May, we issued a survey to get your feedback on the airport, the services that are provided to you and the future services and amenities that we are developing to meet your needs. For the 125 of you who responded to the survey, THANK YOU for investing your time to provide us with the information we need to make decisions and continue our efforts to make Waukesha County Airport a great experience for you. Most of this newsletter is dedicated to sharing the survey results with all of you, and the efforts we are making to respond to your feedback and insights. Since 90% of you said the newsletter is beneficial to you, we're committed to living up to that high praise! Of course, you are always welcome to tell us what you need, what's working and what needs improvement at any time - there's no need to wait for a survey. Just call the airport administration office at 262-521-5250 or send an email to Kurt or Keith at any time.
Fly Safe,
Kurt Stanich
Waukesha County Airport Operations
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Fuel Prices Remain a Challenge
The burning question for many of those who responded to the recent airport survey is, "What are we going to do about the high price of fuel at Waukesha County Airport?" We all know that fuel prices are higher than normal everywhere right now, but it's clear to everyone that Waukesha's fuel prices are higher than other nearby airports, and this has been an issue for several years. After the last survey in 2009, Atlantic Aviation attempted to address this issue by offering a tenant discount for those who were willing to taxi to the terminal for fuel. The survey revealed that only 1/3 of you are doing this on a regular basis, mainly because the discount is insufficient to make the fuel price competitive with other airports. Since the last survey, airport management and the airport operations commission have explored development of a fuel farm to provide self-service fueling, but this has been deemed cost-prohibitive. We are continuing to work with Atlantic Aviation to bring their prices down to a more reasonable price for the pilots who call Waukesha home, as well as considering other options to solve this problem.
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T-Hangars on the Horizon
In the May survey, we asked for your opinions on replacing one of the current T-hangar buildings with a 10-unit structure offering private hangar space and bi-fold doors. The response indicated that we could easily fill this structure at the slightly higher rent rate that it would require. However, you also told us that many of you are on fixed incomes and are still in need of hangars at a lower price point. Rest assured, we are aiming to provide a range of hangar space and price points to serve all of our tenants and make sure that you have an option that works for you for years to come. We will keep you informed on the T-hangar project after the Waukesha County budget process is complete and we learn whether it made the cut for the next year.
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Airport Restaurant Wanted
The airport survey confirmed that you are still very interested in getting a restaurant at Waukesha County Airport, as you told us in 2009. Now that the economy has improved a bit and restaurateurs are feeling a bit more confident about investing in a new venture, we're working hard to bring a restaurant to the airfield and the surrounding community. If you know of anyone who might be interested in such a venture, please make the connection for us! Just contact the airport management office and we'll take it from there. Thanks! |
Wings Over Waukesha 2011
The 2011 Wings Over Waukesha website is now live at wingsoverwaukesha.com. Visit the site to learn more about the local and incoming aircraft that will be featured, and the new amenities that will be offered during the event. Most importantly, mark your calendar to attend August 27 - 28, 2011! A variety of sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available, which you can learn about on the website under the "Our Sponsors" tab. New to the show this year, we're looking for pilots to fly their aircraft in a "Local Aircraft Showcase" around 10am each day of the show. If you want to fly or display your aircraft during Wings Over Waukesha, please contact the event planning team at wingsoverwaukesha@gmail.com and provide your contact and aircraft information. See you at the show! |
Hangar Missing Something?
During a recent State Bureau of Aeronautics compliance inspection, the inspectors found several condo hangars with no aircraft inside, which were filled with cars and other items. This could be a problem for both hangar owners and the airport, since our regulations and your land lease agreements require aircraft to be stored in hangars. Before the next impromptu inspection from the Bureau of Aeronautics, which could lead to punitive actions, we would like to work with those of you who are currently in need of an aircraft, someone to sublease hangar space from you or a buyer for your hangar. Please see the article below regarding our free classified advertising service, or contact airport management for help networking with other tenants who can help you get an aircraft in your hangar.
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Airplane or Hangar for Sale?Would you like to sell, lease or find a partner for your airplane or hangar? 39% of Waukesha County Airport tenants say they intend to buy a new or used aircraft in the next few years, and 31% intend to buy or rent a hangar. Our website includes free classified advertising for airport tenants so you can reach interested buyers directly. Check it out at Airport Classified Advertising.
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New Signs Coming Soon!
We will soon have new signs to help the community find the Waukesha County Airport from I-94 and the main arteries that lead to Airport Drive. The latest ETA we have heard is that these signs should be installed in July. We are also working to get a new sign at the corner of Airport Drive and Northview to more effectively alert drivers to our whereabouts. This sign is expected in the fall. We'll keep you "posted" if these plans change for any reason.
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